A few months after the passage of the caravan of Tour de France On the roads of Emilia Romagna, three days of great cycling which have stirred enormous interest, the Region has drawn conclusions of what has happened, based on a study commissioned by a specialized company SG Plus andUniversity of Parma, who analyzed every single aspect of what happened reaching the conclusion that it was a real economic success considering that for every euro spent, 24 were earned.
Beyond all expectations
Looking through the proposed compendium of numbers, one discovers that The Tour involved 5 provinces (Rimini, Forlì-Cesena, Ravenna, Bologna and Piacenza) and 29 municipalitiesThe television audience was extremely high, with 150 million viewers for 185 hours of broadcast, and social media engagement was also very high, over 14 million.
Based on these responses, Davide Cassani, former city now president of theApt Emilia Romagna He expressed some surprise. Especially considering the overall economic impact of the three-day competition: "We can talk about over 124 million euros, a result that goes beyond all expectations.It was known that the event would be a shock to the regional economy. I am pleased that what happened confirms even more strongly that the direction we had taken by contacting theAso was the right one."
In the wake of major sporting events
Giammaria echoes Cassani Mangoes, Undersecretary to the Presidency of the Region, who broadens the discussion: «In Emilia we have been following the path of major sporting events for some time: Formula 1, Davis Cup, motorcycle GPs are just a few examples and cycling is a cornerstone in this field. We will continue on this path based precisely on what we saw with the Tour. In fact, our sporting agenda for 2025 is already broader than this year's.
«When we got in touch with the Tour organization – Manghi recalls – We had done a spectral analysis to understand what we could expect and the final response goes beyond the estimatesBut I also look at other factors, not just the economic one. For example, the one regarding attendance: between departures and arrivals, 1.403.589 people were calculated, including the route and I firmly believe in these numbers, because The image of the 16 uninterrupted kilometers of crowds at the exit from Cesenatico for the second stage will always remain in my eyes.. Something sensational."
An older target
However, regarding attendance, Cassani highlights a figure relating to age: compared to the 13,8 percent of Under 30s, there is a good 33,1 percent of Over 60s: «TheThe cycling community is getting older, they're elderly, and we shouldn't deny it. We understand this even from those who watch the races on TV or come to watch them, from the age groups of the Granfondos or the cycle touring ones.Cycling is a product that needs to be modernized, promoted, and spread among the younger generations without waiting for the classic Sinner that it acts as a driving force. We need to invest in it now, knowing how to sell the good things it offers."
It's no coincidence, however, that such success has been achieved in Emilia: "Our region has two fundamental elements for cycling," says Manghi, "first and foremost, a strong historical identity rooted in time, with consistently produced champions and a widespread cycling movement. Then there's the consistent production of events: The Giro always passes through our area and you all saw what a success the Giro dell'Emilia was and what resonance it had, a real revenge of the world championship that just took place.
Investments pouring into cycling
«Speaking of the World Championship, the 2020 edition in Imola was a huge success. To the point that we decided to signpost the entire route and this has meant that every Sunday it is tackled by many enthusiasts, who test themselves on those tracksThe same can be said for the climbs that made the Novecolli and they were also addressed by the Tour stage. We want to continue to invest by capitalising on the heritage of the Granfondos, protecting the historic ones such as Novecolli or Sharks and always proposing new ones because they attract many to learn about our reality."
Tour but not only. Now Piedmont wants to relaunch and next year will host the start of the La VueltaWill it be the same? "The Tour is one of the three or four biggest events in the world," Cassani replies, "but considering the hype that the Vuelta can also generate, I think the impact will be huge there too. This is a positive sign, it shows that there are those who believe in cycling and want to invest in it, and it fits into that idea of promoting the activity we were talking about earlier. Many regions need to do the same thing. We in Emilia will continue on the same path, that's for sure..."
