In the city of Palladio the conference to celebrate the union between sport and territory. Saturday 4th February the season was launched at Palazzo Chiericati of outdoor events dedicated to running, trail running, biking and orienteering.
The passion of Vicenza and its wonderful province for outdoor sports is ready to spread to make 2023 memorable. The city of Palladio surrounded by its Berici Hills will be the setting for a season of unmissable events of social, tourist and economic value, presented in the conference “Major sporting events in Vicenza: economic impact and internationality”, organized by PWT Italia in the Salone Nobile of Palazzo Chiericati under the patronage of the Veneto Regional Council, the Province and the Municipality of Vicenza.
The President of the Veneto Regional Council Roberto Ciambetti, moderated by the ErreSport journalist Marco Meletti, introduced the speeches: “Sport is life: it is not just a big business open to a lucky few.
Thanks to these great events, each of us can feel like a protagonist: of course, not everyone can excel in the Ultrabericus as in orienteering competitions, which appear at the highest world levels, bringing the Vicenza area to be a theater of international significance, but we can all be fans and especially thanks to your offers, give up a sedentary lifestyle and get involved. Big events are a stimulus and I hope that they will lead many young people to choose these sporting disciplines and that even the public television service media will be able to give more and more space to events such as, for example, the competitions hosted in the Vicenza area, because there is not only football, indeed. Lovers of minor sports are an extraordinary majority, young people, people and families who recognize themselves in the great events of Vicenza”
PH Foto Luca Formiga
“A beautiful day of sport – says Salvatore Sanzo, Head of the Sport Area of the Sport and Health Territories and former Olympic foil champion – which can be really useful from a tourist, social and economic point of view for the territories that welcome it . But sport is above all essential for the psychophysical growth of our children, future generations and the care of the over 65s. On this Sport and Health is always present as an operational arm of the Government authority to implement sports policies at 360° in synergy with all stakeholders”.
PH Foto Luca Formiga
“Major events – says Matteo Celebron, Deputy Mayor and Councilor with responsibility for sporting activities of the Municipality of Vicenza – represent an opportunity not only from a sporting point of view but also from a tourist point of view. The municipal administration has always invested in this area precisely because it believes it is a driving force for the city and its province. We are happy to host these events and support federations, associations and operators who intend to bring national and international competitions to the area”.
Numerous institutional, associative and entrepreneurial realities were present, including the Vice President of the Colli Berici Golf Club Alessandro Belluscio: “The Golf Club has contributed to making the Berici Hills known both to golf enthusiasts in Italy and to foreign ones who spend their holidays Veneto, a sought-after destination for golfers who can also benefit from the courses of Garda and the Euganean Hills. For cycling, I want to recall the success of the 2011 MTBO World Orienteering Championship, organized with Gabriele Viale, and the stages of the 2013 and 2015 Giro d’Italia with the departure from Montecchio Maggiore. The economic impact was recognized by the sponsors with the collaboration between the public and private sectors, which created a system for their success. In 2023 Vicenza will derive a social, touristic and economic benefit from the events”.
ORIENTEERING: EUROPEAN SPRINT AND 5 DAYS OF ITALY
Proudly from Vicenza is PWT Italia which will bring the European Orienteering Championships to the peninsula from 1 to 8 October, the European Sprint orienteering races valid as World Cup finals. The Championships, broadcast live on TV in 10 countries, will leave a legacy of sustainable systems, given by the maps of the competitions, and will be promoters of an induced activity of 2 million euros derived from the 14,000 tourist presences. The challenges of the pros will start in the historic center of Verona, on 4 October, to crown the king and queen of Europe on the Sprint distance. In the village of Soave on 6 October the Sprint Relay will take place, which will decide the strongest teams, while on 8 October the individual Sprint knock-out titles will be awarded in the heart of Vicenza. Furthermore, there were many collateral events designed for lovers of the discipline with the EOC Tour. Sergio Anesi, President of the Italian Federation of Orienteering, also spoke at Palazzo Chiericati for the occasion.
