Open Bike Fest, the event that wasn't thereThis is the slogan to describe what will happen in Treviso from June 11th to 13thThe logistics base will be Opendream, the former Pagnossin industrial area, located near Treviso airport and two kilometers from the center, with direct access to the Treviso-Ostiglia, one of the most beautiful cycle paths in the Northeast. A 38.000 square meter area from which the four souls of cycling will take flight following the proposed activities. A little proud, a little exposedHow did this event that never existed come about? And what are its goals?
«The idea came to an entrepreneur named Damaso Zanardo (on the left in the opening photo, with Mario Conte, mayor of Treviso, and Regional Councilor Federico Caner), who works in the logistics sector and took over the former Pagnossin company in Treviso, a ceramics company that once sponsored basketball. When the company closed, the warehouses were abandoned, until this rebirth.
Maurizio Evangelista speaks, which we have already met in his role at the Tour orf the Alps, called to coordinate the forces that will give life to Open Bike Fest.
What is the starting idea?
Conjugate in the same event food and gentle mobility. Food and wine excellence as a gateway to something related to cycling. It won't be a one-off activity, in the sense that the goal is birth of a permanent hub, where children can pedal freely, finding a pump track, for example, and everything that can be a prerequisite for cycling. Inside, there is already a cyclist's shop, a bike bistro, and soon there will be other infrastructure, including a village of taste that is a driving force for local production realitiesThe location is incredibly suitable for events, even if it's not the easiest moment. And in any case, to avoid crowds, it's worth emphasizing that Opendream will only be the logistics base.
Who is this Damaso Zanardo?
An entrepreneur with a passion for cycling, in an area where cycling is a living thing. Treviso is synonymous with cycling as a sport, but there's also a strong push towards cycle tourism. This event sends a strong signal to continue this trend.
What will be happening at Open Bike Fest?
Exhibition Test, with the stands of companies in the sector. The leisure, perhaps for the little ones, with all kinds of entertainment on two wheels. Culture, telling the history of the bicycle through the exhibition of vintage models but also through the stories of famous people. Business, because it will have to be a driving force for the economy. Taste, because the small and large companies that will participate will be discovered. And then think tank, with its workshops in the presence of prominent figures.
In what sense will Opendream be just the logistics base?
In the sense that the event is meant to go outThe structure will be the hub where there will be information and entertainment services for children, but the routes for road bikes, mountain bikes, gravel bikes, urban and e-Bikes will take out.
Could Covid be an obstacle?
There are huge spaces inside; if we had crowding issues, it would mean the event really attracted a huge crowd. In any case, the situation is a bit unusual. there is no need to panic, given that there are still 5 months to go and perhaps the vaccination campaign will be more advanced by then. If anything there will be a need to intervene on the programming to deal with any problems.
Did Treviso welcome the idea?
Absolutely yes, also thanks to the intuition and timing of this entrepreneur. The manufacturing sector has seized the opportunity, because it's a cross-cutting event. There's the bike. There are the Prosecco hills and the itineraries, like the Radicchio Route. An event that it goes very well with slow tourism. Companies in the sector are interested above all in what goes beyond the event.
Why call it the event that didn't exist?
Because it's different from the Bike Festival, for example, which only has mountain biking, while here there are 4 strands. In other events the in-depth part is missing, training for professionals, and a positive impact on the public. There will be talks with personalities from sports, entertainment, and civil society, for whom cycling has become a way of life. This is why it's the event that wasn't there. This and much more...
