Castellania, June 2018 - As is now customary, even for this seventh edition of LaMITICA Ciclostorica con Bici d'Epoca per i Colli di Serse e Fausto Coppi, scheduled for 23-24 June, the closing of online registration marks the start of a real countdown for the appointment that gathers in Castellania, the small village that gave birth to Serse and Fausto Coppi, the many cycling enthusiasts with their vintage bikes participating in LaMITICA, a classic early summer classic not to be missed among the appointments of the national and international cycle-vintage scene, both for its landscape features and for the great and unforgettable champion who inspired it as well as being included in the circuit of the Giro d'Italia d'Epoca-GIDE (fourth stage) as well as valid evidence to achieve the Brevetto dei Campionissimi-Ciclostoriche del Nord Ovest (third round) that unites the main cyclostoriche of Piedmont and Liguria.
As in previous editions, a large part of the Colli di Coppi area will host the Ciclostorica, created to commemorate and honour the figure of the " Campionissimo" Fausto Coppi, but also all the great cycling champions of this area, starting with Giovanni Cuniolo (the first Italian road cycling champion), Costante Girardengo (the first "Campionissimo") and many other famous and lesser-known faces, have contributed to building the history of cycling through their "legendary" exploits on the pedals, such as Serse Coppi, Fausto's brother, Luigi Malabrocca and Sandrino Carrea, Ettore Milano and all Fausto's guardian angels.
In addition to the numerous participants who have already registered online, from many regions of Italy as well as France, the United States, and Great Britain (with the Cicli Artigianali-Londra team returning to Castellania in greater numbers than last year), there will be those who have decided to register for LaMITICA on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24.
The busy programme of the three-day event begins on Friday 22 June with the arrival in Castellania of the first exhibitors at the Vintage Bikes and Accessories Market. At 9 p.m. and with free admission, at the Residenza il Borgo in Castellania and in collaboration with the Associazione Peppino Sarina of Tortona for the Baracche di Luglio festival, the Compagnia Acqualta Teatrodistrada presents the show entitled CIRCLO'. A travelling circus with extravagant bicycles and even more extravagant riders! Juggling, balancing act, magic and soap bubbles to enchant, surprise and intrigue the public with bicycles that are always different and always stranger.
Saturday 23 June, at 19:30 at the Residence "il Borgo di Castellania" (info and reservations at mailto:info@innformazione.it), it will be the turn of the Dinner of Champions - buffet - that will transform Castellania in a convivial stage thanks to the presence of great guests and former riders, such as Luciano Armani and Emilio Casalini, who through their sporting events, lived in first person, will revive their victories, the highlights and the most compelling stories related to the cycling races of the time and especially the Tour of Italy in 1968 that saw three great legends of cycling on the podium: 1st Eddy Merckx, 2nd Vittorio Adorni and 3rd Felice Gimondi.
As for the 2017 edition, there will be also space to remember also the rider from Tortona Luigi Malabrocca (the historical black jersey at the Giro d'Italia) and it will be again the professional rider GIUSEPPE FONZI, rider of the Team Wilier Triestina-Selle Italia, who repeating the result at the 2017 Giro finishing the 2018 edition of the Pink Race in last position, will receive directly from the hands of Serena Malabrocca, granddaughter of Luigi Malabrocca, the symbolic "black jersey" of LaMITICA. Guido Foddis, musician and author of a song dedicated to the black jersey, will help us to tell the myth of the black jersey and, with his reportages from the stage departures and arrivals of the Giro, has told us about the Pink Race with the unusual and ironic eye of his Repubblica delle Biciclette. During the evening there will also be room for art and literature thanks to the presence of Rebigo Illustration Studio of Genoa, who will present their work entitled "CICLISMO EPICO". A narration of epic stories, ironic, at the limit of credibility, related to the history of cycling through stories and illustrations created ad hoc and exposed to the public for the occasion.
