top of page
Search
  • streetphotoblogang

Strada Biancha





This photograph dates from 2019, during a stay in Tuscany. My wife had surprised me by taking me to Italy for a few days for my birthday. That day, we had gone to spend the day in Siena where we had the surprise to see all the streets of the city center closed because of a bicycle race! It was the Strada Biancha, a race that starts and ends in Siena, counting for the UCI World Tour, the official championship for professional cyclists. There were a lot of people, a great atmosphere in the whole city with cyclists from all over. A few hours before the departure of the professionals, on the same race course, amateur cyclists from all over Italy and abroad challenged each other to try to win the prestigious stage. This photo was taken a few dozen minutes after the arrival of the last participants of the amateur race, near the Santa Maria Assunta Cathedral. It shows an elderly cyclist, with a paunchy belly, resting his bike on the wall of the cathedral after having covered nearly 190 kilometers! Next to him is a woman in a casual but elegant outfit, Italian class in all circumstances. We imagine that she is his wife but nothing allows us to prove it. We wonder why she turns her back on the cyclist with a pensive look, her hand in front of her mouth. Maybe she was wondering what words will comfort him after finishing in the last places. Faced with the immensity of the building in front of which they are standing, we are far from imagining that at the same time a whole city was in turmoil, with colorful flags everywhere and noise resonating throughout the city. I really like the graphic lines of this photo and the memories they bring back to me. I like the solitude of the two people in the middle of this bubbling atmosphere, imperceptible in the photo. I also liked the gestures of tenderness that this lady had towards the cyclist just after the photo. The race will not have been won, but her most faithful supporter has not changed champion! Maybe that's the real Italian class!


Raphaël



0 comments

Recent Posts

See All
bottom of page