Florence, 29 June 2024 – The Tour of France as an opportunity to strengthen the friendship between Tuscany and Francein the name of two wheels and cycle tourism. Both the transalpine country and our region have been aiming for a long time on cyclovie and cycle paths, with the aim of intercepting the ever-increasing number of enthusiasts in the sector.
Taking stock yesterday was the governor of Tuscany, Eugenio Gianiand the French ambassador to Italy, Martin Briens. “The start of the tour wants to be a sign of consolidation of the natural friendship that binds not only Italy and France but even more so Tuscany and France – said Giani recalling the agreements with some territories, such as the Central-Valley Region of Loire – in the spirit of the 2021 Treaty signed by President Mattarella and Macron, for Tuscany the French regions are not ‘cousins’, but ‘sisters'”.
«It’s the first time that the Tour starts from’Italia – said Ambassador Briens – I hope it is not the last but that there will be other opportunities in the future. The Tour is the third most followed sporting event in the world, with over a billion spectators, who will be able to admire the beauty of the Italian and French landscapes during this edition, which will honor those who have marked the history of the Giro d’Italia, such as Gino Bartali, Fausto Coppi and Marco Pantani. These days are just the opportunity to enhance the vast cycling tourism offer of France”.
«By 2030 France aims to become the leading cycling holiday destination in Europe – he continued Sandrine Buffenoirdirector of Atout France Italia – with 19,000 km of cycle paths, which already welcome over 9 million holidaymakers, 20% of whom are foreigners”. And Tuscany is going in the same direction. “We are investing a lot in cycle tourism – said the regional councillor for economy and tourism Leonardo Marras – trying to build an offer that accompanies the landscape and the Tuscans’ passion for cycling.
The Bike Atlas of the Tuscany has recorded over 16 thousand km of marked roads, dirt roads, cycle paths, cycle paths, which is complemented by the integrated offer of accommodation and bike friendly. Siena and its district are considered the most important local destination in the world for their evocative capacity; but this is definitely just a starting point. We are then crossed by the Via Francigena, a path that has become a cycle path, on which we can continue to commit ideas and resources”.
Even the director of the Tour de France, Christian Prudhomme, in a video, said he was proud of the Grand Departure of the Tour from Italy and Frédéric Meyer, regional coordinator for Southern Europe of Aout France, highlighted how the event strengthens relations between the two countries by proposing a tourism model attentive to nature and culture. Meanwhile, always yesterday, in Piazza Duomo and in Palazzo Strozzi Sacrati, in Florence, the exhibition “Karl Kopinski – Remporter le jaune” was inaugurated (until June 28), which honors the Tour de France, in the style of Lucca Comics & Games. Under Brunelleschi’s Dome stand eleven giant marbles, dedicated to cycling champions. The exhibition is financed by the European Regional Development Fund (Pr Fesr) 2021-2027 which places sustainable mobility at the centre.
