The start is from Bulgaria on 8 May: one hundred days before the lights were turned on at the locations of the 21 stages up to Rome
A magic that can only succeed at the Giro d’Italia, an ideal embrace that unites territories, peoples and passions along the route of the Gazzetta race, which from Friday 8 May to Sunday 31 will write chapter 109 of a novel begun in 1903. And yesterday the countdown reached a symbolic milestone, the 100 days until the big start which this year will be for the first time in history in Bulgaria, with a view from the Black Sea: in particular from Nessebar, a Greek colony of the 6th century BC on the coasts of the Black Sea, the ancient Menebria founded by the Thracians. While the grand finale for the fourth time in a row (never happened), the eighth in total, will be hosted by the great beauty of Rome.
enthusiasm
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Precisely to celebrate -100 days until the start, the 40 cities that will host the 21 stages of the pink race have enthusiastically joined the “pink cities” initiative, illuminating their most iconic places with the color of the shirt first worn by Learco Guerra (10 May 1931) and which every cyclist dreams of wearing at least once. From Bulgaria, with the Palace of Culture in Sofia, to Rome, where Piazza del Popolo, the two Fountains and the Obelisk were illuminated; from the Temple of Neptune in Paestum to the Maschio Angioino in Naples; from the Maspes Vigorelli Velodrome in Milan, to the Stella di Pila: an unparalleled spectacle.
wait
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The overall picture is clear, after the presentation on December 1st at the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone: 21 stages (plus three days of rest), 3,459.2 kilometers and 49,150 meters of altitude difference. A flat individual time trial of 40.2 kilometres, eight flat, seven medium mountain and five high mountain stages, with seven uphill finishes. The Coppi peak – the highest point – will be at 2,233 meters of the Giau Pass. And there is the return to Milan’s journey – after the grand finale of 2021 – which hosts an arrival for the 90th time: Milan, home of the Gazzetta, which will turn 130 on 3 April. The anticipation for what will be the first grand tour of the season is great, also thanks to the quality of the most eagerly awaited protagonists at the start: starting with the Dane Jonas Vingegaard, who after having won 2 Tours and the last Vuelta, at 29 years old can’t wait to make his debut in the Giro and win it, in such a way as to take the triple crown ahead of his rival par excellence Tadej Pogacar.
protagonists
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The most accredited rival for the final success could be Joao Almeida, without forgetting that an important candidate for the podium in Rome is our Giulio Pellizzari. And that all the other Italians of reference do not want to miss the appointment: from Ciccone to Ganna to Milan. Meanwhile what remains in the eyes is the pink thread capable of shining and holding everything together. The Morandi Bridge in Catanzaro, the Marrucino Theater in Chieti and the Palazzo dei Priori in Fermo were also lit up. the Museum of Champions in Novi Ligure. And again: the Visconti Castle in Cassano d’Adda, the Church of San Biagio in Alleghe, the Castle of Gemona del Friuli… A perfect evocative trace in the hope that the remaining days – today there are 99 – will quickly pass. Because the desire for the Giro d’Italia is always stronger than anything.
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