«When people tell me that there are more bicycles in Holland than in Belgium, I reply that it's true. In Holland they have a culture of cycling, but here we have a culture of cycling.».
The words heard January 6 in Belgium continue to resonate, as do the roars of the crowd in the weekend crossThose who commented on the images and articles on various social networks wrote that certain scenes can only be seen up there. It's not true, it happens here too: maybe not in cross-country, but certainly on the road. The opening photo comes from the 2018 Giro in Catania, taken by Dario Belingheri and he even won an award. We have the people, we are losing the culture of cycling. Why?
The culture of cycling
Culture is an important word. Maybe that guy used it carelessly or with full awareness of what he was saying.
«Culture – says Treccani – is the set of intellectual knowledge that a person has acquired through study and experience, reworking them with a personal and profound rethinking so as to convert the notions from simple erudition into constitutive element of his moral personality, his spirituality and his aesthetic taste, and, in short, in the awareness of oneself and one's world."
If we associate the definition with cycling and consider that In Belgium it is a subject of study in schools, a constant presence in the media, a daily lifestyle and a consolidated habit in many homes., it is clear that perhaps the use of the term was not inappropriate. Given this situation, it is also clear the reason why big companies are interested in investing in this sport.
“We are two large Belgian companies,” said Cindy Van Moorleghem, Brand & Marketing Director of Quick-Step, speaking of the company she works for and Soudal, “both active on the international market. We have values in common, which are called passion, dream and pride.».
Children and the future
The same thing is happening in France. The great work done by ASO in promoting the Tour and its image, combined with political support and media favor, means that the history of cycling and its present pass through the generations. It follows that even in France some real giants have approached the teams, modeling marketing campaigns around a sport that is seen as a great promotional vehicle.
Il story told by Consonni on the crowd of spectators in the various rehearsals of the French Cup confirms that It's not just the Tour, but cycling itself that is driving the movement, even in a country where football and rugby reign supreme.
Often, to understand how deeply rooted cycling is in society, you just have to look around. The presence of children at the races is the most reliable discriminantIf they're there, it means it's a family affair. And so, as Lefevere said at his team's presentation, it's fair to think that Today's children will be tomorrow's fans.
The Italian exception
What's stopping the same thing from happening in Italy? We are fans, enthusiasts, and practitioners. We have a fantastic following, a territory designed for outdoor sports, but the cycling culture is dying out because there is no network that favors its passage.It remains tied to the memories of the older generation, but it barely reaches the younger generation. If the sensitivity of the 1980s had still existed, a champion like Nibali would have become a leader despite his shy characterInstead, we let it pass without realizing that it was more popular in France than in Italy.
By force! Those who organize the races limit themselves, in most cases, to collecting checks, taxing other people's sponsors, setting up stages and disappearing a few hours later.National politicians are keeping their distance, in case it would harm their image to be seen at the start of a race. The media, the important ones that dictate the line, have knelt before football, considering it the only theme that attracts the public. As a result, sponsors stay awayThose capable of combining passion, dreams, and pride left years ago and aren't coming back. There were also years when sponsorship was the best way to play with invoices, but this is another story, typical however of our bad habits. And it certainly had nothing to do with passions, dreams and pride.
The French invasion
Why all this is happening remains the key. Covid has favored the rebirth (perhaps) of cycling culture, but this too must confronting every day the non-culture of those who use the roads without respect for the weakest usersAnd it won't be imposed distances or license plates on bikes that will improve the situation. Maybe the only solution is for them to invade us.. Let the Tour shark arrive from France and put a foot down, perhaps starting with the Women's cycling's Giro, and then expand. They'll do it mainly for money, but They also know that the game is much more profitable if it relies on popular culture.We always come back to that, and this is where cycling made history. We must roll up our sleeves so everyone knows it.
