Sunday 30 June Faenza is the big day of the passage from Faenza of the second stage of the Tour de France, the Cesenatico-Bologna, with a series of events dedicated to cycling and the memory of the great local champions. It will be a unique opportunity to celebrate cycling and to promote the beauty of the Faenza area.
“The passage of the Tour de France represents – explain Martina Laghi and Simona Sangiorgi, respectively councilor with responsibility for Sport and Tourism – a perhaps unrepeatable event to give visibility not only to cycling, a sport that has deep roots in the city and in all of Romagna and in its tradition, but also to the numerous tourist opportunities that these lands offer. We hope for a crowded square, as well as the cycle paths and every possible place where we can witness this great moment for our city and then be able to say I was there”.
A tribute to Aldo Ronconi
From the morning, from the loggia in Piazza del Popolo, home to the Municipal Residence, a large yellow jersey dedicated to Aldo Ronconi, from Faenza who wore the 1947 Tour jersey for four days during the 34th edition of the race, will be displayed. A special tribute to a great sportsman who brought the name of Faenza to the world.
The stage in Piazza del Popolo
From 12:45, in Piazza del Popolo, the stage decorated with yellow flowers in homage to the official color of the Tour de France, will host a speaker who, with music, cycling stories, curiosities about the Grand Boucle, initiatives organized by the Municipality of Faenza related to the passage of the Tour and the radio commentary of the race until it passes through our territory, will entertain those present until the afternoon. A thank you will also be paid to the friends of the delegation of Nouvelle Aquitaine, a French region twinned with Emilia Romagna and present to follow the race.
Award ceremony in memory of Ercole Baldini and passage of the runners
At 12, the Tour Caravan is expected to pass by in Piazza del Popolo, while the director of the Tour de France, Christian Prudhomme, and the representatives of the Emilia Romagna Region are expected to arrive between 1.15pm and 1.30pm and will be welcomed on stage. by the municipal administration together with the participants of the Niballo Palio of Faenza and the city banner as a backdrop. The mayor of Faenza and the municipal council will deliver a ceramic plate to director Prudhomme in memory of the historic passage of the Tour de France through the Manfredi city. Subsequently, Christian Prudhomme will also deliver an award in his memory to the family of Ercole Baldini, winner of a stage of the Grand Boucle in 1959.
The passage of the runners
The great moment awaited by cycling enthusiasts and fans will be that of the passage of the competitors of the Grand Boucle 2024. Symbolically greeting the crossing from Faenza of the Tour de France riders, expected in the city between 1.55pm and 2.05pm, will be the flag-wavers from the Faenza districts who will position themselves on the slope of the railway overpass. Then, at Punta degli Orti, an ideal place to watch the passage of cyclists, starting in the morning, a refreshment point will be set up for those who want to greet the champions before they leave the Faenza area and then head towards the hills of Brisighella.
The bicycle exhibition at the Palazzo del Podestà
The great exhibition on bicycles, set up at Palazzo del Podestà, a container of events on the theme of ‘two wheels’ which will take place until July and which displays specimens of champions, jerseys of those who have made cycling Romagna great and some work bikes of Vincenzo Collina’s private collection, on Sunday 30 June it will remain open to the public from 9 to 12, offering a unique opportunity to delve into the history and charm of this sport before the runners pass by.
