A few days at L’Étape Parma by Tour de France, the official event of the Tour de France for cycle tourists and amateur cyclists which on Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 April will bring the atmosphere of the Grande Boucle to Parma, in the year in which the great race French stages will start from Italy.
This is also the first time in Italy for L’Étape by Tour de France, a format that allows cycle tourists and amateur cyclists to ride in the legend of the Tour de France and whose 2024 calendar includes 21 countries.
The event is organized by Extragiro in collaboration with ASO, the Municipality of Parma, the Emilia-Romagna Region and the Organizing Committee of the Grand Départ and the program was presented in the Representative Room by the Mayor of Parma, the Deputy Mayor and Councilor for Culture , by Marco Pavarini, director of Extragiro, organizational partner of the event, by the mayors and administrators of the municipalities involved and by the representatives of the cycling-related associations that collaborated.
“With Etape we will experience an important opportunity to position Parma in the world of cycle tourism” said Mayor Michele Guerra ”the Etape combines a sporting element with a cultural and tourist element and, today, by presenting it together with many administrators, it presents Parma not only as the provincial capital, but as a beautiful land, very varied in terms of landscape. Under the P which represents our brand after Italian Capital of Culture we would increasingly like to read not only the city, but the complexity of the territory”.
There will be two days of celebration for the city, with the Parco Ducale which will be the heart of the event hosting the Parma Village (free access) and a series of collateral events open to all citizens.
If, in fact, the highlight is the granfondo (registrations still open, https://letapebytourdefrance.com) which on Sunday 28 April starting from 8.45 am will see participants from over 20 countries around the world in the saddle, being able to choose between two completely closed routes and safely (one of 143 km and the other of 74 km) and challenging for the iconic Yellow, Green, White and polka dot jerseys of the Tour de France, starting from Saturday 27th April – and for two days – the Parco Ducale will be colored with yellow.
Deputy Mayor Lorenzo Lavagetto Councilor for Culture and Tourism summed up: “the Etape program is very rich and varied: you will be able to meet the great names in the history of cycling, there will be an exhibition dedicated to the great cycling of Parma and one to the Tour del France, authoritative discussions on sustainable mobility, but also events for children and families. Parma, a city that has always been linked to two wheels, will be a showcase of outdoor experiences, a showcase that we hope will become a great celebration and an opportunity for international promotion of our territory”.
Only for Sunday, the area of Parma and its province will be affected by changes to the road system. On the one hand, the temporary interruption of traffic on some roads will allow the event to take place safely; on the other hand, thanks to the provision of alternative routes for crossing the city and neighboring municipalities, the traffic diversions will still allow road users to be able to move around the area even on the day of the granfondo. All details on changes to traffic and alternative routes will be published on the official channels of the event and of the municipalities involved.
“Ten days after the event – explained Marco Pavarini, director of ExtraGiro – The Étape Parma by Tour de France is already achieving the desired results for Parma’s positioning in the world of cycle tourism: in these months of communication the message Parma, cycle tourism and Food Valley has been received (not just seen) by 12 million people, of which over 800,000 established an interaction with the event, of these, over 40% are foreigners. The Étape Parma by Tour de France, also thanks to the activities in the village and the conferences, with important speakers who bring examples and contaminations of successful experiences in the world, will leave a legacy on the territory, a cultural legacy that can be enhanced in the future “
