CYCLING IN EMILIA-ROMAGNA, BOOM IN ACTIVITY AND PASSION

REGIONS | 21/11/2024 | 08:00
"There is only one thing that has allowed regional cycling to get back on its feet after COVID, the natural disasters of floods, and the novelty of sports reform: passion, which is the driving force behind everything," was the opening statement of CRER FCI President Alessandro Spada, who thanked the large audience present and started the proceedings of the clubs' assembly held at the CONI palace in Bologna on Saturday, November 16, 2024.
This was the third regional meeting to take stock of the end of the mandate and understand the state of health of cycling in Emilia-Romagna. In his speech, President Alessandro Spada highlighted the great work done by the Regional Committee together with the cycling clubs: "We have restored training courses, tripled the number of representative teams, and we were the first to restart during the COVID period with an exemplary organizational model."
He then reminded the audience of the contribution allocated by CRER to support regional clubs and thanked all the regional components that worked to achieve numbers that testify to robust activity, certainly not the result of chance, but thought out, reasoned, planned, and implemented.
An extremely thorough and important focus was that of CRER Deputy Vice President Pierluigi De Vitis, who opened an overview of the women's world, analyzing its characteristics with a lucid and targeted analysis: "We have managed to give dignity to women's cycling by guaranteeing them a calendar of races of the highest respect. For the first time, women have received the recognition - including economic - that they deserved with the Italian Cup." Among the sectors under his purview is also the delicate category of very young riders, which always requires special regard and attention: "CRER has been the bearer of great promotional activity, strengthened in the last two years. We have entered schools with federal projects such as Bicimparo, Sicuri in bici, and Lezione di ciclismo, promoting them and taking an active part in coordination without stopping at these. We have directly taken to the field, organizing 32 promotional days, activating respectable areas and incorporating multiple disciplines: from simple skittles to pump tracks, to freestyle. We need to think about youth cycling that is more empathetic and modern, also in view of new family dynamics." He informs that a promotional commission has been created, to which CRER will give life thanks to the regional project called "Biciclettiamo," and therefore invites clubs to participate, to experience reality firsthand to be more attractive.
"Maintaining numbers in very young riders and cycling activities dedicated to them is a good starting point for looking to the future," he concludes. Excellent health also for the Regional Technical Structure in the careful analysis of CRER Vice President Franco Chini, who reasoned - showing its intrinsic dynamics - on the technical elements of his competence: "We have worked on determining a competent and motivated Technical Structure that has represented the backbone of the activity carried out. Thanks to everyone's work, the technicians' ability to communicate with clubs and stay close to the base, it was possible to implement highly qualified and qualifying projects. In the four-year period, in fact, the number of representative teams has tripled, allowing athletes to have different experiences wearing the Regional Committee jersey. There is also a good retention of athlete numbers who find a substantial cycling calendar in the region, a bit subdued with events dedicated to beginners." He invites, in fact, clubs to safeguard the latter to allow for more consistent activity.
"Positive analysis also for the cyclocross discipline, which has doubled its numbers - reports CRER Vice President Franco Chini - thanks to targeted interventions designed to relaunch activity in the region with exponential growth of clubs and cycling races. The jewel in the crown was the past Italian championship brilliantly completed by the society A Favore del Ciclismo." In the voice of Councilor Matteo Baldissarri, the picture of off-road Gravity activity. "If at the beginning of the four-year period there were less than 50 athletes among amateur and youth categories and very few races, now the numbers are staggering and destined to increase. We have grown with clubs both numerically and qualitatively, we have grown with the organization of races that are now spread not only on the Bolognese Apennines but throughout Emilia-Romagna."
Extreme health also in the world of youth off-road. It was Councilor Massimiliano Bravi who reported on the activity, highlighting the work of CRER and clubs that has led to an excellent qualitative improvement: "Our athletes are in the national ranking in all youth categories, and we have a club that is Italian champion. During the four-year period, we have always been present as a region at the national appointments of the Italian Cup, setting up more than one team. Moreover, the sector is also growing on the organizational level: in 2025, Emilia-Romagna will be the protagonist with the Italian championships organized by Pedale Fidentino and Team Gagabike." "These are important numbers for the safety sector - highlights Regional Councilor Nicola Dalmonte - fundamental for securing cycling races in Emilia-Romagna. A theme that is never taken for granted and must always be looked at carefully. Extremely fundamental is the regional study center with the precious work carried out by the commission that worked on defining new qualifications for race directors, technical escorts, and judges." The Paralympic and amateur world was, instead, represented by Regional Councilor Leonardo Metalli, who paid tribute to the clubs for their dense activity, successes achieved, and organizational efforts: "We managed, as CRER, to change the federal Paralympic rules by introducing promotional activity with regularity events. It was an important result achieved to allow clubs to make themselves known in the territory and attract new partners." A beautiful debate closed the assembly of clubs, a sign of intellectual vivacity and great participation in the founding and fundamental elements of regional cycling.