has opened a new production site in Novi Ligure in northern Italy catering mainly for the local spirits and beverage industry The site includes an art department with printing ink kitchen while the building itself will be equipped with features such as solar panels and the latest air filtering and air conditioning technology “We are looking forward to grow our footprint in Italy – bringing our expertise from our global production network to a local level We see great potential in servicing world-famous wine and spirits brands locally where there is a high demand for premium and high-embellished labels CCL has always been a leader in well-crafted product decoration and state-of-the-art printing technology – so this is a great fit for the region.” The firm will produce pressure-sensitive labels with high embellishments that are typically used in the wine and spirits industry “From holographic features to unique label design layered with embellishments to personalised or interactive labelling – everything is possible to produce a label that will help our customers product to stand out on the sales shelf,” Streit added “Effective and high-end labelling can be a game-changer in terms of driving sales and creating a buzz around products.” The Genoa-Milan high-speed railway line is being constructed to improve the railway connections between Italy and northern Europe The Genoa-Milan high-speed/high-capacity railway line also known as Terzo Valico dei Giovi (Terzo Valico) is being constructed to enhance the efficiency of freight and passenger transport between Genoa and Milan The project forms part of the Rhine-Alpine Corridor one of the corridors of the larger trans-European transport network (TEN-T core network) which connects Europe’s most populated and influential industrial regions The Terzo Valico (Third Pass) project is being carried out for the Italian railway company Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI) by the Cociv Consortium an engineering consultancy branch of the Italian state railways The final design works for the project started in September 2003 and construction works started in April 2012 The first 8.5km of the new railway line of the Third Giovi Pass – Genoa Junction between Rivalta Scrivia and Tortona stations was activated in December 2023 and inaugurated in January 2024 allowing the return of regional trains between Tortona and Novi Ligure Six Trenord regional trains run between Tortona and Novi Ligure and along the Milan-Novi Ligure/Arquata Scrivia line This marks the recommencement of passenger service and the reactivation of commercial service provided by regional trains on the Arquata Scrivia–Novi Ligure–Milan line The construction work is expected to be completed between December 2024 and June 2025 while the railway line activation is scheduled for March 2026 The new railway line will be 53km long, of which 37km will comprise tunnels It will traverse 14 municipalities in the provinces of Genoa and Alessandria The railway line will be linked to the existing lines at four connection points The line’s interconnections will be approximately 23km long The southern section of the line will have interconnections at Voltri and the Bivio Fegino connecting with the railway facilities in Genoa will connect with the existing Genoa-Torino line for traffic in the direction of Turin and Novara-Simplon and the Tortona-Piacenza line for traffic in the direction of Milan San Gottardo The section of the line stretching between Genoa (Bivio Fegino) and the Plain of Novi will primarily comprise tunnels except for a short stretch in the open at Libarna The line unfurls within three natural tunnels (Galleria di Valico and Galleria Campasso) and runs out in the open to the artificial 198km long tunnel of Pozzolo before joining the existing Pozzolo–Tortona line Most sections in the tunnel are constructed in two single-track tunnels side-by-side and joined by cross-connections every 500m each serving as a safety tunnel for the other The new line will enable trains to reach speeds of up to 250km/h whereas the designed maximum speed limit on the intersections will be between 100km/h and 160km/h The maximum design grade of the line and the intersections will be 12.5% The line will be equipped with Level 2 European Railway Traffic Management System / European Train Control System (ERTMS/ETCS) and electrified with 3kV DC and 25kV AC wiring The project also involves the upgrade and construction of 30km of roads to complement the construction activities and ease the traffic during the construction phase The construction works are divided into six lots The excavation works for the Campasso tunnel will connect the new Terzo Valico with the existing Succursale dei Giovi (Genoa-Milan-Turin route) line The 27km-long main Valico tunnel is being constructed under Lot 2 while Lot 3 entails the construction of the 709 km-long Serravalle tunnel single-track tunnels adjoined by cross-connections The Genoa Junction is a part of the larger Terzo Valico project under the “One Project” concept which enhances and upgrades the rail infrastructure