Just a few days remain until the great cycling event in Porcari, when next Wednesday the 11th stage of the Giro d'Italia will depart from the city of the Torretta (Paper District) to reach Chiavari after 195 kilometers. The start is scheduled on Via Lazzareschi in front of Sofidel, which is celebrating the company's 60th anniversary on this occasion, crossing the Tuscan paper district towards Liguria.

It had been since 1985 that Porcari had made such important cycling headlines, as when Mario Cipollini as a junior at the age of 18 won the world title in the 4x70 km team time trial wearing the Porcari-Fanini jersey. The greatest sprinter of all time subsequently began an unparalleled career for a cyclist from Lucca.

Praise to Sofidel and the municipal administration of Porcari for their efforts to bring the Giro back to the province of Lucca, but when talking about the Giro d'Italia in Lucchesia or Tuscany, one cannot help but recall the memorable stage victories of Team Fanini, protagonist of the pink race for 15 editions.

THE MEMORABLE SUCCESSES OF TEAM FANINI
Team Fanini, founded in 1948 by Lorenzo Fanini, reached world-class levels under the presidency of his son Ivano, who took command at just 22 years of age, remaining in charge for half a century. His first victory in the pink race came in 1985, when he triumphed in the hardest stage of that edition from Frosinone to Gran Sasso with "Coppino" Franco Chioccioli who outpaced Australian Michael Wilson, Colombian Reynel Montoya, Francesco Moser, who arrived at the finish with a gap of 23 seconds alongside a small group that also included the man who would go on to win the Giro: Bernard Hinault.

In 1987 it was the turn of Roman Paolo Cimini to triumph, imposing himself from San Marino to Lido di Jesolo by outsprinting Paolo Rosola. In 1988 Team Fanini was again the protagonist thanks to the success of Alessio Di Basco, making his debut in Pepsi Cola-Fanini, in the Pienza-Marina di Massa stage when he beat sprinters Guido Bontempi and Urs Freuler in a sprint finish. As if that weren't enough, Stefano Tomasini secured the final white jersey classification as the best young rider.

In 1990 another success with Fabrizio Convalle who in Amore e Vita colors won the stage from Sora to Teramo with a solo finish, leaving behind champions like Andrei Tchmil and Gilbert Duclos-Lassalle. In 1996 Swede Glenn Magnusson triumphed in the second stage entirely on Greek roads from Eleusi to Lepanto and Dane Bo Larsen won the Lausanne-Biella stage. The same Magnusson repeated the feat in 1997 in the stage from Varazze to Cuneo, beating Mirko Rossato and Mario Cipollini in a sprint. Magnusson's hat-trick came in 1998 when he once again outpaced Mario Cipollini in the stage from Foggia to Vasto.

FRIDAY DINNER AT RESTAURANT STEFAN WITH THE TITLE: "PORCARI RACES WITH THE GIRO". IVANO FANINI WILL ALSO BE THERE
At the Stefan restaurant in Porcari on Friday, among the various collateral events organized for the Giro d'Italia, a dinner has been scheduled with the title: "Porcari Races with the Giro", which will be presented by Lisa Mori with direction by Federica Alfonsini. Among the announced guests are the mayor of Porcari Leonardo Fornaciari and several councilors, former professional cyclists such as Roberto Poggiali, Fabrizio Convalle, Michele Bartoli, Edita Pucinskaite, Roberto Lencioni (organizer of the Vinaria), Brunello Fanini (organizer of the Women's Giro della Toscana) and of course the most successful manager could not be missing: Ivano Fanini.