CA' DEL POGGIO (TV) – I get strong shivers and the desire to scream, says a passage from a football team's anthem. But in this case, it would be better to say "want to cheer." And it was that, a lot, that the thousands of people who climbed the Ca' del Poggio Wall put in..
No word, no matter how well written, can convey the magic of it all. The atmosphere that only cycling can provide. Being here in the midst of it all was a true thrill. Strong shivers. The anticipation. The adrenaline building minute by minute. The riders at 10 kilometers. The riders at 5 kilometers. And here they are at the bend leading to the climb. And finally, the wall.
Organization with honors
And at the best moment here comes the voice of Luciano Pavarotti filling the rows, the hill, and this natural stage. "Nessun Dorma" from Turandot. And with I'll win at dawn just as the athletes pass by. Among other things, older viewers will remember the Rai theme tune for cycling races, featuring Jesper Skibby's formidable sprint.
We couldn't have asked for anything better for this long-awaited day. For this day, Ca' del Poggio, starting from the restaurant-hotel of Alberto Stocco, he worked for a long time.
«The project of this day with the Tour of Italy – Stocco says with pride and emotion – it was important. At first it was just a rough draft of an idea, then we built it and planned it, both from a sporting and promotional point of view. Promoting an area rich in landscape—remember, we're among the UNESCO hills—but also rich in what cycling can tell and allow us to experience.
This morning I was here. The Wall was still completely empty, I was just waiting for it all to explode. For this busy day to begin. There were still doubts and hesitations, but everything has been cleared up. I received perhaps more than I had imagined, together with my staff. And thanks also to all of you who are sharing what happened today."
An important day that attracted thousands of fans and where everything worked perfectly. The voice of the announcer of many granfondos, Paolo Mutton, filled the 1.150 meters of the wall.
«My team is small – continues Stocco – it has about fifteen people, but when we have to expand, involving the territory as today, we reach 238. As Eleonora Bottecchia (Stocco's right-hand woman and Ottavio's niece, ed.) would say, who accompanies me in these initiatives, it's one thousand one hundred and fifty meters of pure spectacle.
A vertical ride in the heart of the hills. I expected all the fans to show respect for the area and the cyclists, and in that sense, too, everything went well. Cycling is one of the few free sports, and for that reason, it deserves even more respect.
Eulalio passes by
And then there's the race. In the end, the stage was tough, but less tense than expected. The ups and downs before Ca' del Poggio were less selective than expected and the two strongest sprinters of the group, Paul Magnier and Jonathan Milan, they somehow managed to save themselves. So much so that in the end the Frenchman won for the third time.
We were positioned 500 meters from the GPM, right on the bend that leads to the Ca' del Poggio restaurant.Among fans, beers, prosecco, and gin and tonic, in the shade of a pink smoke bomb, without radio commentary or a smart TV, we saw Eulalio emerge. "It's the white jersey, it's the white jersey," the crowd shouted. Even this return to experiencing the live broadcast, unaware of what we were about to see, was a welcome change of pace.
The roar filled the hill along with Pavarotti. jonas vingegaard he climbed determinedly, keeping himself out of danger. All the others followed. Milan was pushing forward like a sprinter, but how beautiful is his tenacity. Giulio Pellizzari he climbed up behind, pedaling alongside his former companions from the Bardiani CSF. And, good news for tomorrow, Julius Ciccone he went up calmly. A clear message ahead for Giau and its ilk: save energy.
Come on Vendrame
Ca' del Poggio becomes a meeting place for politicians, fans, and former athletes. The audience is also top-notch in this regard. But above all, he stands out among them. Andrea Vendrame, the one who more than anyone would have wanted to make a splash in this stage. He who is right at home at Ca' del PoggioHe would have liked to be in the fray. With 190 heartbeats and 500 watts on the pedals.
Instead, he's wearing a corset. Or at least with a band around his chest.I only got out of the wheelchair a few days ago "Andrea, who crashed in that terrible second stage in Bulgaria, tells us, 'It was a pretty serious blow. I have four broken vertebrae, and one is more serious. They told me I'll be out for several months. But my trainer is confident I'll be back at the end of the season.'"
It hurts, it almost brings a tear to my eye seeing him here. "Never mind, that's how it went." Before we leave, we instinctively pat him on the back. He's left breathless. The pain is intense. We apologize a thousand times. Then a smile... and Vendrame leaves, along with the crowd that, little by little but slowly, respectfully as they arrived, leaves the hill and the celebration.
However, the memory of a historic day remains. “Now the Wall has become legend,” someone says to Stocco, who nods with emotion. All it took was a handful of minutes of the Giro d'Italia, combined with the passion of those who live on these ramps, to make this stage special. And this passage of the Giro d'Italia is yet another gem to hang on the walls of the Ca' del Poggio museum.