in the Genoa area to effectively connect the new Terzo Valico line with the existing rail network The Terzo Valico dei Giovi – Genoa Junction project will initially connect Genoa with Milan and subsequently integrate into the European TEN-T network The project is completely financed by the RFI of the Ferrovie dello Stato Group Construction of Lot 1 is expected to cost €430m ($478m) Project financing amounting to €500m ($556m) for Lot 1 is being provided by Comitato interministeriale per la programmazione economica (Interministerial Committee for Economic Planning – CIPE) Lot 3 is estimated to cost €607m (approximately $675m) and achieved financial closure in January 2015 provides excavation consolidation and reinforcement support for the project using its proprietary B.Zero Tondo(TM) Tunnel Support System provided environmental impact assessment (EIA) and landscape studies services has completed technological interface works commissioning two advanced rail traffic management apparatuses at Rivalta Scrivia station and near the renovated Bivio Tortona railway junction The line was equipped with Hitachi Rail’s advanced digital signalling systems Hitachi Rail is a transport solutions provider Colas Rail is a railway infrastructure and rail freight company while Alstom Ferroviaria is the Italian division of locomotives company Alstom and Mermec STE is a signal solutions and technologies provider The high-precision surveying for the project was carried out using DMT’s GYROMAT 5000 surveying gyroscope The project will strengthen the connections of the Ligurian port system with the rest of Northern Italy and Europe “Area Banana Blu” It will redirect the freight traffic from road to rail resulting in a 55% reduction in energy use and CO₂ emissions and will reduce travel times by 33% between Genoa The project generated approximately 5,000 jobs during the peak construction phase the project will also shorten the journey time for cargo traffic from the Far East in the Mediterranean by choosing the Ligurian bay ports and the northern Tyrrhenian Sea ports Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network Campari Group has doubled the production capacity of Aperol by expanding its Novi Ligure plant in northwest Italy The expansion adds 6,500 m2 to the existing 60,700 m2 of covered area with a new Aperol bottling line as part of a €75 million investment into the group’s largest production hub Aperol is Campari’s top selling brand accounting for 24% of the group’s total sales  and has quintuples its grows in the last decade “We are proud to inaugurate the new bottling line dedicated to Aperol which will allow us to increase our production capacity even more allowing us to keep exporting worldwide the aperitif ritual characterized by a model of responsible consumption and of the highest quality,” said Matteo Fantacchiotti which takes place 20 years after its opening is a further confirmation of the positive growth trend of recent years.” Novi Ligure is Campari Groups largest production hub globally and responsible for the production of Campari 29% of volumes sold by Campari Group were produced at the plant and the expansion will increase the Novi Ligure’s annual capacity by 100 million bottles Production at the site has already increased from 29 million bottles in 2004 to 360 million bottles in 2023 The latest digital edition can be found here You will need to log in/register to view it The pricing structure of non-alcoholic spirits has a high level of elasticity - there’s already a broad spectrum of price points which consumers are trying to navigate Campari Group has installed an Aperol bottling plant in its Novi Ligure site in northwest Italy enabling the brand to double its production capacity The Novi Ligure hub is the Italian group’s largest production site The inauguration of the new Aperol line will bring the number of bottling lines to seven increasing the overall plant’s annual capacity by 100 million bottles the site’s production has increased from 29m bottles to 360m in 2023 The new bottling line for Aperol is part of a €75m (US$80.1m) expansion of the plant which has added 6,500 square metres to the existing 60,700 square metres of covered area Campari said the extension is a ‘fundamental stage’ in the group’s global development of the group, which also owns Wild Turkey Bourbon, Skyy Vodka and Courvoisier Cognac In 2023, the group recorded its third consecutive year of double-digit growth which has quintupled its growth in the past decade is the leading brand in Campari Group’s portfolio with nearly a quarter (24%) of the company’s sales in 2023 The apéritif brand saw sales soar by 23.1% in 2023 “We are proud to inaugurate the new bottling line dedicated to Aperol allowing us to keep exporting worldwide the apéritif ritual characterised by a model of responsible consumption and of the highest quality,” said Matteo Fantacchiotti is a further confirmation of the positive growth trend of recent years Thanks to the passion and exceptional talent of our Camparistas which confirms our commitment to generating value continuing on our