Chills a go-go, in spite of a profile totally flat. The twelfth stage of the Giro d'Italia, drawn entirely in Emilia-Romagna, and we will reserve a final full of emotions, chills of passion, and physical effect. Chills of passion since the last 70 km will take place in that land of great passions which is the Modena. Of course we are talking in terms of sports, an area of Italy where typhoid has infected many at all levels, up on high until hierarchies: Sassuolo Camillo Ruini, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church and vicar general of Pope Benedict XVI for the church of Rome is a fan "sfegatato" of Bologna (snoccioli says that memory training of 1940) and a great expert on cycling; young seminarian, Coppi preferred the "Pio" Bartali, and could not be otherwise for a future man of the church! And then we can not forget the Ferrari and agrodolci deeds Olympic Dorando Pietri, which will be dedicated this fraction.
Chills effect, for the steps that the spectacular Modena will give us for the second consecutive year: in the last edition there was the excursion sull'esclusiva track of Maranello, while this time will be slaughtered nientemento that a limit insurmountable when the race is "intrufolerà "In the prestigious Military Academy of Modena.
Chills try them all for the final sprint, pursuit already palpitante her, but on this occasion will acquire an even more physical body: the runners will experience when they entered the straight Arrival of Piazza dei Martiri, paved in pavè. Sprintare on porphyry exercise is not easy, because the interstices between a rock and the other, even in the case of perfect pavè of our historic centres, causing chills "physical" before the bike and then all'atleta. The bike sobbalza and waves, it seems almost escape from under the seat (words of Endrio Leoni) and balances of traditional sprint are thrown to the air.
The flag will be lowered by the Forlì, the ancient Forum Livii ", named after dell'accampamento here founded in 188 BC by Caio Livio Salinatore, son of console that, twenty years before, had defeated the Carthaginians of Hasdrubal troops at the Battle of Metauro. During the Etruscan city was refounded as the Ficline, then came in today Forli. The main monument is the basilica of San Mercuriale, erected in the twelfth century.
For almost 40 km you will follow the SS 9, which follows the route of the historic Via Emilia, made in the period of the birth of the "Forum Livii" from console Marco Emilio Lepidus, with the aim of linking in a straight line Piacenza in Rimini. The first important centre through which the route will be Faenza, famous for the production of ceramics (a term that French is translated into "faïence" clear homage to the city of Romagna), then transit, "the Door of Romagna", as traditionally defined Imola. A tradition for the time being suspended is the Formula 1 in 2006 has disputed the last GP sull'autodromo entitled to Enzo and Dino Ferrari and opened April 25 1953 with the "GP CO NI," motorcycle race valid for the Italian championship class 125 and 500. To see race cars must wait a year, when will the scene "Conchiglia Golden Shell", reserved for cars Sport. A temple of sport which has also accepted cycling: memorable edition of the world championships in 1968, dominated by Vittorio Adorni. An extraordinary victory, won in a land where we eat bread and cycling; just a stone's throw from Imola's Dozza that, when he was living the great Luciano Pieces, was a sort of cycling capital of Romagna. Cycling aside, Dozza is a charming medieval town, embellished by the "murals" that adorn the facades of houses, which is also showing Marco Pantani.
A Castel San Pietro Terme, the race will leave the Via Emilia Bologna to jump through a path arc of a seventy kilometers. A "bypass" that will prevent the passage on a working day, in the centre of Felsina, passed down in history as the "fat" (for its culinary fame) and "learned" (l ' "Alma mater studiorum" the oldest universities in the western world), while less known are the nicknames "towers" and "Little Venice": the first refers to the 200 towers that once svettavano in the historic centre and which today are largely disappeared, there are still, often buried, the channels that they deserve the second, seemingly irreverent, proximity (there was also a port in the Middle Ages regarded as the largest in Europe between those waterways, remained in operation until the beginning of last century).
Cambiata direction of travel, the caravan of the Tour will result in Medicine, a country whose name originated from a legend according to which Frederick Barbarossa, ammalatosi seriously while he was travelling to Milan, when suddenly healed, come here, in soup who was randomly sorbendo fell a serpent. Remaining on "Gourmet", this area of Romagna is famous for the production of peaches nectarines, which is dedicated a race in stages limited to under 23 (the 2008 edition triggered the previous day from its Medicine).
