
Fifty million euros in grant funding. The letter with the presentation of the velodrome project, which should rise in Capannori, and the request for funding was sent by the Lucca section of the Cycling Federation.
The president, Pierluigi Castellani, wrote to the European Commission, the Ministry of Sport and, subsequently, to the Region, Province and Municipality, as well as to CONI, the highest sports organization. Ivano Fanini, talent scout and patron of Amore & Vita, makes available 20,000 square meters of land, with another 120,000 adjacent acres to be expropriated by the Municipality in a friendly manner. Certainly, the goal is ambitious, but efforts will be made to achieve it.
One who will try is Luca Menesini, former mayor of Capannori and former President of the Province of Lucca, now president of the PSE Group, European Socialist Party. The velodrome would be an advantage for everyone: all cycling components have already confirmed this, starting with Cordiano Dagnoni, president of the Italian Cycling Federation and Saverio Metti, now national vice president of the federation and former president of the Tuscan Regional Committee (now replaced by lawyer Luca Menichetti).
"An open and expandable structure, highly innovative - reads the letter - that will encourage cycling practice and contribute to the economic development of the community because it can host concerts and other events. We aim for a possibility for future generations, with a cutting-edge facility, equipped with commercial spaces and spaces for athlete hospitality, creating advantages for the local economy and jobs. We are convinced that the European Commission will share our commitment to promoting sports and sustainable development and we ask that the funding request be taken into consideration".
A facility to revive the track, to convince parents to have their children practice cycling safely, which would be centrally located for Central Italy, near Pisa airport, usable by Southern societies and over 300 affiliates in Tuscany, given that the only one currently in Italy is near Brescia.
Project details. 250-meter wooden track, arch minimum and maximum slopes conforming to UCI standards, stands for 10,000 seated spectators, which can become 18,000 including those standing during indoor events such as concerts, boxing matches, tennis, martial arts, dance; multifunctional areas; recreational spaces and shops, restaurant and fitness center; energy efficiency through renewable sources and green spaces and cycle path outside.