strategic path of growth and transformation 29% of the volumes sold by Campari Group were produced at the Novi Ligure plant The plant was expanded in 2009 when a warehouse was added the site welcomed the Officinal Plants Center the Novi Ligure hub installed a line dedicated to the production of Crodino We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings we will not be able to save your preferences This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again Campari Group is set to double the production capacity of Aperol by expanding its Novi Ligure Plant the group’s largest production hub globally adds 6,500 m2 to the existing 60,700 m2 of covered area This expansion marks a significant step in the group’s international development following three consecutive years of double-digit organic growth in all profitability indicators which has seen exponential growth in the last decade is Campari Group’s leading brand globally and in Italy recording a 23.1% increase in global sales in 2023 and accounting for 24% of the group’s total sales "We are proud to inaugurate the new bottling line dedicated to Aperol, which will allow us to increase our production capacity even more,” said Matteo Fantacchiotti, CEO of Campari Group.  confirms our commitment to generating value and continuing our strategic path of growth and transformation,” he added The Novi Ligure plant opened in 2004 and produces Campari The new Aperol line will bring the total bottling lines to seven increasing the plant’s annual capacity by 100m bottles the Novi Ligure hub will create an additional 300 jobs employed directly or through outsourced logistics services The number of direct employees grew by 10% in 2023 AWL announces creation of new global win... WSTA executive board gains three new mem... Christopher Delalonde joins Perfect Cell... Diageo GB announces new marketing and in... Viña Pomal launches first sparkling Rioj... Bodegas Baigorri partners with Top Selec... You can now view the latest Harpers supplement with our digital edition... View the Top 100 2024 competition results here.. Vergelegen – continuity and change on the Schapenberg Talking innovation and opening doors with LWC Koshu brings flavour of Japan to London Reh Kendermann: Sales Manager UK Become a member here We use cookies to improve your browsing experience Rouleur tells the the story of Costante Girardengo a legend of Italian cycling and a prolific winner of this iconic race unanimated stare one normally associates with the grainy black and white photographs of cyclists from the ‘heroic era’ the smile he gave his rivals before leaving them for dead in the dust The cyclist is Costante Girardengo – even his name has a certain swashbuckling swagger – the first real superstar of Italian cycling he enjoyed the adulation of an Italian public eager to return to some sort of normality after the slaughter of the First World War Born into rural poverty in 1893 near the town of Novi Ligure in the Piedmont province of Italy – the same hills out of which Fausto Coppi would fly a couple of decades later – Girardengo was the original Il Campionissimo – the ‘Champion of Champions’ and one of the greatest of his generation Girardengo won the first of his six Milan-San Remo titles It was a record haul that lasted nearly sixty years and it took the supernatural gifts of Eddy Merckx to topple Girardengo from the top of the podium Rarely has a rider been so indelibly linked to a race than Girardengo to Milan –San Remo His first victory came after a typically audacious 160km breakaway Total domination that humiliated the rest of the field He podiumed eleven times in Sanremo and was robbed of almost certain victory not once Cruel circumstance dictated that a cannibale from a later era would wear the crown for the most wins in the La Classicissima di Primavera Girardengo’s potential was evident from as early as 1913 the year he won the first of his nine (consecutive) Italian championships and competed in his first Giro d’Italia at the age of 20 The following year he won the longest ever Giro stage – a mere 430km – and a few weeks later he made his one and only appearance at the Tour de France It is no surprise that La Classicissima is so finely woven into Girardengo’s palmarès the race runs southwest from Milan through Piedmont passing through Girardengo’s hometown of Novi Ligure and over the Passo del Turchino to the relative warmth of the Ligurian coast In a later edition Girardengo recalled hearing his children cheering him on as he sped through Novi Girardengo pictured after winning the GP Wolber in 1924 Prior to the introduction of the World Championships in 1927 the GP Wolber was regarded as the unofficial Worlds contested by a select field of leading European riders but Girardengo’s other trump card was his association with the celebrated trainer Biagio Cavanna He would later nurture the career of Coppi from his base in the city but Cavanna’s first protégé was the young Girardengo honing his talents and refining his race preparation training and tactics and guiding him towards a life of notoriety and fame