Euroregion prepares for Tour of the Alps celebration

The Tour of the Alps is ready to start, but so much more will be happening around the Euro-regional caravan before, during, and after the five scheduled stages. Taking place on the Euro-regional roads of Tirol-Südtirol-Trentino from April 17 to 21 will be many ancillary events organized to build race buzz and engage both fans and spectators alike.

The first event dedicated to the public will be the official presentation of the teams starting in the Tour of the Alps, scheduled for Sunday, April 16 at 5 p.m. CEST at the Congress Center Alpbach. It will be an opportunity to see up close the champions who will be competing in the five-day stage race.

Rattenberg will host the start of the 2023 edition of the Tour of the Alps on the morning of Monday, April 17, with a series of initiatives in the hour prior to the start. Children from local schools and kindergartens will send off the race caravan along with the Rattenberg City Band.

The band will also be featured prior to the finish in Alpbach, while after lunch the "Smoothie Bike" can be tested in the spectator area on the terrace of the Congress Center. That afternoon also on the terrace, visitors can taste the original pizza contadina, sponsored by the local Alpbach committee.

On Tuesday, April 18, the start from Reith im Alpbachtal will be preceded by a performance by the local band and a cooking show at the BORA truck. At the finish in Renon, there will be a bike parcour with local bike guides on hand for the youngsters, as well as a mobile ice cream and soft drink stand. Just prior to the finish, students from Lengmoos Elementary School will present a choreography dedicated to the event.

The Ritten Arena will host the start on the following day, Wednesday, April 19. In addition to the parcour and stand, there will be a "Pimp your bike" bike repair booth, sponsored by Novum Bolzano. The Arena lawn will set the stage for a Goaslschnöller performance, which is the traditional choreography featuring whip cracks. Late in the morning in Brentonico San Valentino visitors can witness an awareness activity "at the school of bicycles" aimed at local school students and counting the presence of journalist, Gabriele Buselli, and biker, Martino Fruet.

On Thursday, April 20, Rovereto will host the start of the fourth stage with the presence of high school students. At the finish in Predazzo, local cheeses produced by the dairies of Predazzo and Moena can be sampled while waiting for the racers to arrive. In the afternoon, "La dolce ruota" will allow people to learn about fortaia, the classic local dessert, while they listen to a performance by the Ettore Bernardi civic band. The Dolomiti Street Food truck will also be set up in the finish area, while the little ones can have fun with the baby dance.

In Cavalese, schoolchildren will herald the start of the 2023 Tour of the Alps’ final stage on Friday, April 21. Brunico will await the arrival of racers in the last stage with an exhibition of historic bikes at the Piazza Gilm, where there will also be an obstacle course for children that will be supervised by the Green Valley Bike Club. Gerhard Kohlgruber, aka "Mister Tschusto," a folkloric performer made famous by "Scommettiamo Che" will also be present at the finish.

VIVA FM, the official radio broadcast for the Tour of the Alps, will warm up the atmosphere with music and entertainment at the start and finish each day, while every evening from 8 to 10 p.m. CEST Sunday 16 to Thursday 20, VIVA will broadcast live from the roads of the Euroregion with event updates and behind-the-scenes stories of the stage race.

"Lotus - Beyond Breast Cancer" will also be present at the stage venues to continue its information and awareness-raising journey in the fight against this cancer, the leading cause of death from cancer in the female population.

Throughout the various days there will be no shortage of guests and celebrity appearances, from institutional and political representatives to VIPs and personalities from the world of sports and beyond, who will arrive ready to witness the spectacle of great cycling.

"Once again, this year the stage venues have made an important effort to offer an unforgettable ‘side dish’ to the Tour of the Alps by livening up the fans and spectators who follow the race on the roads of the Euroregion. This is an integral part of what our event wants to represent," said Giacomo Santini, president of GS Alto Garda. "A thank you goes out to all the stage committees that support us to make this spectacle even more heartfelt, participatory, and authentic."