After 111 years of waiting, Florence ignites for the first great departure in Italy

For the first time in the history of the event, the Tour de France starts from Italy, host country of another Grand Tour. A beautiful atmosphere has already taken over the city, two days before departure.

On the heights of the city, all of Florence was set ablaze, in a beautiful atmosphere and stifling heat. Two days before the big start of the Tour de France, the riders were able, during the presentation of the teams, Thursday June 27, to take the pulse of an Italian atmosphere that lived up to the expectations and the event. .

Throughout the afternoon, from the arrival of the buses in the winding streets of the city, to the parade to reach the presentation, passing obviously by the big meeting on the stage set up in Piazzale Michelangelo, the Italian public cheered the runners in a warm atmosphere. “When you see the fervour of the public, it makes you want to start and be on the road”smiled French sprinter Arnaud Démare (Arkéa-B&B Hôtels) after going on stage.

The fans gave a particularly fervent welcome to the four announced favorites, Tadej Pogacar, big winner in the applause meter, Primoz Roglic, Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard. But also to the locals of the stage, like Gianni Moscon or Giulio Ciccone, ex-yellow jersey. “It’s a cycling country, which has a lot of passion to give to encourage the riders”assured the Italian Luca Mozzato (Arkéa-B&B Hôtels).

In the heart of the city, the most beautiful monuments are adorned with the colours of the Tour. On the Palazzio Vecchio, flags hung against the red stone recall the different specific jerseys. On the Ponte Vecchio, the famous jewellers also play with the colours yellow, green and red in their shop windows. “The atmosphere is magnificent. I was told that in France it would be very hot, but here it is already very strong”appreciated the young Belgian champion, Arnaud de Lie (Lotto Dstny), who will experience his first Grande Boucle.

It must be said that this great Italian departure has been a long time coming. In 111 years of history, the Grande Boucle had never started from La Botte, despite being a cycling country, which has provided numerous champions, and host country of one of the two other Grand Tours on the calendar, the Giro . “I think it’s really a great occasion, there is an important feeling of expectation. It’s really a historic thing, because there had never been a departure in Italy. In a story that began in 1903, that means a lot”explains Ciro Scognamiglio, journalist at the Sports Gazettewho has been following cycling since 2003.

Florence had already positioned itself to host the grand departure in 2014, a year after the world cycling championships held in the Tuscan city, but the organizersators had preferred Leeds and Yorkshire. We therefore had to wait ten years to see the Grande Boucle finally settle down on the other side of the Alps, a century after the first Italian victory in the event (Ottavio Bottecchia, also winner in 1925). An expectation which has undoubtedly nourished and maintained the passion already displayed in the city, full of promise for the atmosphere of the stages to come.