there is the simple fact that the parcours of Milan – San Remo offered the perfect battlefield for Girardengo to unleash his armoury Small in stature – he was nicknamed ‘The Novi Runt’ by some – but immensely powerful yet able to keep in touch with the scalatori in the hills including victory in three Giro di Lombardias are testimony that Girardengo could be a danger in any terrain undulating climbs of Milan – San Remo that he excelled and if any of his rivals could stay with him to the death it would inevitably be Girardengo’s smiling face that would grace the front pages of La Gazzetta dello Sport If his 1918 Milan – San Remo victory propelled Girardengo into the wider public consciousness then his demolition of the field in the 1919 Giro cemented their adulation He led after Stage One and never relinquished it adding another six stage wins in the process as Girardengo had almost succumbed to the deadly Spanish flu epidemic that swept across Europe in the latter stages of the war doubted whether he could ever recapture the form necessary to compete at the highest level an exhausted Girardengo after crossing the line to win the 1926 edition of Milan – Sanremo Girardengo would only win one further Giro but the suspension of the race during the war years coupled with the unforgiving nature of bike racing in this era and disputes over appearance money with the Giro organisers conspired against him just as Girardengo’s powers began to diminish Italian cycling witnessed the emergence of Alfredo Binda the young pretender destined to take on the mantle of Campionissimo It was rather poignant that Girardengo’s final Milan – San Remo victory in 1928 when he narrowly outsprinted a complacent Binda in atrocious conditions It proved to be the final major win of his career and the last telling punch of this seasoned pugilist He continued to race into the mid-1930’s and in retirement launched his own bike brand and even a stable of motorcycles bearing his name He remained a ubiquitous presence on the race scene until his death in 1978 the Italian team that delivered the emphatic 1938 Tour de France victory of Gino Bartali Cycling became an increasingly lucrative sport in the post-war years with generous purses on offer to the leading riders Attracted by the prize and appearance money Girardengo competed in the velodromes of Paris or even surpassed the seven Milan – Sanremo wins of Merckx as he contested a sprint finish against Giovanni Brunero the pair clattered into a spectator and Brunero was the first to remount and cross the line Girardengo remained adamant that his disqualification in 1915 after he took the wrong route when well ahead of the chasing pack arguing that his margin of victory outweighed the time benefit gained by his inadvertent shortcut “It’s scandalous!” Girardengo would later claim but even a great Campionissimo must abide by the rules Rouleur takes a look at the contenders to win the Maglia Rosa in Italy this month Alexander Vinokourov's team are making the impossible rather quite possible All the essential information about the first Grand Tour of the year While the former Olympic and World champion is relishing new ventures in retirement she is keen to ensure more support is in place for those.. From SD Worx-Protime's continued success to Canyon-SRAM's disappointment Rouleur takes a look at how each squad performed at the Spring Classics Enjoy a digital subscription to Rouleur for just £4 per month and get access to our award-winning magazines Join today for exclusive content from independent journalists This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply To understand the importance of the Terzo Valico dei Giovi high-speed rail link one must travel from Genoa to Novi Ligure in the mind’s eye.The line is strategic for Italy’s economy because it will connect the Ligurian coast with the industrial regions of Piedmont and Lombardy.The Genoa-Turin-Milan triangle will see people and goods travel at 250 kilometres per hour giving a much-needed boost to trade with the rest of Europe.At a cost of €6 billion 37 of which through tunnels.Travel times will be drastically shortened: 30 minutes between Milan and Genoa rather than one hour and 40 minutes The Terzo Valico is seen by the European Union as one of the main projects behind the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) that will connect high-speed rail lines across the continent It will be part of the Rhine-Alps corridor The project with also have four interconnections with existing rail lines Each of them will be 24 kilometers long and located in the towns of Voltri the consortium responsible for its construction led by Salini Impregilo is grafting the high-speed rail link onto existing lines running from the port of Genoa to Turin and Milan and on to northern Europe such as Antwerp and Rotterdam Even though it was envisioned 27 years ago the purpose of the project has not changed: to create a high-speed rail link between Genoa’s port and Piedmont Lombardy and Veneto – the three main regions of northern Italy responsible for the movement of 50% of the