By Marianna Giannoni / Corsedimoto.com
Andrea Cicchetti is the creator of “ The Rider's Land", the capital of motorcycling. "This was born in the golden years of Valentino Rossi but is not afraid of future challenges.
Behind the scenes of MotoGP, there are some truly great professionals. Andrea Cicchetti is one of them. Few people know him, but he's the entrepreneur from Romagna who created "The Riders' Land." Thanks to his vision, Romagna has gone from being "sheep country" to the capital of world motorcycling. Since 2007, he has been the director of all motorcycling events organized in Romagna. In recent years, Misano has hosted a double MotoGP event as well as a round of the World Superbike Championship. In 2022, in addition to the World Championship races at Misano, the FIM World Championship awards ceremony will also be held in Rimini.
Andrea Cicchetti, how did you get into MotoGP?
“ As a child, I was a journalist. I worked as a press officer for various organizations, including the State Secretariat for Tourism and Sport of the Republic of San Marino. During those years, San Marino lost the Formula 1 Grand Prix, so we decided to focus on MotoGP. And from a simple press officer, I found myself working as the organizer of the San Marino Grand Prix at Misano and handling all the promotional events related to the MotoGP race. With my company, now called MOAB, I coordinated relations with Dorna, the Province of Rimini, the Misano World Circuit, the municipalities, and all the entities involved in various ways. ”
Can you be defined as the father of "Riders' Land"?
“ In reality, I’m the conductor among the many public and private entities involved. I envisioned MotoGP as a tourism product to promote the region, and so we went from a simple passion for the ‘land of chickweed’ to an entrepreneurial project that gave birth to ‘The Riders’ Land.’ Like Moab, we were able to make the most of what we have, namely a region strongly linked to motorcycling and with a large number of riders. This stimulated investment. The Misano World Circuit has grown considerably. ”
To what extent the presence of Valentino Rossi Did she influence you?
« The Riders' Land was born in the golden years of Valentino Rossi And it was a great stroke of luck; it provided a decisive impetus. But let's not forget Marco Simoncelli and the other champions. Today, in fact, all the Italian riders in MotoGP live in Romagna. »
The absence of Valentino Rossi Will it be very noticeable?
“ We can’t bury our heads in the sand: Valentino is an icon, a great communicator, and no one can replace him. However, in recent years, he hasn’t achieved results, and yet people still came to Misano. Now, we have to pull together and make the most of The Riders’ Land system. There’s no longer a single champion, but there are many strong and charismatic riders, capable of being excellent ambassadors for the region. In Romagna, all children, from kindergarten onwards, dream of becoming future champions, and the world championship riders are the embodiment of that dream. ”
Future projects?
“ We want to broaden our reach, organize motorcycle tourism events with Romagna Motorcycle, strengthen the promotion of the area with Visit Romagna, and offer packages for the non-European market as well. Our goal is to increasingly become the world capital of motorcycling. We will also organize courses for mechanics and technicians to provide a comprehensive overview. Bringing the International Motorcycling Federation's annual meeting and the FIM Awards to Rimini is a great success. We want to strengthen our relationships with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Sport, and the Emilia-Romagna Region, and involve Dorna, as well as Aprilia and Ducati, more closely, with a focus on Made in Italy products. The presentation of the Frecce Tricolori (Italian-made motorcycles) at the 2021 MotoGP Grand Prix was already an important step in this direction. We are on the right track for continued growth. ”
