«The international week of Coppi and Bartali»; the cycling race is named after the two historical rivals, organised by the G.S. Emilia, held from the 26th to the 30th  March in Emilia Romagna and Tuscany.

The race will start in Rimini and in the afternoon the Rimini-Riccione stage will be raced,  a speed competition, Wednesday 27th March it will be the turn of Riccione-Faenza, 198 km with an uneven conformation, where uphill pats alternate with straight ones.

The next day, the 28th, the race moves to Tuscany with the circuit stage between Fucecchio and Ponte a Cappiano (Florence), the most insidious stage is the one connecting San Salvatore to Montecarlo (Lucca), to reach the conclusion, on Saturday 30th March with the Cantagrillo (Pistoia) stage, the birth town of Franco Ballerini, superchamp of the past and today trainer of the national team.

A competition counting over 160 runners, among which four winners of the Italy tour (Giro d'Italia), 20 teams of which 13 Italian and 7 foreign, therefore a race that promises to be gripping, also because many athletes consider it a great training opportunity for international dates.

A sporting event that becomes an appointment with history and folklore of the towns it passes thorugh, like Fucecchio, where the race becomes a further opportunity to remind us of Indro Montanelli, a journalist who for some time followed the exploits of Coppi and Bartali. Not just history, not just folklore, but also art, as the chart leaders will wear four works of art, signed by the painter Giulio di Batte.
(Photo by Roberto Contini)

March.2002

Cycling museum «Gino Bartali»  (In Italian)
Fausto Coppi (under construction)