Cassano d’Adda is preparing to host one of the most important sporting events of recent years. On Friday, March 13, in the halls of the Visconti Castle—exceptionally lit in pink—the municipal administration, led by the mayor and supported by sports journalist Alessandro Brambilla, presented the calendar of initiatives that will accompany the city until May 27, the day when the 17th stage of the Giro d’Italia will start, heading to Andalo.
The evening saw extraordinary participation: over 350 people, including cycling enthusiasts, former professionals, institutional representatives, associations, and citizens. Requests to attend even exceeded the venue’s capacity, highlighting the city’s enthusiasm and strong involvement in the lead-up to the race.
The event also provided an opportunity to highlight the organizational work carried out by the administration led by Mayor Fabio Colombo and the relevant municipal offices, which have been preparing for months for an event that will bring national visibility and thousands of visitors to Cassano.
During the evening, the official “Cassano Città di Tappa” logo, the new dedicated website, and the Facebook page were presented. These tools will promote events, cultural initiatives, and activities designed to involve the entire community.
Among the most anticipated events is the “Notte Rosa,” scheduled for Saturday, May 23, the final weekend before the stage departure. The town center will turn into a large celebration space with shops open late, music, shows, and widespread initiatives.
Local businesses will symbolically “adopt” pink bicycles displayed throughout the city and will also take part in a contest for Giro-themed shop windows, aimed at coloring the city and creating a shared atmosphere of anticipation among residents and visitors.
Sport also means solidarity: on the eve of the stage, a convivial “pink dinner” with charitable purposes is planned.
The program organized by the Municipality also includes the involvement of schools and local associations. Students from the Quintino di Vona Comprehensive Institute will take part in projects focused on the educational values of sport and the history of cycling.
At the same time, numerous local associations will organize cultural events and sports initiatives linked to cycling traditions.
Among the most original proposals is a simulation of the Cassano–Andalo stage by bicycle, aimed at well-trained enthusiasts willing to tackle the race route. The mayor of Andalo was also present at the presentation and promised to symbolically welcome the most daring participants at the end of the challenge.
The program is constantly being updated, incorporating the many proposals coming from local organizations. During the presentation, the route that riders will follow within Cassano before the official start was also revealed.
Teams will gather between Piazza Perrucchetti and Piazza Cavour. From there, the caravan will move toward Piazza Garibaldi, then continue along Via Veneto, cross Via Europa, and reach Via Groppello before arriving at the SP104, where the official start of the 17th stage of the Giro will be given.
Mayor Fabio Colombo emphasized the significant effort made to secure the resources needed to organize the event.
“Finding sponsors was a complex task managed directly by the Municipality,” he explained, “but it brought very positive results. More than 40 companies took part. In addition to financial contributions, many local businesses provided services and collaborations. This response demonstrates the strength and cohesion of our business community, made up of small and medium-sized enterprises, each contributing what they could.”
The evening was also a celebratory moment for Gianni Motta, winner of the 1966 Giro d’Italia and a native of Groppello, who recently celebrated his 83rd birthday.
Alongside him was Ernesto Colnago, the historic bicycle manufacturer, now 94, and a symbolic figure in world cycling.
Among the guests were also prominent names in Italian cycling:
Eugenio Berzin, Giro d’Italia winner
Gianbattista Baronchelli, three-time Giro podium finisher (2nd in 1974 and 1978, 3rd in 1977) and winner of the Giro di Lombardia in 1977 and 1986
Enrico Cassani, former professional from Cassano and stage winner
Also attending were the president of the Italian Cycling Federation, Cordiano Dagnoni, and the president of the Lombardy regional committee, Stefano Pedrinazzi, along with former cyclists such as Mario Anni, Walter Avogadri, Mario Bodei, Davide Boifava, Bruno Colombo, Mario Corti, Claudio Corti, Danilo Gioia, Enrico Guadrini, Enrico Maggioni, Marco Milesi, Mario Scirea, Marino Vigna, and Marco Villa.
During the evening, two “Senza Fine” trophies were also presented: one dedicated to Gianni Motta, as a tribute to the local champion, and the one that will be awarded to the winner of the 2026 Giro d’Italia. They were brought on stage by young Italian champions from the Speed Skating Cassano club, along with the blue jersey for the King of the Mountains classification, while the iconic pink jersey was not yet available.
Thanks to the commitment of Gianni Motta, supported by the work of the municipal administration, Cassano d’Adda has managed to bring the Giro back to the city. In 2016, the race finished here with a stage arrival; in 2026, it will instead serve as the starting point of a stage.
With his usual irony, Motta commented: “For the fiftieth anniversary Cassano was a finish town, for the sixtieth it’s the start. See you in ten years for the Cassano–Cassano stage.”
Until May 27, Cassano will continue to turn pink. At the Visconti Castle, an exhibition dedicated to Gianni Motta was open to visitors; in the coming days, it will move to other locations across the city and be enriched with new memorabilia and works dedicated to the history of cycling.
Through sport, culture, and community participation, the city is preparing to welcome one of the most important events in the international cycling calendar, turning the wait for the Giro into a great collective celebration.