The event
Thursday, April 25, 2024, 08:59
While the resin is pouring to form the new golden sphinxes to be delivered to sports personalities on Monday 3 June at the Hotel Country Club in Gragnano, another important name on the international sports scene is added to the cast of the 25th edition. This is Roberto Amadio, current team manager of the national cycling teams. After a very respectable cycling career when as an amateur he won three tricolors and in 1985 he became world champion in Bassano Del Grappa in the team pursuit, he dedicated himself to another managerial career oriented towards management showing ambition, shrewdness, creativity and contributing as Team Manager to making Liquigas Cannondale, subsequently transformed into Pro Cycling, one of the strongest professional teams in the world, so much so that Vincenzo Nibali himself, another golden sphinx of this year’s edition, also wore those jerseys he won the most important races in his prestigious career. After putting his experience at the service of Liquigas from 2005 to 2014, he launched several professionals on the World Tour. A rich edition of world champions is looming: from Rebecca Tarlazzi in artistic roller skating, to Franco Causio, Juventus legend, to Ivano Bordon, the man who, after winning trophies with Inter as a player and with Juventus as a goalkeeping coach, was Lippi’s deputy in the national team, contributing to the growth of Gigi Buffon by coaching him for several years. There will also be Simona Rinieri from Ravenna, world champion with the women’s national team in Berlin 2002 and Claudio Golinelli, three-time world champion on the track when he ran for Ivano Fanini. For the first time Judo becomes part of the Award with the current representative of the CONI national coaches Giulia Quintavalle, Olympic gold medalist in Beijing 2008 and the 38th Olympic gold medalist to receive the gold sphinx in Lucca. The wait is growing for Vincenzo Nibali, one of the most complete and victorious cyclists ever in the world.
Meanwhile, great news: the evening will be presented by former volleyball player Ilaria Gradi alongside the organizer Valter Nieri during the dinner at the Country Club. Currently the former Nottolini player practices the profession of podiatrist but she continues to follow sport and aspires, given her young age, to also enter the world of journalism. Among the guests were Count Guido Anzilotti, owner of the Villa del Castellaccio di Uzzano, where Giacomo Puccini composed La Bohème and this year marks the centenary of the death of the musician from Lucca, the journalist Alberto Cerruti and the Inter observer Leonardo Simoni. For the institutions, given that the event takes place in the Capannori area, there will be the Mayor Luca Menesini and the Councilors Serena Frediani and Lucia Micheli. For CONI, the regional president Simone Cardullo and the provincial delegate Stefano Pellacani have already confirmed their participation. The minter of the gold sphinxes Giampaolo Bianchi is already studying the new lithograph which will be delivered, as per tradition, to all the winners. The collateral awards continue in memory of Gigi Simoni, Aldo Biagini and Alfio Castiglioni. The event will be covered by Noi TV with interviews by Guido Casotti and by Granducato TV with commentary by Massimo Marini. The participation of the honorary president Stefano Gori has already been confirmed, still active at a competitive level, recently winner of his 208th Italian title in the various categories reserved for the blind in Montecatini Terme.
