The countdown has begun. On Saturday, June 29, for the first time in its history, the Tour de France, the most important cycling race in the world and one of the most followed sporting events in the world, will start from Italy and in particular from Florence, for the stage that after more than two hundred kilometers it will take the runners to Rimini.
There Grand Depart includes three Italian stages: in addition to Florence – Rimini, Cesenatico – Bologna on 30 June and Piacenza – Turin on 1 July. Then the race moves to France, with the expected conclusion in Nice (and not as usual in Paris) on 21 July.
Not just a race
The Tour de France is the first television event in the world in terms of importance on an annual basis, the third overall after the Football World Cup and the Olympics: total turnover of 150 million euros, 190 countries connected, three billion expected viewers.
One hundred and seventy-six cyclists at the start divided into twenty-two international teams (eight per team), five hundred staff including assistants, mechanics and managers. Over 3 thousand kilometers to travel and 150 vehicles for the advertising caravan.
Departure ‘walkway’ from the Cascine, then Ponte Vecchio
The Opera Theatre, next to the Leopolda, will be the main press centre, a point of reference for over six hundred accredited journalists from all over the world.
The departure will be from the Cascine at around 12 and will follow a sort of ‘walkway’ in the center of the city (traffic restrictions are important, see below), also passing by Ponte Vecchio (not the cars, only the runners) and up to Bagno a Ripoli – there will also be a tribute to Gino Bartali at the statue in front of the Coop in Gavinana – where there will be the official start of the first stage of the Grande Boucle.
The complete route in the center of Florence
This is the complete route in the city, from Cascine to Bagno a Ripoli:
PIAZZALE DELLE CASCINE → VIALE DEGLI OLMI → PIAZZALE THOMAS JEFFERSON → VIALE DEL VISARNO → VIA DEL FOSSO MACINANTE → VIA LUCIANO BERIO → PIAZZA VITTORIO VENETO → VIALE FRATELLI ROSSELLI → PIAZZALE DI PORTA AL PRATO → IL PRATO → VIA CURTATONE → LUNGARNO AMERIGO VESPUCCI → PIAZZA CARLO GOLDONI → VIA DELLA VIGNA NUOVA → VIA DEGLI STROZZI → VIA DEI VECCHIETTI → PIAZZA DI SANTA MARIA MAGGIORE → VIA DEI CERRETANI → PIAZZA DI SAN GIOVANNI → PIAZZA DEL DUOMO → VIA DEI CALZAIOLI → PIAZZA DELLA SIGNORIA: Institutional start → VIA VACCHERECCIA → VIA POR SANTA MARIA → PONTE VECCHIO → VIA DEI GUICCIARDINI → PIAZZA DEI PITTI → PIAZZA DI SAN FELICE → VIA ROMANA → PIAZZA DELLA CALZA → PIAZZALE DI PORTA ROMANA → VIALE NICCOLO’ MACHIAVELLI → PIAZZALE GALILEO → VIALEO → PIAZZALE MICHELANGIOLO → VIALE MICHELANGIOLO → VIA CARLO MARSUPPINI → VIA COLUCCIO SALUTATI → PIAZZA GAVINANA → VIALE DONATO GIANNOTTI → VIALE EUROPA → PIAZZA GASTONE NENCINI → VIALE EUROPA → VIALE DEL PIAN DI RIPOLI – BAGNO A RIPOLI.
After the official start in Bagno a Ripoli, the caravan will cross the territories of six municipalities in the Florentine province: Bagno a Ripoli, Pontassieve, Pelago, Rufina, Dicomano, San Godenzo, then crossing the border into Romagna.
Presentation of the teams in Piazzale Michelangelo
The presentation of the teams will take place on Thursday 27 June, two days before the start of the race. Palazzo Vecchio will be the logistical base and will be the starting point from which the teams, parading one by one through the streets of the city, will reach the stage in Piazzale Michelangelo for the show broadcast worldwide.
