Piacenza is experiencing a unique event, the great anticipation has proven to be more than justified. The Tour de France made Piacenza a true European capital. The entrance into the Viale Malta car park was reminiscent of the great international events, usually organized in the great capitals of the world: the Oktoberfest, the Champions League final, the World Cup final. And on the other hand it was precisely a similar event. A big stage, big trucks, loud speakers, visitors from all over the world. The start of the Tour de France in Piacenza did not disappoint expectations: seeing Piacenza like this is truly beautiful.
The day
The morning began at 8.30 with the presentation of the eight Continental Cadets-Juniors followed by the presentation of the eight winners of the Dictée du Tour, in the presence of councilors Dadati and Fornasari.
Then, shortly before 9am, the mayor Katia Tarasconi, together with Stefano Bonaccini and Christian Prudhomme, general director of the TdF, officially kicked off the day.
At 9:15 the advertising caravan started. The name does not do justice to the parade. It is true, they were means studied to promote products and commercial brands, but the parade was reminiscent of the best and most colorful parade of allegorical floats usually set up for Carnival. A true show within the show.
Then there was space for the evocative and entertaining performance of the “La Clique du Tour” company, at the end of which the teams took turns on the stage ready to take to the dance floor. At that point, the Viale Malta car park was really crowded, thousands of people cheering on their favorites.
And then the start, with the cyclists who crossed the streets of the city to then reach San Nicolò, the official starting point of the stage.
The beautiful figure of Piacenza
A great event with visitors from various areas of the world. Many from South America, many from Belgium, Romania, Slovenia. In short, a truly international event.
Obviously it’s not yet time for definitive assessments, but without a doubt the day went smoothly, the organization held up, the machine worked perfectly.
The only flaw was the extreme heat, which was particularly challenging on the concrete of the Viale Malta car park. After two or three hours, dozens of people, especially elderly people, had to seek the care of health workers. In hindsight, a few shaded areas and a few water dispensers wouldn’t have gone amiss. But, let’s repeat, the machine worked, Piacenza made an excellent impression.
By filling out the fields below you can receive news directly to your email. To ensure that you receive only the most relevant information, we kindly ask you to keep your data updated.
