«Tuscany is happy to welcome the Tour de France. We are committed to guaranteeing maximum hospitality and, within regional expertise, all the necessary support services.” Thus the president of the Tuscany Region Eugenio Gianiwhich in the afternoon of Thursday, June 27 participated in the team presentation event in Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence in view of the Grand Départ, Saturday 29th Juneof the most important cycling event in the world.
A showcase for the region
«The Tour – continued Giani – is a great showcase for the entire Tuscan territory. It is a source of great joy for the city of Florence which can legitimately claim the first road race in history, the Florence-Pistoia of 1870, and for a region which, starting with Gino Bartali and Gastone Nencini, has marked the history of cycling with an infinite number of businesses. It represents not only an opportunity to boost our tourist activities and the valorisation of our heritage, but also to promote sport among young people and the culture of cycling mobility.” The president recalled how the regional system is committed to making a contribution so that the start of the event from the metropolitan area of Florence takes place in the best possible way and is a moment of cultural enrichment.
Sports and culture
On the one hand, the exhibition of Karl Kopinski, one of the masters of European illustration with his portraits of champions of yesterday and today, and the involvement, through Tuscany tourism promotion, in the organization of Becycle, the Pitti Immagine event dedicated to cycle tourism. On the other hand, Giani focused on the health care plan set up on the occasion of the Grand Départ: «With the professionals of the health system and thanks to voluntary associations we have put in place a global plan with the aim of ensuring health care of pre-hospital and hospital emergencies to athletes, professionals, spectators and the resident population”, explained the president, specifying that “ordinary non-emergency activities, such as dialysis and oncological therapies, and the healthcare system will not be reduced will remain alongside the “fragile” resident population, especially those who live in the areas directly affected by the race route and subject to traffic measures”. «In this great moment of celebration – concluded the president – I wish all the teams and all the athletes to give life to an exciting race and I am sure that it will remain in them as a beautiful memory of our land».
