July 30 – Buja, a municipality in the province of Udine, welcomed with a big party the return of their citizen and champion Alessandro De Marchi. The cyclist won the Combativity Award of the Tour de France. The Friuli native athlete had already worn the red number assigned to the winner of the award twice: during the thirteenth leg, on July 18, from Saint-Étienne to Chamrousse, won by Vincenzo Nibali, and during the fourteenth leg, on July 19, won by Rafal Majka, from Grenoble to Risoul. De Marchi also received the compliments of Friuli Venezia Giulia Sports Councilor, Gianni Torrenti, who spoke of “a prestigious award given to a true athlete, who was able, with his agonistic commitment, to honor the values of his land. Friuli natives are known for their commitment, their tenacity, their strength of will to confront and overcome adversity. This is clear in the history of emigration, Friuli’s extraordinary development in this post-war period and in the wake of the 1976 earthquake. Alessandro De Marchi was able to uphold these values during one of the toughest and most prestigious tours in the world.”
