ROMA (ITALPRESS) – From 20 September to 8 October more than 60 Paralympic athletes will cross Italy for 1,900 kilometers and 22 stages, passing a witness symbol of ransom and hope. Go back “Obiettivo Tricolore”, the great relay created by Alex Zanardi, now in its sixth edition and dedicated this year to the remembrance of the champion, who died on 1 May, and to his message of social inclusion and promotion of sport. The athletes of Objective3, recruitment and start-up project for people with disabilities founded by Zanardi in 2017, will travel the country in handbike, bicycle, Olympic and racing wheelchair. The prologue will take place on 20 September during the Ironman Italy Emilia-Romagna of Cervia, with the symbolic passage of the witness among the parathletes engaged in the Ironman 70.3 and the first bracketer. “I was lucky to have met Alex live and he always sent me a great energy. Such an event builds culture, which is something that goes beyond laws and rules”, the words of Luciano Buonfiglio, president of the Coni. The official departure is scheduled the next day by the Fantini Club of Cervia. The route will cross Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Liguria, Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, until the arrival of 8 October in Piazza della Borsa in Trieste, as part of the “Barcolana58 presented by Generali”.
Two challenging stages: the Brugnato-Gavi, 182 kilometers long and with 3.750 meters of altitude difference through the steps of Bracco, Tomarlo and Bocchetta, and the fraction of Udine, during which the athletes will face Monte Zoncolan from the side of Ovaro. “The idea of this bracket was strongly desired by Alex Zanardi. I have followed several stages and I am pleased to see that the project is growing more and more”, explains Senator Giusy Versace. “We want to start sports. At the level of high level results there is only to continue, the rest is the true shortage. We’re talking about two and a half million people and we’ve only got 30 thousand cards. Societies and associations, like that of Alex and Bebe Vio, are of fundamental importance and it is essential that there is maximum collaboration with the regional authorities and committees”, adds Marco Giunio De Sanctis, president of the Cip. In some places will be set up sports villages open to the public, where associations and athletes will allow participants to know and experience paralympic disciplines. There are also meetings dedicated to sports culture in Siena, Milan and Verona.
“The first thought goes to Alex (Zanardi, ndr), he left a sign and remains differently present among us and to urge our responsibility. We want to contribute to society and cohesion, beyond geography. Thanks to sport, new lives are discovered, there is not only those who leave with a certain condition or dimension but there is someone who finds himself”, says Andrea Abodi, Minister for Sport and Youth. The relay will take part numerous testimonials, including Francesca Fenocchio, paralympical gold in London 2012 with Zanardi, Vittorio Podestà, Daniele Bennati, Elia Viviani, Veronica Yoko Plebani and Davide Cassani. Next to them is Daniel Fontana, Fabio Aru and Hervé Barmasse.
– photo mec/Italpress –
(ITALPRESS).
