If I take my bike out of the bike shed in the morning Lungomare Bike Hotel There is a lot of excitement around me. And it’s not for nothing. Today we are not only going to ride part of the Tourparcours 2024. We are also doing so with a great name in cycling: Bernard Hinault, 5-time Tour winner, winner of the Giro and the Vuelta, Paris-Roubaix and nowadays the face of the Tour de France organization. ‘Le Blaireau’ (or: the saddle) always stands on the podium during the men’s Tour and is also considered the last of the greats (in one name with Eddy Merckx, for example). In 2024, the Tour de France will start for the first time in Emilia-Romagna and today we are going to see what the organization has in store for us. Our stage is a cycling route from Cesenatico to San Marino, with several climbs. The excitement is not for nothing!
Emilia-Romagna is Marco Pantani
In Italy it is not possible to mention the words ‘cycling’ and “Emilia-Romagna” in a single sentence without thinking of Marco Pantani. Although Pantani may no longer be among us, you can still see and feel his presence. At every presentation, at every mention of the Tour start in Emilia-Romagna, his name comes up, followed by applause and the faces of those present who leave for a moment. The absence of the great champion remains palpable. Especially in Cesenatico, where he was born and where his family still lives. The 2024 Tour start is a tribute to “El Elefantino”, although the route de Carpegna overshadows. The memory of Pantani is most visible at his parents‘ house. For hundreds of meters, ’Pantani’ is written on the road. He is missed everywhere and I am impressed.
European Media Cycling Contest
Our group today consists of journalists. A lot of journalists, from Italy, Slovenia, Slovakia, Austria, Belgium, France and we are the Dutch delegation. All this because of the European Media Cycling Contest, The program consists of cycling, a visit to the Italian Bike Festival at the Misano Adriatico circuit and a real European championship. The most important thing for this year is the promotion of the Emilia-Romagna region and the upcoming tour start. That is why Davide Cassani, former professional and resident of Faenza, is also joining the team. He is also the face of the local organization. He knows the routes well, so that helps.
Away from the beach
Not entirely by chance, today’s route departs from the beach. Emilia-Romagna has a magnificent coastline on the Adriatic Sea. This coastline has been used for tourism for decades, with endless rows of sun loungers, hotels, campsites, and associated infrastructure. The region wants to use the 2024 Tour de France primarily to shift towards a different form of tourism. Cassani confirms this when we talk to him: ‘more sustainability and healthy tourism.’ This is probably why we’re heading inland from Cesenatico today. We’ll take a number of beautiful climbs to San Marino and then return. A route that will leave you breathless and one that will provide plenty of fireworks in Stage 1 of the 2024 Tour de France.
Pay close attention
The first part of the route starts from Cesenatico through small villages with names like San Mauro Pascoli and we pass by the town of Santarcangelo, which is known for its beautiful medieval center. The tower is under construction, but the narrow streets with colorful houses are beautiful to stop for a coffee or a real ‘gelato italiano’, that is, an ice cream. From the castle you have a beautiful view over the surrounding valley and in the distance you can see the foothills of the Apennines. It is absolutely stunning and that makes me want to see this region even more.
Sacred ground
We are driving over sacred ground. Not only was this Pantani’s training area, but the villages are all named after saints: San Michele, Sant’Andrea, and we are heading towards the saint San Leo. The road starts to climb a little slowly and you can see more and more Agriturismi and places where you can stay among the surrounding vineyards. We start with a short climb to Poggio Berni, a hamlet with a colorful square. Short climbs are the motto here and you will feel them after a while. There is a lot of talking and everyone is having a good time. Perhaps it is the beautiful surroundings that contribute to the good atmosphere. In any case, there are plenty of smiling faces when we get there.
On to San Marino
Throughout the entire cycling route from Cesenatico to San Marino, we can already see our lunch destination. San Marino is located at approximately 900 meters above sea level and towers like an impregnable fortress above the valley. The fortress is impregnable; however, in the Middle Ages the location was an advantage. Now it is mainly a beautiful challenge on the bike. Before reaching there, we still have to climb another hill. First we turn towards San Leo, although this is a climb you have to do, but at a junction we turn left towards Montemaggio. From there it is also uphill and at a kind of ’intermediate peak’ we descend quickly and catch the longer climb towards the tiny state. Unlike, for example, Monaco or the Vatican, it is not just the city of San Marino; there are also some surrounding hamlets. We drive through Chiesanuova.
San Marino as a tourist attraction
The climb to San Marino is quite beautiful. You have a constant view of the valley and nowhere is the climb super steep. It is a seven-and-a-half kilometer long trail that ultimately ends at the central square of the city of San Marino. A visit to the town hall (with a beautiful view of the valley) is an absolute must.
Lunch – TV – and back again
We are greeted with all due respect at our lunch spot where a typical Italian ‘fingerfood’ lunch is prepared. Or should I say San Marino-style? No surprise that the residents of San Marino take pride in their city. The blue and white flag waves everywhere and they are somewhat proud of it. RaiTV San Marino does an interview with Cassani and asks again about the famous road: Pantani? Yes, we all miss that. The course is fantastic; Emilia-Romagna shines like never before. I myself only have a bite of my lunch and my eyes are blown away by all the tourists who pass by here. We all go for a photo together and then it goes fast down the road. Towards Cesenatico, with a stop in Santarcangelo.
Fluttering down
We are flying down hard from San Marino. The sign saying 18% is not lying. It gets steeper here and soon we see less of the valley and more of the sea approaching. The landscape remains always beautiful and in the background the mountains are still clearly visible. Various vineyards, agriturismos and small villages provide a beautiful backdrop. The wind has plenty of room here and (how appropriate) at a place called ‘Ventoso’ (windy) we leave San Marino again. On to Santarcangelo, where we will make another stop for coffee.
Pantani lives on in others too
Santarcangelo I mentioned earlier, but it’s really a charming town. We head to the central square, overlooking a triumphal arch, the local school and the town hall. Handy detail: there’s a bike repair station here, so you can still get some air in the tires or maybe attach something with a socket wrench. We sit down for coffee and almost out of nowhere a man approaches. A typical figure, we would say, but what turns out: he’s the former mechanic of Marco Pantani. The meeting is not entirely coincidental. Nice conversations ensue and all the Italian journalists hang on his every word as he picks up stories from the archives. When he also goes to inspect the legs and ‘feel if they’re good calves,’ I get a little put off. Pantani lives on in others, but this is too much for this down-to-earth Dutchman.
One last tribute
Through a winding route towards Cesenatico, we suddenly turn onto dirt roads and a kind of canals to our home base, the Lungomare Bike Hotel. As we are almost there, we suddenly turn left onto a somewhat deserted road. The road doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, but quickly transforms into a tribute to the great absent figure, Marco Pantani. As already described in the intro, his name appears in many forms on the road and a small plaque commemorates the deceased greatness. Everyone stops and takes photos. I find it difficult to maintain a good posture here. After a brief pause, we continue towards home. In the end, there are over 100km on the odometer. It was nice, it wasn’t really hard and that makes it a nice challenge for everyone to enjoy this on two wheels.
0 responses
Great story San!
What a wonderful experience. And a tear came to my eye for the memory of Marco. Very well written, by the way.
Those are certainly beautiful memories of the ‘little elephant’