#TotA and FC Südtirol’s Bike Day a resounding success (on and off the Field)

The collaboration between the Tour of the Alps and FC Südtirol could not have started better: the Bike Day organized yesterday, Saturday, March 16th, by the two sporting entities in collaboration with the Südtirol/Alto Adige Committee, on the occasion of the match between FC Südtirol and Cremonese at the Druso Stadium in Bolzano, indeed exceeded the expectations, with over 200 fans choosing to join the event by bike.

Regular cyclists were joined on the occasion by many new riding fans, motivated by the guarded bicycle parking in the Lido area, the special discount offered by FC Südtirol for the upcoming home match against Cittadella on April 20th, and the many gifts and gadgets by Tour of the Alps and its partners. The success of the initiative was favored by the mild sunny afternoon, but certainly offered significant feedback from the Bolzano’s fans towards alternative mobility’s initiatives. 

The afternoon continued even better for the home fans, who witnessed an important victory of the South Tyrolean team over Cremonese, which was second in the Serie B standings before the match: the final score was 3-0, with goals by Odogwu, Ciervo, and Merkaj.

During the halftime, Merkaj himself was a protagonist in the jersey exchange that sealed the collaboration between FC Südtirol and Tour of the Alps: the Italo-Albanian striker and FC Südtirol President Gerhard Comper donated the number 33 jersey into the hands of the President of GS Alto Garda Giacomo Santini and the South Tyrolean cyclist Matteo Bianchi, European Track Champion, who reciprocated with the Melinda Green Jersey of the Tour of the Alps leader.

“We are very happy with the outcome of the Bike Day, and of having brought good luck to the home team,” commented the President of GS Alto Garda, the organizing company of the Tour of the Alps, Giacomo Santini. “Creating synergies and collaborations in our territories, to promote not only sport, but key values like alternative mobility, is an integral part of the mission of an event like ours, and in FC Südtirol we have found a very high level of understanding and collaboration.”

“A heartfelt thanks goes to President Comper, General Director Hannes Fischnaller, and all their staff, as well as to the Südtirol/Alto Adige Committee of the Italian Cycling Federation, whose collaboration made this initiative possible, and to Radio VivaFM, which facilitated this great opportunity,” concluded Santini.

The collaboration between Tour of the Alps and FC Südtirol will now continue with shared communication from April 15th to 19th, when it will be the turn of the Euroregional stage race between Trentino, Südtirol/Alto Adige, and Tirol to welcome FC Südtirol, with the presence of athletes and members and special initiatives to communicate the Serie B side’s reality also to the cycling audience, both national and international.