In the morning, when I remove my bike from the bike cellar of the Lungomare Bike Hotel suit there is a lot of excitement around me. This is not for nothing. Today we are not only going to ride part of the 2024 Tour route. We are also doing so with a cycling great. Bernard Hinault, 5-time Tour winner, winner of the Giro and the Vuelta, Paris-Roubaix and nowadays above all the face of the Tour de France organisation will ride with us. 'Le Blaireau' (or tie) is always on the podium of honour at the men's Tour and is also seen as the last of the greats (in one name with Eddy Merckx, for example.) In 2024, the Tour de France will start in Emilia-Romagna for the first time and today we are going to see what the organisation has in store. Our stage is a cycling route from Cesenatico to San Marino, with several climbs. So 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 one sentence without thinking of Marco Pantani. Pantani may no longer be among us, but you can still see and feel his presence. At every presentation, at every word about the Tour start in Emilia-Romagna, his name falls, followed by applause and faces of attendees leaving for a moment. The loss of the great champion remains palpable. Especially in Cesenatico, where he was born and where his family still lives. The tour start in 2024 is an ode to 'El Elefantino', although the route de Carpegna skips. Pantani's memory is most visible at his parents' house. For hundreds of metres, 'Pantani' is written on the road. He is sorely missed and I am impressed.
European Media Cycling Contest
Our group today consists of journalists. Lots of journalists, from Italy, Slovenia, Slovakia, Austria, Belgium, France and we are the Dutch delegation. All because of the European Media Cycling Contest, which is entering its second edition. The programme includes cycling, a visit to the Italian Bike Festival at the Misano Adriatico circuit and a real European championship. Most important for this year is the promotion of the Emilia-Romagna region and the upcoming tour start. Hence Davide Cassani, former pro and Faenza resident, also reports. He is partly the face of the local organisation. He also knows the routes like the back of his hand so that helps.
Away from the beach
Not entirely coincidentally, today's route heads away from the beach. Emilia-Romagna has a stunning coastline on the Adriatic Sea. This coastline has been used for tourism for decades, with endless rows of beach beds, hotels, campsites and associated infrastructure. Above all, the region also wants to use the 2024 Tour start to make the turn towards a different form of tourism. Cassani also confirms this when we speak to him about it: 'more sustainability and healthy tourism'. This is probably why today we head straight inland from Cesenatico. We trek over some nice climbs to San Marino and then turn back again. A route to lick your fingers at and one that will provide some fireworks in Stage 1 of the 2024 Tour.
Pay attention
The first part of the route travels from Cesenatico through small villages with names like San Mauro Pascoli and we pass the town of Santarcangelo, known for its beautiful medieval centre. The tower is in scaffolding, but the narrow streets with colourful houses are wonderful to stop for a coffee or a real 'gelato italiano', or ice cream. From the castle you have a great view over the surrounding valley and can see the foothills of the Apennines in the distance. Gorgeous this is and it just makes me want to see more of this region.
Sacred ground
We ride over holy ground. Not only was this Pantani's training ground, but the villages are all named after saints: San Michele, Sant'Andrea and we head towards Saint San Leo. The road slowly starts to climb a bit and you see more and more Agriturismi and places to stay among the surrounding vineyards. We start with a short climb to Poggio Berni, a hamlet with a colourful little square. Short climbs are still the motto here and you start to feel them after a while. There is a lot of chatter and everyone is enjoying themselves. Perhaps it is the beautiful surroundings that contribute to the good atmosphere. In any case, there are plenty of smiling faces as we reach the top.
Off to San Marino
All along the cycle route from Cesenatico to San Marino, we can already see our lunch destination. Located about 900 metres above sea level, San Marino towers over the valley like an impregnable fortress. Impregnable the fortress is not, but in the Middle Ages its location was an advantage. Now it is mostly a wonderful challenge on a bicycle. Before getting there, we have to tackle another climb. We first turn towards San Leo, another must-do climb, but at a junction we turn left towards Montemaggio. From there it's also up again and at a sort of 'intermediate summit' we descend rapidly and start the longer climb towards the dwarf state. Unlike, say, Monaco or the Vatican, it is not just the city of San Marino, but you also have some surrounding hamlets. We drive in via Chiesanuova.
San Marino as a tourist attraction
The climb to San Marino is a very nice one. You actually have continuous views over the valley and nowhere does the climb get super steep. It is a seven-and-a-half-kilometre run that eventually ends up in the central square of the city of San Marino. There, a visit to the town hall (with stunning views over the valley) is an absolute must.
Lunch - TV - and back again
We are welcomed with all due respect at our lunch spot where a typical Italian 'finger food' lunch has been prepared. Or should I say San Marinese? Some pride is not foreign to the people of San Marino. The blue and white flag flies everywhere and people are somewhat proud after all. RaiTV San Marino does an interview with Cassani and once again asks the obvious: Pantani? Yes we all miss him. The course is fantastic, Emilia-Romagna shines like never before, according to him. I take another bite of my lunch myself and feast my eyes on all the tourists passing by. All go for a photo and then it's downhill at breakneck speed. Towards Cesenatico, with a stop in Santarcangelo.
Sloping down
We are popping down hard from San Marino. The sign 18% does not lie. Here it goes steeply and soon we see less of the valley and see more and more of the sea approaching. The scenery remains ever beautiful and in the background the mountains are still clearly visible. Various vineyards, agritourisms and small villages provide a beautiful frame. The wind has free rein 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 also lives on in others
Santarcangelo I mentioned earlier, but it really is an atmospheric town. We turn to the main square, overlooking a triumphal gate, the local school and the town hall. Handy detail: there is a bike repair station here, so you can still shoot some air into the tyres or possibly fix something with a socket. We sit down for coffee and, almost out of nowhere, a man approaches. A typical figure, we would say, but it turns out: he is Marco Pantani's former mechanic. The encounter is not entirely coincidental. Great conversations ensue and all the Italian journalists hang on his every word as he dredges up stories from the old days. When he also starts inspecting legs and 'feeling whether they are good calves' I hook off a bit. Pantani lives on in others, but this is too much for this down-to-earth Dutchman.
One last ode
Following a winding route towards Cesenatico, we suddenly turn on country roads and some kind of canals towards our home port, the Lungomare Bike Hotel. When we are almost there, we suddenly turn left into a somewhat deserted road. Far from being a dead end, the road quickly turns into a tribute to the great absentee, to Marco Pantani. As already described in the intro, here his name appears in multiples on the road surface and a small plaque commemorates the late great. Everyone stops and takes photos. I find it difficult to give myself a good attitude here. After a short stop, we continue on towards home. A little over 100km is finally on the counter. It was beautiful, it wasn't really tough and that makes it a nice challenge for everyone to enjoy here on two wheels.
2 responses
Super story San!
What a wonderful experience. And shed a tear for the memory of Marco. Beautifully written.
Those are certainly fond memories of the 'little elephant'