Emilia-Romagna thanks the Tour de France. Tomorrow the Piacenza-Turin stage, the last before moving on to Piedmont and from there to France: thus continues the extraordinary adventure of the Grande Depart, for the first time from Italy, exactly 100 years after the first Italian victory at the Grande Boucle in Ottavio Bottecchia in 1924.
“We salute the Tour Caravan and the champions who in these three exciting days have made Emilia-Romagna the protagonist of the international sporting panorama – underlined the President of the Region Stephen Bonaccini -. Thanks to all those who contributed to the organization and success of this extraordinary event. Without everyone’s commitment, starting from the Municipalities and those who have done their utmost in the area, all this would not have been possible. The Grand Departure of the Tour de France undoubtedly represents the consecration of the Emilia-Romagna Sport Valley and the culmination of a commitment to sport, from grassroots to major events, which this Region has carried out with determination in recent years” .
A leading territory
Florence-Rimini; Cesenatico-Bologna; Piacenza-Turin. Three stages and over 600 kilometers of route, with 38 locations crossed. These are the numbers of the Great Departure Florence/Emilia-Romagna of the Tour de France. For Emilia-Romagna an extraordinary opportunity for visibility, with an induced effect of 30 million euros and 150 thousand estimated tourist presences. And according to the first data with peaks of up to 90% of the available rooms already booked in the cities touched by the Yellow Caravan.
The start is at 11.15 from Viale Malta
The start from our city is scheduled for 11:15 from Viale Malta (while the advertising caravan is scheduled to start two hours earlier). The cyclists will cross the city center and then travel along the Via Emilia and continue towards Rottofreno, Sarmato, Castel San Giovanni. After 20 km they will leave the region to head towards the finish line in Turin.
A significant route that includes the passage through Tortona in homage to Fausto Coppi, to whom the stage is dedicated, and that borrows some of the roads of the Milan-Sanremo: 231 km, entirely on the flat, for a stage all for sprinters.
And to pay a worthy tribute to the Tour champions, in Piacenza until July 1st Piazza Cavalli will be colored yellow with Palazzo Gotico illuminated by a video mapping dedicated to the Piacenza stage. Among the initiatives carried out is also the copy of the Eiffel Tower made of bread in the typical Piacenza braid shape, in front of the Town Hall.
