Sportcal | News | Commentator Handbook to Brand Denmark During the Start of Giro d'Italia

Cycling - 02 May 2012

Commentator Handbook to Brand Denmark During the Start of Giro d'Italia

“The toughest race in the world’s most beautiful place meets the happiest people in the world” – that’s the narrative to be conveyed on 5-7 May when Giro d’Italia 2012 kicks off in Denmark. A special commentator’s handbook has been devised to guide international journalists through Central Jutland – spiced with stories about Denmark.

“Once upon a time …” Denmark is world-famous for its fairytales – and now even more adventures lie ahead with the start of the world’s toughest bicycle road race, Giro d’Italia, in Denmark. The event will feature a caravan of 22 cycling teams with 198 professional riders and just as many team officials. And there will be 700 volunteers and 250,000 spectators.

The three first stages of the Giro d’Italia road race offer impressions of scenic nature, heather-clad hills, beech forests, and large and small Danish towns, all of which give Giro d'Italia a very “pink” welcome. One of the highlights of the race is the stage that takes the riders along the west coast.

In order to provide the many international sports journalists covering the event with the best stories about Denmark, the organisers of the Giro d’Italia start in the towns of Herning and Horsens have just published a small booklet, entitled "The Danish Garibaldi", which features factual information and bonus stories covering the whole stretch of the three Giro stages in Denmark.

“With this tool we provide the opportunity to tell great stories about Denmark as a sports event nation and as a cycling destination. We have used our experience from the UCI World Road Cycling Championship last year. We counted more than 40,000 editorial online articles about Copenhagen and bikes up to and during the World Championship. The articles featured sporting and cultural events and branded Denmark as a unique example of a future-oriented, green bicycle nation,” says Lars Lundov, Director of Sport Event Denmark.

“Giro d'Italia offers a unique opportunity to raise awareness of Denmark’s many skills and qualities both as a country and destination. The commentator’s handbook paints a positive picture of Denmark as a nation with a focus on sustainability, unique natural scenery and good experiences within gastronomy, active holiday opportunities and arts and culture,” says Maria Christensen, project manager of VisitDenmark with a special focus on marketing Denmark as cycling destination in relation to Giro d'Italia.

Sport Event Denmark and VisitDenmark have contributed to the commentator’s handbook issued to all media during the Giro start. Giro d'Italia is covered by numerous TV stations. The race reaches around 35 million in Italy alone and 350 million in 165 countries worldwide.

Link to “The Danish Garibaldi”: http://www.girostart2012.com/press/commentator+handbook/?s=432

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
Niels Frydenlund, Media Manager, Giro-start 2012 Herning-Horsens, mobile +45 2126 6297

A little extra:

• Hopping on a bike and riding to work or school is a Danish way of life – more than 80% of Danes own a bicycle. And bicycling isn’t just about keeping fit, being eco-friendly and getting from A to B – it’s also about creating liveable, sustainable communities for the 21st century.

• Reflecting the growing awareness of sustainability and the environment, Horsens will make recycled bikes available to the EU ministers and officials during the Danish EU presidency. The bikes will be used as an alternative means of transportation and in the spirit of Giro d’Italia all bikes have been painted pink.

• Are you happy? Most of us ask ourselves that question from time to time. And for most Danes the answer is simple – they’re happy and content with life. According to OECD and UN surveys they’re the happiest people on the planet. The Danes also pay some of the highest taxes in the world. So what exactly is there to be happy about? Well, in Denmark people enjoy the best work-life balance anywhere in the world, according to the OECD. They are covered by universal welfare services from cradle to grave and have one of the world’s highest rates of social mobility. After all, how many places in the world actually pay students to attend university? What’s more, the Danes have also developed a flexible, dynamic job market that allows them to pursue a career while still enjoying the financial security it takes to nurture a balanced family life.

Editor’s Note:

Giro d’Italia-Big Start 2012 is staged in Herning and Horsens where the first three stages of the race are held from 5 to 7 May. The first and second stage of Giro d’Italia starts 5 and 6 May in Herning. The third and final stage in Denmark will be in Horsens.
This will be the first time that Giro d’Italia visits Scandinavia.

Behind Giro-Start 2012 in Denmark are the Municipalities of Herning and Horsens, the Region of Central Jutland as well as the national events organisation Sport Event Denmark. Furthermore, the national tourist organisation VisitDenmark, the Branding Denmark Foundation and the Danish daily newspaper B.T. will contribute to the promotion of the event.