Time is up: 2.206 riders (6% women) reaching Bergamo from 12 Countries
“In the last few days, with the event just around the corner, we have been receiving a huge number of requests, but we opted to close the entry process. The 18th Granfondo Gimondi-Bianchi will line-up with 2.206 registered athletes.” Giuseppe Manenti, the” front-man” of organizing company GM Sport, sounds pleased with the final outcome: “Due to force majeure – particularly the delay in delivering the appropriate authorization by the offices in charge – our organization started working much later than we would have hoped,” – Manenti explained, “otherwise, three thousand starters would have been a goal within our reach. The off-year in 2013 must be taken into fair consideration too, as well as the bad weather that had affected the race in the recent editions. That is why I feel satisfied with this outcome, as it lays the best possible basis for what’s next to come. The Granfondo Gimondi-Bianchi is alive as ever.”
Works are in progress in Bergamo city to make sure everything is ready and set by Sunday May 4th: the Granfondo Gimondi-Bianchi has a tradition of excellent organization and first-class welcoming for its participants and guests, and will live up to it once more. Italian Cycling Federation President Renato Di Rocco will also be in Bergamo, as will Felice Gimondi, in spite of the severe injury suffered in a bike crash a few days ago. “I feel slightly better, even though I am pretty much in pain” – Felice said. “I will need to bite the bullet, but I will be on the spot on Sunday.”
Some interesting notes emerge from the early registrations’ stats: female riders will represent over 6% of the whole bunch, that will include participants from 12 different Countries: Belgium, France, Netherlands, Great Britain, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland and United States. “Our goal is to keep growing in the next few years, and become more and more international,” Manenti said.
The organizers’ attention is currently focused on the weather forecast: some rain drops are expected for Saturday, but a sunny day and 19 degrees are predicted for Sunday’s race. That would be the best news to make sure the 18th Granfondo Gimondi-Bianchi will be remembered as a truly special day.
Bergamo (Italy), May 2nd, 2014
