A great champion who passed away too soon, remembered in an evening at the Panathlon Club Forlì, in the presence of his wife and many of his dear friends. But also an opportunity to present a Granfondo, which will take place in Forlì and which will be dedicated to the memory of Fabio Casartelli, Olympic champion cyclist in Barcelona in 1992 who died in a racing accident in 1995.
The event last night was attended, as guests, by Annalisa Rosetti, Fabio’s wife, Milva Rossi, vice-president of the Emilia Romagna Coni, Andrea Gualtieri, deputy commander of the Forlì traffic police, and Davide Cassani, former commissioner technician of the Italian cycling team and RAI voice for the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France. Marilena Rosetti, president of Panathlon Forlì, will act as hostess.
Also scattered around the tables in the beautiful Aurora hall of Palazzo Albicini were Roberto Conti and Fabiano Fontanelli, two cyclists who before following Marco Pantani played for Ariostea, the same team as Casartelli until 1994, and Augusto Baldoni.
The first of the guests to speak was Milva Rossi: “Fabio was humble and kind, I knew him well. The regional CONI has the task of spreading sport, which is why we decided to be at Annalisa’s side to organize the first Forlì Granfondo dedicated to the memory of Casartelli on July 7th. It will be a non-competitive race, which will see the participation of everyone, from children to adults. Winning doesn’t matter, you win if there are many participants.” Annalisa Rosetti spoke immediately afterwards: “The Granfondo arrives in Forlì after many years. In fact, I decided to dedicate myself to my son, and for a long time I didn’t think about planning something to remember Fabio. It was exciting for me to discover that people have not forgotten my husband thirty years after his death – said Casartelli’s wife -. But what I care most about is remembering that he won the Olympic gold in Barcelona 92”. The sporting event to be held in Forlì already includes the participation of many very young people: “The Granfondo was designed together with Milva and other lifelong friends. It is the first edition – continued Annalisa Rosetti – and I am happy to have promoted it. What makes me happiest is the great participation of the children, it’s all very beautiful.”
“In the Granfondo there will be neither a first nor a last, this is the most important thing. We loved Fabio because he made us love him. And the participation of many children in this event – he concluded Davide Cassani – is the thing that gives meaning and completeness to this memory of Fabio”.
