The story of the Gran Fondo

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THE STORY

We would like to tell you the story of our Cervia cycle race, to let you know how the Granfondo Via del Sale came into being.
An idea is born from a passion. A passion is sometimes born from an idea.
The story begins in the spring of 1996. Sportur, which at the time was called BVC Sport, had just presented the Masters of Sport Awards, an acknowledgement for sportsmen and women who had distinguished themselves each year. Summer, with its beach sports, had yet to begin. Thus was born the idea of linking a sports event with a sports award. Sport understood as aggregation and SHARING..

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Aggregation, passion, sport the choice is almost immediate: cycling. The fire had been lit. Cervia was to be the start and finish of the cycling race. The hills of the Tuscan-Romagna Apennines the route: “just as the salt miners used to do, starting from the salt pans and going to deliver salt to the most distant villages”.
This was suggested by Massimo Carli, a historical memory of cycling and of Cervia's traditions.
The Ancient Salt Road is born. For everyone, it will then be the “Salt Road”.

THE ROUTES

Of course, the salt workers left from Cervia and rode through the hills, but we have to do it by bike... "from Cervia to the hills of Cesena and Forlì there are beautiful routes", says Smeraldo Balzani, a talented amateur cyclist and two-wheel enthusiast. Thus, the first route of the Gran Fondo Via del Sale was set up. Departure from Cervia, in front of the Salt Warehouse at 8 am. 165 kilometres for the long route, 130 for the medium one and 70 kilometres for the shorter one.
750 participants for the first edition of what was already called "the salt race". The date was April 6, 1997.

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FRIENDS OF THE GRAN FONDO

There is a group of cyclists coming towards the race. They couldn't stop them. They must have got the directions wrong. Stop them. They are coming the wrong way. Indeed, a group of a dozen or so cyclists turn onto the boulevard and head towards the stationary group waiting for the start. They are all dressed in an unmistakable yellow uniform. They arrive and position themselves in front of the group, waiting for the start. "They told me there is a race, I came with a group of friends. Can we do it too?" Hello, Marco Pantani.