04/10/2003

Press Release

86th Giro d'Italia - Banca Mediolanum sponsor of the Green Jersey

In the 86th Giro d'Italia this year, Banca Mediolanum is sponsoring the Green Jersey of the Gran Premio della Montagna.
It won't be the first time that the Milan group has been involved in sport. Its brand has been associated with the AC Milan of Sacchi's records, with Van Basten, Rijkaard, Baresi and Maldini. The combination won everything, creating growth in both companies.
With the Giro d'Italia Mediolanum launches another challenge to the sport: to spread the fame of its brand further, contributing at the same time to a new type of global communication. For the next four years, Mediolanum will be involved in this adventure.

Sport, entertainment and finance
In keeping with its tradition, Mediolanum will not be a "passive sponsor". It will not be content just to see its logo everywhere. It wants to be an "active agent", with initiatives that signal its presence in the convoy and in all legs of the race.

Giro Mediolanum
Mediolanum will bring entertainment to the Giro, thanks to its experience in organising shows for its clients. The initiative is called Giro Mediolanum and consists of ten music and cabaret shows that will run side by side with the Giro festivities. In Lecce, Catania, Pavia, Rieti and Milan, just to name a few places, spectators waiting for the arrival of the race will be entertained by well-known artists till the evening concert which will include several famous performers.
Some evenings will also include a medley of international musicals.

An outstanding corporate ambassador
Ex-world champion Francesco Moser has been chosen by the Group to strengthen the link between Mediolanum and cycling. Moser's name is a legend in the history of this sport - he always gave his best in all his races and left everyone, fans and others, with a strong image of someone who believed in sport as a school of life. Moser will be at the side of the Mediolanum people at every stage of the race, and before each stage arrives he will be available for Mediolanum clients who are keen on an uphill run.
A coach specially fitted-out with a Mediolanum Point will follow the stages of the race, so that clients, agents and the merely interested will be able to see how easy and effective it is to use the Bank that is "built around the client".

Ennio Doris
Ennio Doris, CEO of Banca Mediolanum, is a cycling enthusiast, and sees a close parallel between a cycling team and a group of Advisors. "I believe," he says," that the climbs and the Gran Premio della Montagna are the essence of the sport and are a sporting metaphor of life: toil and sweat to achieve results. I think my Global Advisors can be compared with the great uphill cyclists because when difficulties mount up, slowing us down, we manage to do better than others, forming the basis for a great victory. Cycling is also a sport where there is certainly team playing, but where, in the end, it is the individual who has to push on with his own legs. It's this that encapsulates the work of financial Advisors, who are team players in the company, but have to stand on their own feet when faced with a client."

Milan, April 10, 2003

Mediolanum Group - Media Relations
Roberto Scippa
Tel 02 9049.2902 - Fax 02 9049.2345 - Cell 335 8166556
e-mail gmmedia@mediolanum.it

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