Caracalla and Caffarella colored by 500 pink t-shirts: it was a wonderful Bike 4 Fun!

The 76th Gran Premio Liberazione kicked off this morning in the evocative setting of the Baths of Caracalla. The three-day event was officially opened with the inauguration of the Bike Village and the "Bike 4 Fun - Ride for Donation and Donors" in the presence of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Merit, Paola Frassinetti, and the Councillor for Major Events, Sport, Tourism and Fashion of Rome Capital, Alessandro Onorato.

“I thank Claudio Terenzi and his organization, here at the Baths of Caracalla it will be three days of great celebration - declared Councillor Alessandro Onorato, who took part in the ride together with his family - Rome is reinvesting in cycling as a sport, but also in non-competitive initiatives like Bike4Fun that bring entire families closer to the healthy practice of cycling.”
ThusPaola Frassinetti, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Education and Merit: “The school-sport combination is extremely important, and set in such a wonderful artistic and historical context as this, it is perfect. Especially with cycling, which in Italy has a truly glorious tradition.” The organizer Terenzi, moreover, presented Onorato and Hon. Frassinetti with a commemorative plaque.
Also present, among others, were the President of the Lazio Regional Committee of the Italian Cycling Federation, Maurizio Brilli, and the large representation of ANED, AIDO and ACTI who collaborated in the event for the noble cause of organ donation, together with Prof. Mariano Feccia, director of the Lazio Regional Transplant Center. The Aned Sport kids (sports association of people on dialysis and transplant recipients) rode in the front row together with Colonel Carlo Calcagni, who brings with him a powerful message of strength after having suffered severe health problems following the war in the Balkans.

Among "cyclists", "walking companions" and event staff, over 500 participants took part in the 10 km eco-archaeological ride open to all two-wheel enthusiasts, which wound through the Caffarella Park, all strictly wearing pink jerseys to embrace the event's claim "Waiting for the Giro" and to lead up to the Grand Arrival in Rome of the 2023 Giro d’Italia.
Among those who set out to discover the natural and archaeological treasures of the Caffarella Park, there were also many students from schools of all levels, as part of the “A scuola di Bici” initiative. In addition to cycling in a unique historical and cultural context, participants were able to try out different disciplines in the sports fields set up along the route and visit archaeological areas and museums open free of charge in collaboration with the Regional and Archaeological Park of the Appian Way.

With a view to promoting sport and cycling, with a keen eye on raising awareness of sustainable mobility and the environment and on road safety education, a road safety lesson was organized to playfully learn the most important rules of the Highway Code, the rules of conduct for cyclists and pedestrians in relation to vehicle traffic. Thanks to the support and active participation of the Ministry of Education and Merit, in collaboration with the Postal and Communications Police, the Postal Police Truck was present at the Bike Village with the traveling educational campaign “A Social Life”, aimed at raising awareness and preventing the risks and dangers of the web for minors. The Ministry then organized digital competitions taking place today and tomorrow on topics such as environmental sustainability, the impact of new technologies, and road safety education.