LUCCA CYCLING, A SPECIAL AWARD FOR IVANO FANINI AND DAGNONI PROPOSES HIM FOR THE CONI GOLD STAR. GALLERY
AWARDS | 29/01/2025 | 08:05
di Valter Nieri
The splendid Tobino hall was chosen to launch the Lucca provincial cycling scene for 2025, remembering with the direct protagonists the major successes of 2024: this in summary is the 50th Lucca Cycling Festival called by the provincial F.C.I. committee chaired by Pierluigi Castellani, who has started his second four-year term.
Athletes, managers, and cycling societies that particularly distinguished themselves in 2024 were awarded and the great events that will captivate cycling enthusiasts were remembered, such as the Giro d'Italia professional stage scheduled for May 20th with the individual time trial Lucca-Pisa returning after 48 years, the National Youth Meeting scheduled in Viareggio organized by G.S. Corsanico in collaboration with Piano di Mommio and Pedale Pietrasantino, as well as the Women's Giro della Toscana organized by Michela Fanini, which will be the first pre-world event, and the Città di Lucca organized by the Lucchese Cycling Union chaired by Angelo Battaglia with a finish on the Urban Walls at national level, before becoming the sole national Under 23 championship next year. The host himself, President Castellani, along with the president of the province of Lucca and mayor of Camaiore Marcello Pierucci, made the introductions. During the conference presented by Valter Nieri, the importance of getting young people passionate about cycling was highlighted, given the increasingly narrow generational turnover at the national level, as well as being a beneficial physical activity and cycling a tool to teach them values and skills for growth. In this respect, the numbers favor Castellani, who in the past year has managed to increase the number of registered athletes and managers, approaching the threshold of 1,200, of which only in the youngest category around sixty can be counted, with a slight adjustment in the number of practitioners in the higher amateur categories.
SPECIAL AWARD TO IVANO FANINI, THE MOST VICTORIOUS SPORTS MANAGER OF ALL TIME IN TUSCANY A special award, followed by a long applause from the sports enthusiasts filling the Tobino hall, was presented to Ivano Fanini, historic president of Amore e Vita. Pierluigi Castellani was very keen to give him this plaque to remember his over fifty-year cycling career as president of Team Fanini. The Capannori manager is the most victorious ever, not only in Lucca sports but also in Tuscany, thanks to 12 world titles won by his athletes over time, in addition to 70 national titles, 15 Giro d'Italia stage victories and numerous national and international classics. By virtue of this, the national president Cordiano Dagnoni publicly stated that he will propose to the national CONI to confer on Ivano Fanini, already an ambassador of the Municipality of Capannori, one of the most important honors: the Gold Star for Sports Merit, for the great contribution he has given to Italian sports and the spread of competitive activity. A special award was also presented to the honorary president of the provincial committee Gianfranco Battaglia, a position he has held for two years after two decades as president. A event that wanted to continue the project of enhancing Lucca cyclists who have brought prestige to Lucca cycling.
ALL OTHER AWARDS
At the competitive level, the following were awarded: Francesco Martinelli of Team Valdinievole, provincial champion of first-year beginners; Daniele Ginesi of U.S.D. Montecarlo, provincial champion of second-year beginners; Andrea Filippo Pierini of USD Montecarlo, provincial category juniors champion.
Among the girls, recognition went to Sveva Bertolucci, Italian champion in the first-year beginners category, and Francesca Baroni of Team Relay, European Elite category champion, who could not attend due to sporting commitments. Then other awards for Mattia Simone of G.S. Stabbia, provincial junior category champion; Edoardo Cipollini, Italian team time trial champion, Under 23 category, and Fabio Del Medico of U.C. Empolese, world champion in Keirin track cycling, Junior category, who was also unable to be present due to sporting commitments.
For the Youngest Category, a medal was awarded to athletes from U.S.D. Montecarlo, G.S. Cicli Carube, G.S. Pedale Pietrasantino, U.C. Piano di Mommio, S.C. Garfagnana MTB, G.S. Capannori, A.S.D. Wild Billy Goat, and Camaiore Cycling Project. Other recognitions: to S.C. Corsanico for organizing the Regional Youth Category Meeting and to the Piano di Mommio and Pedale Pietrasantino societies for their collaboration in the important youth event.
For the societies, recognitions were collected by their respective managers for S.C. Michela Fanini, Gragnano Sporting Club (for the first time in its 33-year history included in the UCI Continental Team), Ciocco Sport Lab, S.S. Giuseppe Cei (preparing to organize the 74th edition of the Coppa Cei), and for the oldest cycling society: Pedale Lucchese Poli, founded in 1934. Finally, space for awards to road cycling amateurs, Gran Fondo, Medio Fondo, and MTB, very precious in expressing their cycling passion to the younger generations.
Finally, the big surprise: towards the end, regional president Eugenio Giani arrived to bring greetings from the Tuscany Region. An unexpected visit for President Castellani after having deployed all his persuasive resources towards the illustrious guest, who subsequently invited him to lunch together with the provincial committee managers, including Giuseppe Tomei and other city authorities, as well as Ivano Fanini and Stefano Bendinelli, director of the Fanini Museum, who had the honor of having the Federation badge pinned to his jacket by President Cordiano Dagnoni for his commitment to researching and exhibiting Fanini memorabilia. The direction was impeccable, spreading evocative images, curated by Enrico Bagni and Adriana Noemi Moreno. Official photographer of the event was Pierluigi Fattori.
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