Crazy, distorted and happy. So a foreign newspaper titled, in its online version, one of his reports on the Tor des Géants® 2018, naturally referring to the 534 competitors who arrived at the finish line in Courmayeur on Saturday 15 September. The last Giant, or rather two, because they reached the same level, were the thirty year old Chinese Yuan Jia, owner of a car dealership in a city in the south of China, and the thirty-five-year-old policeman from Chiavari, Riccardo Landi. Applauded, super photographed and welcomed, as usual, by the TOR winner, Franco Collé, for the 2018 edition, which is the pair with that of 2014.
Saturday, beyond the single and exciting arrivals, was the day of the big party in the square. The parterre, or the structure of the Maserati Lounge Courmayeur was a mixture of long foreigners, toasts, photographs, hugs, emotion, music, flags, colors. For every runner, applause and often tears. And some curiosity. Like the newly arrived men on the finish line in wedding dresses, just after the wedding celebrated a hundred yards away. He had asked for her hand at the TOR's arrival last year. Or like the super trailer, Federica Boifava, who took her cross flute out of the backpack and played a classic piece. As he had done in the previous days at the top of every hill he crossed. Or even like all the ceremonials of the Japanese competitors, prodigal of compassionate smiles, of bowing to every compliment and a thousand thanks. Above all to the volunteers who pampered them in the life bases, overcoming with the gestures and the smiles the difficulties of the language.
Tomorrow, Sunday 16th, at the Courmayeur Mountain Sport Center in Dolonne, award ceremony for all the finisher and final toast. In the afternoon, the representatives of 70 countries will scatter around the world, bringing with them the memory and the emotions of an undoubtedly unique experience.
For the staff of VDA Trailers the time to draw conclusions, follow the last race of the year, the Arrancabirra (October 6, with 1307 trailers), and then immediately to work for the program next year, that of the tenth anniversary of the Tor, with many innovations in the pipeline. The TOR never ends.
ph. Roberto Roux