But here we are on Sunday, 23 June, when from the first light of dawn Castellania will start to come alive for the last preliminary operations, including the last registrations, in view of the official start which will be given at 8:30 am. Four routes are planned: SHORT 53 km, MEDIUM 70 km and LONG 88 km and, new for 2018, the 98 km HORS CATÉGORIE route inserted to pay homage to the first Champion Costante Girardengo and the great Andrea "Sandrino" Carrea. Departure and arrival as always from Castellania, with the inclusion of some classic sectors of dusty "white roads" or roads with unpaved surface in homage to epic cycling, initially along the roads between the rolling hills of Tortona passing through Cerreto Grue, Sarezzano and then Volpedo where in Piazza IV Stato, in homage to the great artist Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo, will be placed the first refreshment. Once the cyclists have left and reached Tortona, at the second refreshment point in Piazza Malaspina, they will be welcomed by the event Bellezze in Bicicletta-Tortona Retrò (Bellezze in Bicicletta-Tortona Retro) in Via Emilia and throughout the historic centre, with swing music by the GYPSY CLUB band, vintage games for children, parties and solidarity as well as gifts for those dressed in vintage clothing.
In Tortona, after the refreshment stop, the routes will be separated. The Short route, after passing through Villaromagnano and then the dirt road "La RAMPINA", will head directly towards the finish line of Castellania. The Medium, the Long and the Hors Catégorie instead will continue towards the sector of white road immersed in the Park of Scrivia to divide in turn to Bettole di Pozzolo. The Medio will take the direction for Villalvernia, Carbonara, La Rampina, Passo Coppi and then Castellania. The Lungo and the Hors Catégorie will head towards Novi Ligure where the refreshment point will be located at Museo dei Campionissimi . Once out of Novi Ligure, cyclists will have to decide whether to continue along the Long Course and then return to Merella, Villalvernia, Carbonara, La Rampina and Castellania, or tackle the more challenging Hors Catégorie route, which, passing through Cassano Spinola, climbs towards Gavazzana and then climbs to the GPM of Sant'Agata Fossili where, thanks to the collaboration with the Municipality of Sant'Agata Fossili, the cyclists will find a welcome refreshment but also a special Hors Catégorie prize that will be presented to them during the final awards ceremony. Descended from Sant'Agata and rejoined the Long Route, in Villalvernia, the direction will be Carbonara, Villaromagnano and Rampina again to then climb towards the finish line of Castellania, located just in front of Casa Coppi, where to wait for the cyclists there will be the Agnolotto Party and to follow at 15:00 the awards ceremony with rich prizes and a festive final greeting.
LaMITICA is an event organised by theAPS I COLLI DI COPPI that has obtained the patronage of the Piedmont Region, the Province of Alessandria, Alexala, GAL Giarolo Leader, the City of Tortona, di Novi Ligure and the Municipalities of Castellania, Costa Vescovato, Villalvernia, Pozzolo Formigaro, Spineto Scrivia, Viguzzolo, Villaromagnano, Volpedo, Cassano Spinola and Sant'Agata Fossili and was made possible thanks to the contribution of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Tortona, SIMECOM-Gas e Luce and Unità Gamma Servizi di Sicurezza. Special thanks to Museo dei Campionissimi di Novi Ligure , Cooperativa Volpedo Frutta and Associazione Pellizza da Volpedo Onlus for organising the refreshments, as well as Associazione Fausto e Serse Coppi, Gamma Innovation, Ratti Carburanti, Ciclomania E-BikeRent Voghera, Cantine Volpi, Pella Sportswear, Salumificio Sabbione, Rolandi Auto, Saldema, La Bollina, Festina Orologi and Vignaioli del Tortonese for the support and prizes offered at LaMITICA 2018.
Info: http://www.lamitica.it mailto:info@lamitica.it FB: lamiticaciclostorica Twitter @lamiticaCdC
A.P.S. I COLLI DI COPPI Piazza Candido Cannavò, 2 15051 Castellania (AL) Tel/Fax: 0131-837127
