The Tour de France crossed on Sunday Bologna leaving a long trail of participation and emotions: a spectacular sporting day that will remain in the history of the city and in the memory of the people of Bologna (even those who do not follow cycling). After all, the event was of world-wide, planetary caliber. Covered by TVs in over 190 countries with a record audience. Fantastic postcard for the city, both for its beauty and reputation: organization and hospitality.
Santori and the “ostrich” citizens
A trail of emotions, but, the next day, also of analyses e comments. Also in the city council with the intervention of the city councilor of the Democratic Party with responsibility for major events, Mattia Santoriwith his hair painted yellow just like Pantani did, with his entire team, when in ’98 he paraded on the catwalk at the Champs Elysees in the yellow jersey. Pride and a few pebbles. Santori recalled the organizational machine with over 2 thousand people involved, the fans who came from all over the world, and then cited the so-called «ostriches» citizens, that is, those «who hold the head under the ground and in general they struggle to look up with their comfort zones of immobility and anachronistic rules to respect”.
The fire brigade strike
This is to say that then “the Tour arrives and there is too much commotion to be able to pretend nothing is happening and at that point the ostrich cannot help but stick its head out, open its eyes and realise that the city it so denigrated is in truth appreciatedesteemed and taken as an example throughout Italy and the world”. In short, never say “we won’t make it”: the city then won. Even despite the massive strike of the traffic wardens (only 13 patrols out of 78 and 17 motorcyclists out of 40 in service, the Snater union proudly reports) to whom, somewhat surprisingly, Santori sends his thanks. Not polemical. «Because they reminded us that the sport eventseven those that happen once in a lifetime, cannot and must not override fundamental rights such as the right to strike, much less the right to demonstrate.”
The fabric of the decorations reused for clothes
And then other political underlinings. «I would also like to thank the activists of Last Generation and Young Palestinians who at the finish line, with their flags, remembered, in addition to the celebration, also the genocide underway in Gaza and the environmental issue”. Satisfaction also for the events and collateral activities. The councilor of the Civic Coalition, Simona Larghetti, he recalled that «the 16 kilometers of yellow fabric ribbon that adorned the city will be reused for packaging useful clothes e belli» and then also the Bike Park which involved 350 children for road safety education.
Everything else, in addition to the precision and efficiency of the Tour organizers (that’s why it’s “unique”), was provided by the public, both local and foreign: very numerous and composed, correct and always festive.
The Hundred Thousand of San Luca
There were no problems with public order also for this reason. The people who took to the streets along the 13 km of the city circuit, with the large crowd in San Luca, were calculated in 100 mila. And in any case, the management of the control room of the Police Headquarters and the upgrade of the Police forces employed to make up for the lack of traffic policemen were fundamental, for which the SAP has advanced a request for a reward, regardless of the position held, to the police commissioner Antonio Sbordone. Finally the induced: millionairebut for precise figures we will have to wait for the study on the Tour effect that the Region is working on.
