Sportcal | News | Denmark Delivered the Best Start to a Giro D’Italia Held Abroad

Cycling - 09 May 2012

Denmark Delivered the Best Start to a Giro D’Italia Held Abroad – Ever

Denmark and the Danes have given this year's Giro d'Italia a flying start. The race organiser RCS was extremely satisfied with the first three stages of the race held in Denmark, where a perfect race execution and up to half a million spectators made the Giro tour start a great success.

“It was incredible. I was in Holland for the Giro race start, and since then I’ve always said that no one could surpass the Dutch in the handling of the Giro start – but the Danes did!," said the evidently enthusiastic director of RCS / Giro d'Italia, Michele Aquarone, who also noted that “The spectators were packed along the routes. And with creative pink features the host cities staged a festive race start for the 198 riders from 22 racing teams.”

In the host cities of Herning and Horsens and along the routes in Central Jutland all efforts were made to mark the start of Giro d'Italia – wrapped in pink. Citizens and visitors alike all contributed to creating the sense of a national event.

“The Giro race start 2012 in Herning and Horsens much like the UCI Road World Championship in 2011 is a textbook example of how a sporting event can generate involvement and celebration in Denmark. Up to half a million spectators lined the three stages of the race in Central Jutland and took part in popular pink festivities, which included a recreational road cycling race and a whole host of different side events – and this all speaks for itself," says Lars Lundov, CEO of Sport Event Denmark, which is Denmark’s national sports event organisation.

Giro d'Italia in Denmark attracted far more spectators than expected. Giro-Denmark had estimated that 250,000 spectators would attend the event over the course of the three-day event in Denmark, but the first visit to Scandinavia by the Giro d’Italia race drew twice the crowds expected. Of the total 500,000 spectators, Sport Event Denmark estimates 50,000 to have been international visitors.

VisitDenmark, Denmark's national tourism organisation, is also very pleased with the success of the event.

“Giro d'Italia is seen by 350 million television viewers worldwide and Denmark has been given exposure in the best possible way with great images of scenic natural landscapes, cultural gems and plenty of happy people. Hopefully, this will inspire viewers to want to get to know the country a little better and maybe consider Denmark as a tourist destination in the future," says Jan Olsen, CEO of VisitDenmark, who was also pleased that so many foreign spectators had made the trip to Denmark.

FACTS:
Official spectator figures:
DAY 1: Between 120,000 -140,000
DAY 2: Between 225,000 – 250,000
DAY 3: Between 120,000

Giro-start 2012 organisers included the municipalities of Herning and Horsens, the Region of Central Jutland and Sport Event Denmark. Contributing to the PR and public exposure of the event were VisitDenmark, M-fonden and BT.

Contacts:
Lars Lundov, CEO, Sport Event Denmark, mobile +45 40 31 48 55
Tina Baungaard-Jensen, Head of Int. Press, VisitDenmark, mobile +45 41 28 10 01

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