Granfondo Paola Pezzo: Success, Growth Plans, and Future Events

Twelve thousand bottles of water, six thousand snacks, nearly five thousand meals, more than three hundred kilograms of pasta. These are just some of the figures that highlight the success of the Granfondo Paola Pezzo. Behind the spectacular setting showcased by the three thousand bikers registered for the second edition of the event held last Sunday, a real army of volunteers and law enforcement officials was mobilized, who, thanks to professionalism and patience, ensured impeccable security service.

Forty-five nurses, ten police officers, five ambulances, two jeeps with nurses aboard, all from the Croce Bianca, were stationed along the thirty-four-kilometer route that touched the municipalities of Garda, Torri, Costermano, Caprino, and San Zeno di Montagna. The logistical effort was equally extensive, with two first aid tents, one in Lumini and the second on Garda’s lakeside promenade, where medical staff provided about a hundred medical consultations.

Fortunately, only two rescue and hospital transport interventions were necessary for the bikers, in a day that saw no major incidents. Staying with the numbers, it’s worth mentioning the twenty-five fixed showers, ten ecological toilets, two kilometers of barriers, four thousand cereal packages, four quintals of bread, ten kilograms of Parmesan cheese, and 120 kg of tomatoes.

Numbers and future plans

Statistics and curiosities that shed light on the behind-the-scenes of an event of significance, which the organizers intend to see grow further. “We are already working on the next edition,” states Marco Zaninelli, extraordinary commissioner of the Azienda turistica Riviera degli Olivi.

“The idea of Paola Pezzo and her team is to extend the event from two to three days. Not only that. We want to double the registrations to reach six thousand participants. It’s worth noting that this year’s registrations closed well in advance. A new feature will be a race reserved only for children, with a maximum of three hundred participants.”

But the Granfondo is not the only highlight. “This fall, the federative mountain-bike school will launch,” concludes Zaninelli, “with two specific technical training courses scheduled from September 24 to 28 and October 7 to 12. Only tourists staying in Garda hotels will be able to participate,” explains Alessandro Borelli, president of the local Associazione Albergatori. “This is just the first step, in anticipation of expanding the program and extending the duration of the lessons. The school will be overseen by Paolo Rosola, with technical supervision from Paola Pezzo.”