It is a Carousel of great expectations and great challenges. It is in fact the last year of mandate for all the district boards of directors and emerging victorious from Piazza Grande involves perhaps more than a thousand organized initiatives. In these two editions of 2024 each neighborhood will therefore aim for the maximum.
In Porta Santo Spirito, the district that has won more than all the others in recent years with two champions in the running like Elia Cicerchia and Gianmaria Scortecci, Ezio Gori is missing, having resigned in the winter due to family problems. A rector with a nose for victory and the ability to keep everything under control, to make problems disappear before they can reach the jousters. Years ago he convinced Martino Gianni to return to the track and coach the yellow-blues. A choice that made the neighborhood take off.
This night Ezio Gori will not be in the square, after so many years and after so much energy given to his team. The question that arises spontaneously is whether Elia Cicerchia and Gianmaria Scortecci will be able to become champions again even without the help of him and that of Martino Gianni who had left them years before. Of course there is a veteran like captain Marco Geppetti and the new rector Giacomo Magi, who worked alongside Gori for many years, but will they be enough to bring Colombina back to victory?
Last year the yellow and blue bearers always remained subdued, this is truly the year of redemption. And if they manage to find the right pace again, it will be difficult for their opponents to stop them. The big news is given by Porta del Foro, which has not changed either jousters or horses, but has hired a trainer of the caliber of Enrico Vedovini. All hopes are placed on him. He worked hard throughout the winter and spring and tried to convey his method and, as the chimerotti hope, also his determination to Davide Parsi and Francesco Rossi.
At Porta del Foro they completed the Petrognano stables, complete with boxes and training tracks. Now all the Crimson Yellows are missing is victory. At Porta Sant’Andrea coach Martino Gianni won immediately on his debut last June, but then in September he was unable to create the coat that the green and whites were hoping for.
Now it’s time to put other pieces in the construction of the green-and-white pairing. Tommaso Marmorini will almost certainly race with the expert Conte Darko, but he also has Uncle Frank at his disposal with whom he is building an important chemistry.
Saverio Montini could give up Sirya to ride Sitting Bull, the horse who has gained a lot of experience in contention with Andrea Bennati. Porta Crucifera changes pairing again, after this winter’s misunderstandings with the very young Niccolò Paffetti, who had won Giostra in September. Now in his place is Gabriele Innocenti, already winner of a golden lance at Porta del Foro, and who is now seeking redemption with the red and green jersey.
The point of reference for the cruciferini remains Lorenzo Vanneschi, who however also changes teammate this year.
Coach Maurizio Sepiacci says he is used to always forming new pairs, but will this really be an advantage for Porta Crucifera?
