We're almost there, just three and a half more days and then the scenario for the "Italian" Tour de France will finally open up. Florence and its Piazzale Michelangelo yesterday were the scene of the departure of the Italian championships won by Bettiol, but On Thursday, starting at 6:30 pm, they will officially turn yellow with a spectacular team presentation..
The riders' legs will light up on Saturday, June 29th at 12:00 with the start of the first stage from Piazza della Signoria, while the hearts of fans have already been warming for some time. Among them there is Riccardo Magrini which, by necessity, is an optimal trait d'union between Tuscany and Tour de France. Although he is not Florentine, "the Thin" lives this Grand Départ with deep feeling as we understood from our conversation. Something that is not easy to describe and that he will have to pour into the microphone during the commentary on Eurosport together with Luca Gregorio.
Historic event
Magrini's feeling with the Tour is linked, among many memories, to 1983 when he won the seventh stage from Nantes to Ile d'Oleron with a finisher's stroke As the red triangle approaches the final kilometer, emotions shift forty-one years later for a historic event.
"This edition of the Tour de France," he says, "is particularly special to me, first of all because it starts in Italy for the first time and secondly because, despite being a result of the collaboration with Emilia Romagna, it starts in Tuscany. The fact that we start from Florence, the land of Gino Bartali, Gastone Nencini and Alfredo Martini, I believe is the right way to pay homage to three giants of international cycling., not just Italian. There will certainly be economic interests, but for me there's something that goes beyond the choice to start from here. In this case, we're talking about the history and values of sport. And then guys, you know the artistic context of Florence, which is envied throughout the world, which marries with the Tour? '.
Florence, first world champion, yellow hour
There's no doubt that Tuscany is the cradle of cycling. To give you an idea, anyone who grows up in those parts and enters that world as a rider or professional cannot ignore the three names mentioned above by Magrini. Or the same... Florence, which in 2013, together with other locations, hosted the world championship Between time trials and road races. But what's the difference with the Tour de France?
«That year's World Championship – he continues – involved a good part of Tuscany with all the races on the program and was a great showcase also from a tourism point of view, even though our region is known everywhere. However the Tour has a completely different appealWe all know that after the Olympics and the World Cup which are held every four years, It's the third sporting event and it takes place every year. It's something sensational for Florence, it goes all over the world.. "
"Let's not forget," Magrini analyzes, "the economic benefits it could bring to the city and its surroundings. Indeed, I would say all the roads that will be crossed by the first stage leading to Rimini. Even just passing by your home is truly an event to be experienced in a unique way, someone already told me that it will be like this. However, it occurs to me that maybe people didn't really realize what was actually going to happen now. "
Media perception
Magrini's last sentence is an assist, or rather, a sprint to be exploited. Have the Tuscans, Romagnoli, Emilians, and Piedmontese realized what kind of event is about to pass before their feet? The perception is not the same everywhere. The impression is that Florence, Rimini, Cesenatico and Bologna are more prepared than the other cities involved, but it becomes difficult to say until you see it live..
"I can say," the Eurosport commentator continues, "that Florence is fully booked. It's been said that over 90 percent of the hotel capacity has been occupied for some time now. And I know the same thing is true in Romagna. The collateral events related to the Tour have certainly been important in making people understand what's to come. It may be that in Florence and Romagna they had a more engaging approach because the two stages are very lively and promise a show.For example, Bologna's arrival against San Luca at the end was beautiful."
«At the basis of everything, however – continues Magrini – I think it's a question of communication in generalObviously, if you organize evenings in preparation for the Tour and don't publicize them, you can't expect everyone to know what's going on. This is a bit of a big limitation of cycling, even in important events.I saw it this past week with the Italian championships. It's true that they were in Grosseto and Florence, but in Montecatini, where many teams stayed, no one knew why they were there. While other sports, especially football, manage to communicate better, we in cycling... we should reflect on this aspect. "
Any ideas for next time?
The historic departure from Italy involves all of our cycling across the board. ASO, the organizer of the Tour de France, will rely on various departments of RCS Sport, the organizer of the Giro d'Italia, for the first four stages. This exciting collaboration could yield ideas and benefits for the future.
"I think it's always useful to compare it," Magrini concludes, "with other realities. In this case, we'll be able to appreciate the power of the Tour, which we'll only see in part here in Italy. For example, not all of their vehicles will be in our country due to approval issues. For me, the Giro remains the most beautiful and toughest race there is, in terms of routes and views, but the Tour has always managed to be more effective in terms of advertising. "
This "Italian" Tour hasn't even begun yet, and people are already thinking about the next one. "Magro" has a proposal on the table. "We can't have the Tour here every year, but in 2025 the Vuelta, which is managed by the same organizers, could start in Piedmont. It would be nice if the Tour could do a rerun Great Partenza here in a few years. After all, he left Holland six times…»