Shuttle for fans
On the day of the presentation of the teams, tomorrow, a ‘Bartali Shuttle’ will be set up by Autolinee Toscane, a free service for users, active from 4pm to 9pm, with a frequency of 10 minutes, which will connect the Porta al Prato area (terminus in Piazza Vittorio Veneto) with Piazzale Michelangiolo, the area where there will be the official presentation of the teams, an event scheduled between 6pm and 8pm. From Wednesday 26 June the ‘fun area’ dedicated to fans will be set up in Piazza Santa Cross.
Buses and trams
Throughout the week, and especially on June 29th, there will be changes to the service, involving many urban and extra-urban lines, with limitations, route changes or cancellations in some time slots. On the 29th, tram line 1 could also undergo small slowdowns or temporary interruptions of a few minutes to allow the passage of the caravan and cyclists at the time of departure in the Cascine area. Below are the main changes for buses:
From Tuesday 25th to Sunday 30th June:
Line C3 diverted due to the closure of Piazza di Santa Croce for the “Fan Village”
Wednesday 26 June:
The service of the T1 line of the Florence tramway (GEST) may be subject to small slowdowns
Thursday 27 June, on the occasion of the presentation of the cycling teams, changes for lines 12, 13, 23, 38, C1, C2, C3 and C4.
From approximately 1pm to 9pm, lines 12 and 13 will not be able to reach Piazzale Michelangiolo. Then they will return to regular use, with free use until the end of the service.
From 4.00 pm to 9.00 pm, a free shuttle will be established that will connect the Vittorio Veneto Hub and Piazzale Michelangelo with a run every 10 minutes.
From 2.00 pm to 9.00 pm changes to lines 23, 38, C1, C2, C3 and C4.
Friday 28 June, with the closure of the Cascine Park to traffic:
Line 17 will follow the route of line 17B (Verga – Boito)
Line 55 will follow the route of line 55L (Poggetto – Piazza Puccini)
Saturday 29 June, on the occasion of the start of the first stage of the Tour De France.
Florence urban service:
From 8.00 to 14.00, lines 6, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 23, 31, 32, 36, 37, 39, 41, 55, 85, C1, C2, will undergo temporary diversions, limitations and cancellations temporary travel routes.
From 8.00 to 14.00, lines 38, 42, C3 and C4 will be cancelled
From 9.30 to 13.00 line 48 will be cancelled
Florence extra-urban service:
From 8.00 to 14.00 lines 37, 131, 131R, 50G, 365A, 368A, 370A, 371A and 372A do not pass through the Vittorio Veneto Hub (Depending on the direction and route the lines will have various stopping points and modified terminus in Santa Caterina, Viale Rosselli, Scandicci, Galluzzo)
The lines of Via Chiantigiana (351A, 353A, 354A, 357A, 365°) will undergo route changes.
Based on the passage of the race in the Valdisieve area, starting from 9.30 am and until 2.00 pm, some trips on lines 343A, 343B, SFS line, 322A, 322B, 336C, 345BisA, SI90 will be canceled or diverted.
Traffic: parking bans and changes to traffic
The main measures:
FAN ZONE AREA: PIAZZA SANTA CROCE
FROM 12 PM ON MONDAY 24 JUNE TO 12 PM ON SUNDAY 30 JUNE NO PARKING AND TRANSIT
STAGE AREA PIAZZALE MICHELANGELO
FROM 6AM ON TUESDAY 25 JUNE TO 12PM ON SATURDAY 29 JUNE NO PARKING AND TRANSIT
TEAM PRESENTATION: 27 JUNE
FROM 2 PM TO 8.30 PM
NO PARKING AND TRANSIT ON THE ENTIRE PRESENTATION ROUTE +
CONNECTED ITINERARY OF THE AVENUE BETWEEN PIAZZA FERRUCCI (EXCLUDED) AND PIAZZALE GALILEO (EXCLUDED)
CASCINE STADIUM
FROM 12 PM ON FRIDAY 28 JUNE TO 12 PM ON SATURDAY 29 JUNE NO PARKING AND TRANSIT
RUNNING START: 29 JUNE
FROM 9AM TO 2PM
NO PARKING AND TRANSIT ON THE ENTIRE ROUTE PLUS CONNECTED ITINERARIES
