The big day has arrived. In Cesenatico, the birthplace of Marco Pantani and the capital of cycling tourism thanks to “Fausto Coppi” which has been organizing the Nove Colli granfondo for over half a century, today is the start of the Cesenatico-Bologna stage of the Tour de France, dedicated to the Pirate who in 1998 was the protagonist of a historic double, winning the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France. The meeting point is at midday in via Ricci in the area of the Cesenatico municipal stadium, where on the lawn there is a giant work of art measuring 20 by 20 meters depicting Marco Pantani on a bicycle, created by the artist Simone Tribuiani. The route then winds along viale Trento, where Confartigianato has displayed a giant banner, along the seafront viale Carducci and viale Roma between wings of yellow flags; via Saffi where the cycle path has been painted yellow, the canal port, leaving the town hall on the right, on whose facade there is a giant tapestry with the image of Marco Pantani made by the volunteers of “Un mare di lana”, to turn left into via Armellini in front of the Museo della Marineria, and then right into via Cecchini, to greet the Pirate in front of the Spazio Pantani, then via Gaza and viale Mazzini along the entire western area, passing in front of the Cesenatico Camping Village and the Pineta sul Mare, where another choreography was set up and a moment of celebration with piadinas and drinks offered to everyone, up to viale dei Pini and via delle Città Gemellate.
The five helicopters following the race will show the whole world the beauties of Cesenatico and the giant floating bicycle, rigorously yellow, measuring 50 by 30 metres, created by the Cooperativa bathing establishments with over 400 large buoys in the waters overlooking Piazza Andrea Costa. The whole city is celebrating, with the skyscraper in Piazza Andrea Costa, which with its over one hundred meters is the tallest tower on the entire Adriatic coast, lit up in yellow with very powerful headlights, just as they are lit up in yellow also the new Viale Roma bridge that crosses the Vena Mazzarini and the statue dedicated to the champion in the center of Piazza Marconi on the seafront. The cycle path in the historic center that crosses the canal port, in Viale Saffi and Viale Mazzini, has been painted yellow, just as yellow is the color that will characterize many scenography and installations in the city. These works join the Seaside Tents dedicated to the Tour de France and the sail specially made by hand and hoisted on Federico Ricci’s “Le Tre fff” boat. In Vittorio Savini’s workshop where the Club Magico Pantani is based, stands the yellow flagship with which the Pirate was “escorted” at the Pantani Day in 1998, in front of 50 thousand people who crowded Piazza Costa and the Cesenatico seafront, as well as a huge strictly yellow banner.
The Cesenatico-Bologna stage, 200 kilometers long, features flat stretches but also five climbs, including the 1.2-kilometer Gallisterna with a 12.8 percent gradient, before the Imola circuit. After leaving Cesenatico, the group will head north, reaching Cervia and Ravenna. The snake will then pedal in the direction of Russi, Faenza, the medieval village of Brisighella, Riolo Terme, Imola, Dozza, Castel San Pietro Terme, Ozzano dell’Emilia, San Lazzaro di Savena, Pianoro on the Futa road which in the past was a fundamental connection between Bologna and Florence; the grand finale includes a double circuit of the city of Bologna, with a double passage on the San Luca climb, 1.9 kilometers long with a 10.6 percent gradient, where the first to cross the finish line will be the one with legs and lots of lungs.
