The “red jackets” of the Naples-Florence conquer Piazza della Signoria

The “red jackets” gathered in Piazza della Signoria, the arms raised, the liberating scream. It is the snapshot of the “knights who made the enterprise”, to quote Pupi Avati, women and men passionate about cycling who left Naples and arrived in Florence in the name of the Supreme Poet. The 700 years since the death of Dante Alighieri inspired the group of «La storia in ciclismo», led by Michelino Davico, former senator and undersecretary of the Interior, who has always been a pedal enthusiast. A passion shared by about fifty pedalers, who have covered one thousand and 161 kilometers with 11 thousand meters in altitude in just 8 days, crossing Italy and its different traditions, habits, cultures. A very special journey, which has combined stages linked to cycling passion with those of history, also recalled in the work of the Supreme Poet.

And so, the caravan passed from the ruins of the Samnites in Sessa Aurunca to the tomb of Dante in Ravenna, from the widespread hotels of Santo Stefano Sessano and Scheggino to the Canadian monastery of Fonte Avellana, from the caves of Frasassi to the Castle of Paolo and Francesca in Gradara. , to the blessing of the archbishop in the cathedral of San Pietro in Bologna. The recipe for this cocktail is a part of history, two parts of sport is a part of humanity, the most important one because it gives meaning to everything else. Cycling has many examples of champions who have made the human part prevail over the sports one. Like Costante Girardengo, who on 2 June 1921 faces his own Dante’s Inferno.

He has already won the first four stages of the Giro d’Italia. But on that day, he finds his Hell. He has very strong renal colic. Unbearable, even for someone like him. Thus, on the Piano delle Cinque Miglia, the champion Girardengo surrenders to the Constant man and decides to stop. Pull over and get off your bike. The organizer of the Giro passes by and says: «Please go ahead. So, you ruin me in Giro ». His answer: with one foot he traces a cross in the earth on the side of the road. “I don’t move from here anymore,” he says.

“The prevalence of the human part, of respect, which makes the champion even greater”, underlines Michelino Davico, organizer of the Napoli-Florence. To remember that gesture, there is a small monument, in Rocca Pia, the place of the great refusal. It was created by Panathlon, in collaboration with the municipal administration and «La Storia inbike». Among the most assiduous participants of Captain Davico’s initiatives there is also Michela Girardengo, Costante’s nephew. She worked hard to make this memory of her grandfather come true, but a health problem prevented her from joining the Naples-Florence caravan. For her there are the group photo and a video of the pedal mates: one, two, three: «Come on Michela». A frame highlighted in the video of these 8 days of “enterprise”. History, cycling, humanity: the meaning of this Naples-Florence is in this image.