Coppi lives on, even though every year hundreds of enthusiasts, simple fans or merely those attracted by an immortal name climb to Castellania to pay homage to him on the day of his death.

The Champion passed away on January 2, 1960 at the Tortona hospital from malaria, contracted during a hunting trip in Upper Volta (today's Burkina Faso) in Africa and misdiagnosed, and it took a long time for the world, not just cycling, to understand how heavy this loss was. 66 years have passed, but every time the myth of Fausto comes back to life thanks to Casa Coppi, the association that continues his memory in his native house with initiatives and publications.

It was the year 2000 when thanks to the push of Candido Cannavò, the historic director of Gazzetta dello Sport, this house, then in ruins, began its transformation to become Coppi's reference point in the world, thanks to the work of Massimo Merlano, president of Casa Coppi, and all the volunteers who dedicate their activity to it.

This is how "Welcome Castellania" was born, an event held on January 2nd in the village church and in front of Fausto and Serse's Mausoleum: a simple and familiar way to say thank you to those who have honored Coppi's memory and to the many benefactors who continue to pass on Coppi's message to the world. To tell the story of a unique day, French journalist Alex Roos, cycling editor at the French newspaper L'Equipe, who has always been very attentive to Coppi's memory, will also be present.

So on Friday at 10:30 AM, in Coppi's name, the "Welcome Castellania" awards will be presented to Maurizio Formichetti and Luciana Rota. A historic reference for Rcs Sport cycling in Abruzzo, Formichetti discovered unexplored climbs and roads, bringing his region to the center of the international cycling panorama: think of the Giro 2023 Grand Start from the Costa dei Trabocchi, Merckx's Blockhaus climb, and the dozens of pink stages, Tirreno-Adriatico and Giro Women, which in 2024 concluded in L'Aquila. The motivation reads: "Thank you for your silent but extraordinarily precious work".

Luciana Rota, journalist and writer, lived with her father Franco and uncle Nino, and through their memories, she presented the most authentic Coppi, the familiar and unpublished one, in her latest book "Fausto, my Coppi", which becomes a bridge between passion, history, and sentiment. The motivation: "Thank you for being able to transmit to the reader the authentic heart of this extraordinary sport".

There are also Coppi's benefactors that Welcome Castellania wants to remember on January 2nd:
- the municipality of Novi Ligure (mayor Rocchino Muliere) for the "City of Champions", the Museum dedicated to Coppi and Girardengo, numerous sports activities and events promoted in the territory and for the Giro stage arrival in Novi;
- the Chamber of Commerce of Alessandria - Acdb Museum, for skillfully enhancing the founding values of a legendary sporting, journalistic, and technical history;
- the Municipality of Tortona (mayor Federico Chiodi) for promoting a sustainable cycle tourism project that, with the Tour passage and Giro arrival, has conferred international prestige and visibility to the territory;
- the municipality of Pozzolo Formigaro (mayor Domenico Miloscio) for its precious contribution to great cycling, particularly through support for SIOF of Pozzolo, a historic reality and reference point in promoting cycling activity at territorial and national levels;
- the municipality of Cassano Spinola (mayor Alessandro Busseti) because it welcomed Costante Girardengo and Sandrino Carrea, keeping alive a story of extraordinary importance;
- Sergio Vallenzona, former mayor of Castellania, because with commitment and passion he transformed a small hill village into an open-air museum, capable of welcoming visitors as a sacred symbol of world cycling;
- Claudio Pesci (Fausto and Serse Coppi association) for adding his precious artistic touch to that incredible open-air museum that is the village of Castellania Coppi;
- Anna Tegaldi, guardian angel of Casa Coppi who has always passionately told this family and sporting story, transmitting simple and authentic emotions to thousands of people.