On Sunday 30 June the second stage of the Tour de France passed through Bologna with the inevitable ascent to the San Luca hill.
The great circus of the Tour de France stopped in Bologna with all its cargo of trucks, cars and bicycles on the roof, reporters and, why not, runners.
Frenchman Vauquelin winner of the stage
Huge happy crowds lined the sides of the streets in a perfectly oiled organizing machine. A very expensive party for one hundred thousand: about eight million euros of public money, with the largest share going to the Bologna government. Estimates speak of a possible advertising return quantifiable in 29 million euros between hospitality (7 million), catering (18) and trade (4). Correct predictions? True or not, it is that the certain expenses are all paid by the public body (i.e. money taken from the taxes of male and female workers) while the potential revenues all benefit the (private) tourism sector. “By Saint Catherine of Pasta, my boss threw a great party, and at the end of the week we found the deduction for the great party on our paychecks, a deduction… each!“
The yellow Podacar jersey
