This 15 November marks the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. Recognised by the United Nations in 2005 and held every year on the third Sunday of November, the day is an opportunity to remember those killed or seriously injured on our roads, and to highlight the need to prevent tragedies that are far from inevitable.
This is a cause that the Michele Scarponi Foundation champions through educational projects, school visits and initiatives promoting road safety and respect for the most vulnerable road users. Established in memory of the Italian cycling champion who died on 22 April 2017 while training on the roads around his hometown of Filottrano, the Foundation works to turn his legacy into meaningful action.
“15 November is an important day because it finally puts road safety on the front pages, even though it should be making headlines every single day,” explains Marco Scarponi, Michele’s brother and Secretary General of the Foundation. “Our duty is to keep the issue in the spotlight, because politicians all too often forget about it. Road safety must be a priority. Almost ten years after Michele’s death, we haven’t done enough to change things. For example, we still haven’t managed to tackle speeding effectively, the biggest problem to this day.”
For Marco, even the language used to describe what happens on our roads matters: “Deaths on the road are not a matter of fate. We must stop talking about ‘chance’ or ‘tragic accidents’ and recognise road violence for what it is. These are violent deaths that can and must be prevented.”
A Culture That Needs Rebuilding
Road safety begins with recognising that not all road users are equally vulnerable. “We all have to follow the rules, but we are not all equal on the road. Someone driving a car is better protected and potentially more dangerous than someone walking or cycling, just as a van or a truck can cause even more serious harm. We need to build a culture in which the bigger and stronger look after the smaller and more vulnerable. Only then can we truly say that the road belongs to everyone. Seeing a pedestrian hit at a crossing, precisely where they should feel safest, shows just how much work remains to be done.”
This is an awareness that the Foundation seeks to instil from an early age. “We regularly visit schools, and children immediately recognise the problems: traffic, speed and the amount of space taken up by cars. They understand that with more bicycles and fewer cars, life would be better, there would be fewer collisions and the air would be cleaner. They grasp this straight away, while we adults still struggle to understand it.”
The Foundation’s symbol is “putting a foot down”, an image that recalls the 2016 Giro d’Italia, when Michele abandoned his own attack to wait for team leader Vincenzo Nibali and support his team. “Putting a foot down means giving up something for yourself to help the group. That’s difficult nowadays because we struggle to think of ourselves as a community. Yet that is exactly what we should be on the road: a team in which the strongest look after everyone else.”
The Giro Returns to Filottrano
In 2027, ten years after Michele’s death, the Giro d’Italia will return to his hometown of Filottrano. On Wednesday, 12 May, Stage 5 will start from the town in the Marche region and finish on the climb to Sarnano-Sassotetto. “Having a Giro d’Italia stage start in Filottrano is a historic event. It means that Michele has never been forgotten by the people who knew him, by the fans or by the cycling world. He gave so much, and he continues to give so much through our efforts to build roads of peace.”
What will endure is the smile and colourful personality of the Eagle of Filottrano, a nickname inspired by Michele’s ability to soar up the great mountain climbs. “Michele was strong and determined, but he was also colourful, witty and great company, just like Franky,” the macaw who became his inseparable companion. A deeply personal memory that has become part of the shared heritage of the entire cycling world.
