cyclocross returns to Bologna, the Italian youth championships presented in the Region

Sport: cyclocross returns to Bologna, the Italian youth championships presented in the Region.

Return to Bologna il cyclocross, With Italian youth championships which will take place on January 27th and 28th Castelletto di Serravalle in the municipality of Valsamoggia (Bo). 90 years after the first Italian Championships of this discipline which took place in the city of Bologna in 1930.

A return and confirmation for one spectacular and growing sport, often preparatory to road cycling. It is particularly popular among younger people: 500 participants (from 13 to 16 years of age) have registered and over 3 overall attendances are expected over the weekend.

Organized by the company “In favor of cycling”In partnership with Federcycling, the Italian youth cyclocross championships are part of event billboard supported by Emilia Romagna region.

Presenting them to the press today in Bologna, at the regional headquarters, Giammaria Manghi, head of the political secretariat of the Presidency of the Region; Davide Cassani, president of APT Emilia-Romagna; the mayor of Valsamoggia, Daniel Ruscigno; Fabio Sgarzi, organizer of the Championships.

Also present Andrea Dondi, president of CONI Emilia-Romagna e Alessandro Spada, president of the Emilia-Romagna cycling federation. Beyond Carlo Fontanelli and Gianni Marchesini, authors of the volume “Tricolor Cyclocross”.

The Ciclocross project is part of a movement, that of the Emilia-Romagna Cycling Federation, which can count on 212 affiliated companies for well- 7.586 members. For a couple of seasons the numbers of the cyclocross specialty have significantly increased thanks to stages, representative events, races that guarantee ranking points and also to the initiative, created by the “In favor of cycling” company of bicycle rental suitable for these tests, so as not to burden families with expensive purchases. All this allowed 36 company to practice this discipline and to organize only in the last season 13 races in the region, to which 3.300 male and female athletes participated from all over Italy.

And the competition is about to end Youth and cyclocross launched among the children of the local schools to give a name to the mascot that will be at the center of the Bolognese event. Each participant can submit up to a maximum of three proposals relating to a story and a drawing, proposing the name to be given to the mascot. The entries must be sent by January 25th by uploading them to the website: www.afavoredelciclismo.it. On Saturday 27 January, the three best proposals will be rewarded and a surprise will await all the young participants.

The press conference was also an opportunity to present the volume “Tricolor cyclocross – the history of the Italian championships. Flying over the mud” edited by Carlo Fontanelli and Gianni Marchesini, published by Geo Edizioni and Gianni Marchesini Editore. A journey back in time to discover the many protagonists of this sport so closely linked to Bologna.

In addition to the first Italian cyclocross championship in history, with the victory of Armando Zucchini over Antonio Castellari and Guido Albanelli, Bologna also hosted the following three editions. Italian champion of the second was Antonio Castellari, in the third Luigi Ferrando; then, in 1932-33 Zucchini again. The top Italian cyclocross competition returned to the province of Bologna, in Imola, only in the 1960-61 edition with the victory of Amerigo Severini ahead of the great Renato Longo, winner of 12 titles in the 60s.

Cyclocross, or rather cycle-pedestrian cross-country, has its origins in France between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with Daniel Gousseau, a soldier of the Transalpine army, who instead of delivering messages with his horse, got on a bike and, overcoming ups and downs, mud and the dangers of the countryside, he managed to fulfill his duty. Cycling and pedestrian racing arrived in Italy the following year, with the first race organized in Turin in March 1903. Until the first Italian championship in Bologna.

All the races of the two days will be live on Canale 88 throughout Emilia-Romagna, while they will be visible throughout Italy, by downloading the television App, streaming on the website  www.afavoredelciclismo.it and on the Facebook page “In favor of cycling”. On the same site all the information on routes, registrations and hotel availability.