Lucca welcomes the “corsa rosa” with a series of collateral events at the 5th Stage of the Giro d’Italia 2024, which will arrive in Lucca on Wednesday 8 May 2024, after 39 years of absence thanks to the fruitful collaboration between the municipal administration and RCS. A significant and highly anticipated sporting moment, accompanied by initiatives that will involve the whole city thanks to the enthusiasm of sports associations, local bodies and private individuals who support and support with great dynamism the return of the legendary pink race to the city.
Presenting the initiatives: Mario Pardini, mayor of Lucca with the councilors for sport and tourism Fabio Barsanti and Remo Santini, together with the CEO and general director of Lucca Crea, Nicola Lucchesi and Emanuele Vietina, in the presence of Raffaele Domenici, deputy president of the Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca Foundation, Pier Luigi Castellani, provincial president of the Cycling Federation, Claudio Rossi and Antonio Poli of the pro Classic Cycle Asd, Umberto Costa, of the Caffè delle Mura, Giulio Monselesan for Lucchese Pugilistics.
The exhibition “Karl Kopinski: Wearing the Pink” and the big marbles in the squares
Lucca Crea is also a great protagonist of this phase leading up to the Giro d’Italia, with some special initiatives, capable of attracting the attention of cycling enthusiasts, but also of the general public and citizens.
In the church of San Franceschetto (in Piazza San Francesco with inauguration on May 3rd), taking advantage of the great experience gained over the years, Lucca Comics & Games, in collaboration with the Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca Foundation, creates the exhibition “Karl Kopinski: Wearing the Pink”, dedicated to the English artist of the same name, who has worked in the illustration industry since 1997 and has reached the top of the sector, with 800 thousand followers on Instagram and a nomination for the BP Portrait Award, one of the most important prizes for portraitists.
A great cycling enthusiast and friend of Lucca Comics & Games, Kopinski has created a series of portraits of pedal heroes, who belong to the history of cycling, including: Gino Bartali, Fausto Coppi, Francesco Moser, Marco Pantani, Eddy Merckx and champions contemporaries who have made their way into our hearts such as Mark Cavendish, Bob Jungels, Bradley Wiggins.
On this occasion, the exhibition will also explore the artist’s affectionate relationship with the city of Lucca and the Lucca Comics & Games festival, enriching the exhibition with the originals of the poster of the event created by Kopinski in 2015 and the Grog of 2023, the artist’s reinterpretation of the Lucca Games mascot which turned 30 last year. LThe exhibition is accompanied by a splendid catalog published in collaboration with CMON.
To accompany the exhibition, original artistic installations will be positioned in the main squares of the city, combining the love for the pink race with the symbolic places of Lucca, in Lucca Comics & Games style. Large transparent and colored marbles, which recall the ones we all used to play on the beach as children, and in which the portraits of the pedal heroes will be positioned, seen through the art of Karl Kopinski.
From May 1st, in fact, twelve giant marbles will be installed in four locations: San Michele, San Frediano, San Francesco and in front of the Caffè delle Mura and will host the works of the international artist, whose originals are on display in the church of San Franceschetto, which can be visited with free entry from Saturday 4th to Sunday 12th May 2024.
The special “pink” setups and sporting initiatives
The hamlets of the municipal area and the historic center will be tinged with pink, with the special Giro d’Italia displays which will be positioned and installed in the most visible areas of the route. The official logo of the historic city was depicted in the flowerbed facing Porta San Pietro, with white and pink flowers, thanks to the work of the gardeners of the Municipality of Lucca.
Furthermore, there are numerous sports associations that have done their utmost to organize celebratory events. For sThe 13th edition of the Lucchesina is scheduled for Saturday 4 May, the recreational and motor walk organized by the Lucca Marathon Association. A carefree walk, of about 10 km, aimed at athletes and families, among the most evocative streets of the city admiring the monuments and historical sites of the city with a tribute to the Giro d’Italia. On the occasion, all athletes will be given a pink technical shirt to pay homage to the arrival of the stage in Lucca on May 8th. Lucca will also pay homage to Giacomo Puccini in the year of his centenary, crossing the most symbolic places in the city that saw the presence of the Maestro: Piazza Cittadella where his statue is depicted and Via di Poggio near Corte San Lorenzo where his birthplace is, Piazza del Giglio in front of the Theater and the Casermetta San Colombano where the Giacomo Puccini Study Center is located. Departure at 3pm from Piazza Napoleone and arrival, always in the same square, with refreshments and rich goody bags for all participants.
On the weekend of Olympic boxing events promoted by Pugilistica Lucchese are also scheduled for 4 and 5 May, with a special tribute to the stage of the Giro d’Italia and many surprises for all sports enthusiasts of the two disciplines, who merge their historical values for an unprecedented and all to be discovered.
The evening before the stage, Tuesday 7 May, will be the turn of the Pedalata Rosa, a non-competitive cycling event organized by the Cycling Team Sports Association, open to around 300 participants, starting from Piazzale Vittorio Emanuele at 8.30pm and arriving at 9.30pm.
Also on the evening of May 7th, a special buffet dinner will be held at the Caffè delle Mura for a fee and upon reservation, with a pink dress code. Participants will be given a Giro d’Italia gadget by the administration. More details on the event and booking methods will be communicated on the official channels of the Municipality of Lucca in the next few days.
…and it doesn’t end here, because other initiatives related to the return of the Giro d’Italia to Lucca after 39 years will be announced in the next few days.
Tags: Giro dItalia Lucca collateral events presented