Returning to point towards the west, through Budrio, country of inventors, because the genius of budriesi were born two time zones (Giuseppe Barilli) el'ocarina (Giuseppe Donati), wind musical instrument of ovoid shape. Native of this centre is also Ettore Guizzardi, the pilot dell'Itala in the legendary raid automotive "Beijing - Paris" (1907).
About 15 km west of Bologna, following the provincial road "Transversal of Plain", sovrappasserà the Autostrada del Brenner and we will bring to San Giovanni in Persiceto, place of performance of one of the most important events carnival of Italy, "Carnival Persicetano", characterized from the "Spel", the transformation in the race, through special effects, allegorical floats.
At this point the path to the stage will come again to the Via Emilia, riprendendola to Castelfranco Emilia, the first center of Modena crossed. The March 16, 1891 was born Alfonsina Morini, past history with the surname of her husband, Luigi Strada cesellatore: it was him to appreciate the sporting talent of his wife, allowing moving to Milan, where it could train with tranquillity, away from their parents malumori her, peasants very traditionalists. The episiodio most famous of his career, during which won 36 successes, was the participation in the Giro d'Italia, 1924, occurred tra mille polemics (sopprattutto that the political climate of the time): came out of time in the seventh stage , But allowed the jury to continue the race, albeit outside standings.
On SS 9 shall remain for less than a kilometer, just time to quit Castelfranco and take the provincial, along the river Panaro, will lap the extreme propaggini chain appennica, where they stemperano in the Po Valley. Without even notice it "will rise" up to 129 metres from Maranello, the roof of this stage: in fact, the already low altitude change, some sixty metres, will be diluted in over 10 km of road.
From these parts the car is not exclusively monopoly of Ferrari: in the near center touched by the path, San Cesario on Panaro, is based "Pagani" house founded in 1998 by a fan of the pilot Argentine Juan Manuel Fanjo and specializes in exotic cars and supercar.
For the less sports palates, however, we recommend a stop in nearby Spilamberto, home to a museum dedicated in balsamic vinegar and place of production of local amaretti and Nocino Modena. Who is looking for something more substantial must depart slightly from the racetrack and go to Castelnuovo Rangone center dubbed "the land of pork." At this point, to water the whole there is nothing better than Lambrusco Grasparossa, a DOC mainly produced in neighbouring Castelvetro of Modena.
Completed these disgressioni goderecce, we return to focus on the racetrack that during the last 40 km, ricalcherà almost faithfully the path of Italian Marathon, a major event podistiche taking place in our nation. It dispute in the month of October, along the canonical 42,195 km linking Maranello (it is, in fact, dedicated to the memory of "Drake") in Carpi, drawn on flat roads, with the intrusion of four small overpass, "robetta" Tour to inspire the organisers that my goals GPM of the 4th category. Leaving Maranello, sfiorerà Gallery Wind Ferrari, avvenieristica structure designed by Renzo Piano and at which the rally departure of Marathon. It then transit to Formigine, where again this fall in the street to feast their compatriots of the "Cobra", as sopprannominato Riccardo Riccò.
Turning to Modena, varcherà the gate of the historic Military Academy, housed since 1947 in the Palazzo Ducale, one of the most important and vast estates and princes of the seventeenth century, belonged to the Este family. The academy is the oldest institution of its kind, opened in Turin in 1678 by Baptist Duchess Maria Giovanna of Savoy-Nemours and later traslocata in Lucca and Lecce, before finally lead in the Emilian town. The choice fell on Modena here because there was a long long tradition of military schools, which began with the foundation, through the work of Duke Francesco III d'Este, of the Academy of Architecture Conference and Military "(1756).
Completerà the excursion Modena a transit on urban stretch of the Via Emilia, through a stone's throw from central Piazza Grande, which overlooks the masterpiece of Romanesque which is the Cathedral of San Geminiano.
The route of step back now advancing in the Po Valley, following the former SS 413 and abbandonandola at the station Soliera, to go to cross the centre of this town.
Carpi is now at the gates; less than 10 km later, come in spectacular Martyrs' Square, one of the most beautiful in Italy. The west characterize an interminable porch of 52 columns, north cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, east of the Castle Pius and, in the horizontal plane, the presence of cobblestones, that will make it particularly "dancer" the epilogue of the Twelfth of fatigue Giro 2008.