The party started early in the Tour village set up overnight in the parking lot of Malta Avenue. The caravan of Big loop It arrived when darkness had already fallen, but workers and employees worked tirelessly until morning to set up the building stands and exhibition spaces of the main sponsorsand above all the big stage for the presentation of the competing teams and all the runners at the start of the third Piacenza-Turin stage.
The definition of “tested” for the Tour’s organizational machine actually sounds far too banal: it has been taking cyclists up and down France for 111 years with geographical appendages in half of Europe and this year it was our turn. Also among the VIP guests of the village Mauro Vegnithe director of Tour of Italyimmediately hugged his counterpart in yellow, Christian Prudhomme: and when asked what the difference is between Giro and Tour, Vegni’s answer reflects the rivalry on the pedals. “Giro and Tour are a bit like Pogacar and Vingegaard,” he says, “the first is crazier and more whimsical, the second goes fast but with regularity, so we are closer to the spirit of the Slovenian champion, we can take a few more liberties.”
The village opens its doors immediately after 8am and among the first to access, in addition to the small group of local journalists, there is the mayor Katia Tarasconi and the councilors Simone Fornasari, Mario Dadati, Francesco Brianzi e Matthew Bongiorni but slowly it fills up with people. Many guests take advantage of the exclusive spaces under an increasingly scorching sun: city councilors, representatives of the productive world and trade associations, athletes, heads of Piacenza universities. “It’s a celebration and a showcase for our city and for the world of sports – says the city councilor for sports Mario Dadati – but above all it is a demonstration of the organizational capacity of our Municipality. This event demonstrates that Piacenza can also host higher level events and that perhaps the limit is only ours. We can aspire to other events of this magnitude.”
Photo galleryThe Tour de France village
The Coni delegate from Piacenza Robert Gionelli comments: “I would never have imagined being able to experience such an important sporting event, from a media point of view and beyond, I know that in the organization of everything some people from Piacenza have complained, but I think it was worth it, not only for all the connected televisions, but also with the hope that there will be a 360 degree promotion of our territory at all latitudes. Sporting events also help a lot in local marketing. Great satisfaction therefore also for the presence of so many kids and so many youth cycling clubs. We are seeing it with Sinner in tennis which has exploded memberships. I hope that the Tour’s move to Piacenza will also give a further boost to this beautiful sport.”
Pierangelo Romersidirector of Visit Emilia, agrees that the Tour can play a major role in promoting Piacenza: “We are convinced that the name of Piacenza, or rather Plaisance, will have an echo in all continents and among all sportsmen and we will have to be able to recall this visibility in the promotional proposals that we will make. There is a lot of enthusiasm, we hope to be able to materialize it to bring cycling enthusiasts back to Piacenza and our land. Especially after the pandemic, our hills have been rediscovered and the two-wheeled experience is increasingly in demand. We must improve the reception services for two-wheeled services in the area. We must be up to the task”.
Also walking around the “pathways” of the village Angelo Manfredini, branch director of the Catholic University of Piacenza. “It’s a beautiful showcase for Piacenza – his words – here you can experience first-hand the greatness of this Tour de France, I believe it will be a memorable and historic day for our city. Congratulations to the Municipality and all the organizers”.