PH Foto Luca Formiga
“12 million television viewers – declares the Team Manager of PWT Italia Gabriele Viale – and 2 million euros of economic impact on the Veneto region, through the massive involvement of Scandinavians and Swiss, are the key numbers of this European Championship. Being able to bring the event to Italy for the first time will allow us to intercept a new target of sports tourists, it will be a showcase for the excellence of Made in Italy. Locations such as Verona, Soave, Peschiera del Garda and Vicenza will give a unique appeal in the world”. With Mauro Gazzerro, President of FISO Veneto who spoke about the multiday orienteering project 5 Days of Italy, the fifth class of the sports high school of the Farina Institute, organizer of the Farina Sport Festival in Vicenza.
PH Foto Luca Formiga
RUNNING and TRAIL RUNNING: ULTRABERICUS and STRAVICENZA
The deep link between sport and the local area also emerged from the story and identity of events that symbolize the Vicenza landscape, such as Ultrabericus. Since its inception in 2011, it has established itself as the classic start of the national trail running season: on the 65 km track (2500 mD+) there is also a medley relay, a 22km test (700 mD+) and a 43 km (1500 mD+) mD+). Single track paths, mule tracks and cart tracks to circumnavigate the Berici Hills, starting and finishing in Piazza dei Signori in Vicenza. From the more than 1500 athletes from all over Italy at the start in 2022, the 12th edition on 18 March aims to register 2 thousand participants with the introduction of a Marathon, a Junior and the Nordic walking formula. In the room Francesca Pretto and Alessandra Boifava, athletes entered in the roll of honor of the event. “The competition – comments Matteo Meggiolaro, President of Ultrabericus Team ASD, who spoke with the race director Enrico Pollini – also represents an opportunity for social cohesion through the collaboration of 400 volunteers from the Italian Red Cross, the National Alpine and Speleological Rescue Corps, of the Civil Protection A.N.A., of the Alpine Groups of Vicenza, of the local running and voluntary associations”.
On 19 March the streets of the city will be enlivened by the 21st edition of the traditional Stravicenza running challenge. The scheduled distances are different: 10km on a FIDAL approved course, the non-competitive 5 and 10 km dedicated to citizens and the Stravicenza Kids for young people from CSI and FIDAL affiliated companies, who will compete in engaging challenges on the tracks in Campo Marzo. In 2022 the numbers started to grow again with about 800 registered in the competitive races, 2 thousand in the non-competitive races and 200 very young people from the Italian Sports Center to try their hand at the pre-race. “The edition of last October 30 – adds Paolo Noaro, councilor of Atletica Vicentina supported by the honorary president Bruno Cerin – kicked off the long-awaited event by the people of Vicenza and the recovery of the AV Run movement after the difficult period of the pandemic. We want to continue to give Vicenza, and beyond, a moment of sport and sharing our values, mindful of the successes of the past and convinced that we can offer an unforgettable day”.
Mondo Bike: THE ROUTE OF BERICI
From 29 September to 1 October, a great event for bike lovers will return, which for over 25 years has turned the spotlight on Vicenza, given its enormous cultural and territorial potential, with the support of the municipal administration. The Via dei Berici will combine sport, passion for two wheels, solidarity, tourism and sustainable mobility to catalyze attention on the bike experience as a green sporting flywheel with which to promote hospitality, culture and food and wine. All this thanks to a bike economy that has 10.7 million enthusiasts and 2,900 businesses, for €9 billion in revenues and €6 billion in estimated value by 2025, with 70% of the supply chain distributed between Lombardy, Veneto, Piedmont, Emilia Romagna.
“I have participated with pride and affection in the Via dei Berici since the first editions – concludes Angelo Furlan, representing the board with Federico Casalini – An event felt by all of us, which has always given so much to everyone and which it is right that it returns. I will give my all to ensure that Vicenza becomes the center of the cycling world in those three days and that this brings benefits to the realities of the area throughout the year”.
PH Foto Luca Formiga
Ufficio Stampa
Daniela Pierpaoli M. 349.6389163