Alberto Cirio, President of Regione Piemonte: “One week after the great event that brought the Head of State, the Prime Minister and all the governors of Italy to Turin, making Piedmont the centre of our country’s institutional politics, today we present the Grande Partenza of the Giro d’Italia, which makes us the centre of sport and in particular cycling, to which we are very attached. Sporting events have an enormous return for the economy of our territory, more than seven times greater than every euro invested to realise them. And this is the most important fact for us because there was a time when Turin and Piedmont rejected events, but that time is over and today we not only welcome them but we look for them, earning their trust because we know how valuable they are for making our territory grow”.
Fabrizio Ricca, Sports Councillor at Regione Piemonte: “The lungs of the Region are once again breathing cycling. As Councillor for Sport, I am proud to once again be able to present a Giro d’Italia start that finds its natural home in our territory. It will be an exciting competition that will provide a great spectacle for all fans and will once again confirm that the history of Italian cycling is in Piedmont’s DNA”.
Stefano Lo Russo, Mayor of the Metropolitan City of Turin: “The finish of the opening stage of the Giro d’Italia 2024 in Turin is a source of pride for our city and represents, at the same time, a great opportunity because it will see all the eyes of the sporting world focused on our territory. The date will then be more symbolic than ever for our city. The race will cross Superga precisely on the 75th anniversary of the tragedy of the Grande Torino, ideally uniting two of the most popular sports in our country, cycling and football, with the history of those unforgettable champions for our city. It will certainly be a beautiful day for Turin and for the people of Turin who are ready to welcome the athletes of the Giro”.
Urbano Cairo, President of RCS MediaGroup: “For the 2024 edition, with the passage to Superga on 4 May during the first stage, we will unite two symbols of Italy in the world like the Giro d’Italia and the Invincibili of the Grande Torino. It will be a special moment, in which the epic tales of the heroes in Maglia Rosa will intertwine with those of the heroes in Maglia Granata. For the fourth time, the Giro d’Italia will start from the Regione Piemonte. The first two starts, in 1961 and 2011, were celebrating special occasions such as the 100th and 150th anniversaries of the Unification of Italy, while 2021 saw a large public participation after the pandemic. We are confident that next year we will offer a very high-level show starting from these first stages”.
Paolo Bellino, Managing Director at RCS Sport: “This year’s Grande Partenza confirms the excellent relationship between RCS Sport and Regione Piemonte, where we are returning to host the start of the Corsa Rosa after the last recent experience in 2021. These first three stages, and the start of the fourth, will show Piedmont in its entirety because the Giro d’Italia is not just a sporting event but a driver for promoting tourism and the territory. Furthermore, we decided to pay homage, 75 years after that tragic 4 May 1949, to the legend of the Grande Torino with the passage of the race to Superga and with the inscription ‘Only fate won them’ on the collar of the Maglia Rosa because the Grande Torino is part of the history of Italy and it is right to celebrate one of the symbols of our country”.
Mauro Vegni, Director of the Giro d’Italia: “It will be a spectacular Grande Partenza. We will start with tough and demanding stages for which the riders who aspire to the Maglia Rosa will have to be ready right from the start. Both the opening stage, which is somewhat reminiscent of one of the most spectacular and popular ones of 2022, and the second stage, with a selective finale and the uphill finish at Oropa, could create gaps between the favourites. Oropa will be the Montagna Pantani of the 2024 edition, 25 years after one of the Pirate’s most epic victories. The third stage also hides some pitfalls because the finish in Fossano is uphill and it will not be easy for pure sprinters to compete with the puncheurs. We will have fun”.
