The Giro, FIrenze from a tourists perspective

attica

It was with great joy that I was told that my sisters wedding was taking place in Tuscany last week and that joy increased when I found out that the Giro was also passing nearby a few days before.

Not being the most organised person I didn't have a chance to find out exact location/times of the race's arrival but figured if I got to Florence early enough I'd be able to find out from tourist information.

So I arrived at Florence at 10am, looking for signs to the Giro or any other clues, nothing forthcoming, I parked up. Walked into the city centre and began asking for "informazione touristica" and got directed to the Piazza Senora or somesuch, a square full of tourists eating ice creams and tourist guides touting their trade. No sign of an information office I began asking around, a cafe - no-one knew, a passerby shrugged me off, eventually a couple of Carabineri said they knew it was in a park about 4km away along the river.
No problem I thought, I can walk that - they'd been a bit vague about which side of the river but there were plenty of bridges.

Roughly 4k later and there appeared to be nothing ahead but coaches parked the other side of the river, back to a bridge and across (asking a few more clueless locals too) and I find myself in a coach park, no sign of any Giro action.

I decided that the Carbineri possibly knew a bit but not which direction to point in, so walked back along the river and out the other side - it was starting to get seriously hot by this stage but my hopes were lifted when I realised that the three guys in front of me all had shaven legs.

Then as I wandered into the park I spotted the Astana bus, then Liquigas, more and more and I could hear loudspeakers, I arrived while the peleton were still 80k from the finish so got to watch the stage unfold as they approached on the big screen, I also wandered the stands thinking I might pick up a bargain or two and was amazed by what I found. I could by either food from the one trailer selling hotdogs and panninis etc or something pink with Giro written on it (t-shirt, bag, bandana or cap) and that was it. I had money burning a hole in my pocket and nothing to spend it on. There were a few sponsors stands giving away Th'e or Ice cream, Skoda Caps or inflatable clappy things, a beer stall giving away big pointy hands and a Livestrong stall giving away the rubber bands and some Livestrong chalk (Hope Rides Again apparently) and that was it. Nothing else to spend my hard earned on.

I went back to the big screen and the race continued to unfold, saw two American couples in the crowd but everyone else was Italian I think. I was certainly the only delighted man in a crowd of faintly disappointed Italians as Cav streaked across the line.

I had a great day but surely the Italians are missing a trick or two, poor signposting and publicity meant it was hard to find and there was a complete lack of opportunity to buy bargains once I got there.

Don't get me wrong sometimes there can be way too many retail opportunities and the sporting event can be lost amongst the marketing, but this was a bit anonymous really for such a prestigious Grand Tour. I've no experience of Le Tour or the Vuelta to compare it to so folks, what do you think?

Takis61

I was in Florence that day too, but gave up once I realised how far out of the centre it (the finish) was, watched it on Rai Sport in the hotel - Italian race commentary & CavEnDeesh !!!!!!
Seriously, I was in Italy for 10 days & saw virtually NOTHING in the main cities about the Giro, so much for the Tifosi - might be different out in the country but I wonder if the Italy as cycling paradise is in the minds of the cycling journos - only saw 2 road riders the whole week, even crossing from Naples/Rome/Venice/Florence on the train.
Fall over more roadriders in a wet weekend in Worthing.

attica

Haha, Tuscany was full of cyclists, mind you, those Italians weren't half slow up the hills!