country’s goods and 45% of the gross domestic product If the port of Genoa’s logistical potential were to be exploited to the maximum the economic impact could be even greater.The port of Genoa has an operating surface of seven million square meters 4.2 million passengers that transit each year and 1.7 million cruise-goers and moves containers measuring 2.6 million TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) each year and 69 million tonnes of freight These numbers confirm the logistical importance of this maritime facility which would be significantly enhanced if it were to gain a high-speed connection along which its cargo could travel.Completing a new railway link that connects Genoa with northern Europe would enable Genoa’s port to intercept some of the traffic flows from Asia that currently favour the North Sea routes instead of the Mediterranean even though reaching northern Europe requires five days more of navigation Guaranteeing an efficient rail link with the rest of Europe would transform Genoa’s port into a new continental hub reducing the amount of truck traffic across the Apennines that creates four or five times the amount of air pollution than rail Choose from the categories that interest you to recive the latest articles just published. For further information please refer to our Privacy & Cookie Policy here These cookies are required to use the key functions of this website These cookies are used exclusively by the Company and are therefore first party cookies They are saved on the User's computer only during the current browser session The technical cookies also include those used to statistically analyze accesses or visits to the Site which exclusively pursue statistical purposes (but not marketing or profiling) and collect information in the form aggregated without the possibility of tracing the identification of the individual user the User may also receive cookies from different sites or web servers on his terminal This happens because the Site may contain elements such as specific links to web pages of other domains that reside on servers other than the one on which the requested page is located Follow the stories of We Build Value and stay up to date on the magazine’s news Will your toasted hazelnuts hang around long enough to make these delightful Piemontese biscuits sandwiched together with chocolate or Italian hazelnut chocolate sandwich biscuitsWill your toasted hazelnuts hang around long enough to make these delightful Piemontese biscuits sandwiched together with chocolate but pollen grains are packed with information that endures can be analysed by paleoclimatologists to chart changes in vegetation and climate going back hundreds of thousands of years It was pollen that revealed hazel to be the first of the deciduous forest trees to migrate from what is now Asia Minor and send down roots all over the place in the postglacial period archaeologists found evidence of Stone Age nut processing on the Isle of Colonsay in the form of a pit filled with hundreds of thousands of burnt hazelnut shells (similar sites have since been found in temperate climates all over the globe) All of which to say: humans have been enjoying toasted hazelnuts for a very long time The original wild species of hazel varied from place to place; their subsequent cultivation resulted in many varieties, from low hedgerow shrubs to genuine trees While the proportions and taste of the nuts vary the form is the same: a fibrous husk containing a small shell with an edible seed (nut) inside which sells particularly buttery and crisp hazelnuts that is – which makes them only more appealing Toasted hazelnuts don’t last long in our house it’s miraculous that enough remained to make this week’s recipe for a Piemontese baci di dama or little hazelnut biscuits sandwiched together with chocolate While the name baci di dama means “lady kisses” their history is slightly less affectionate involving what the newspaper La Stampa describes as an “eternal diatribe” (since 1903) between the Piemontese cities of Novi Ligure and Tortona as to where (and by whom) they were invented taking credit for one half of the kiss each baci di dama are satisfying to make and exquisite to eat (and sugar and salt until they form a fine flour Wrap and chill the dough for about 30 minutes Line two baking trays lined with greaseproof paper bearing in mind that they’ll be going in the freezer break off small pieces of the chilled dough and roll into little heat the oven to 150C (130C fan)/300F/gas 2 then turn down the heat to 120C (110C fan)/250F/gas low for another five minutes – the balls should cook through but remain pale in colour Carefully (they are extremely delicate until they cool) lift the balls on to another tray and leave to cool then pour it into a piping bag (or a plastic bag that you can cut one corner end off) until the chocolate has firmed a little (but not set) then use it to sandwich together pairs of biscuits Put the baci on the cooling tray until the chocolate has set The Local Europe ABVästmannagatan 43113 25 StockholmSweden Please log in here to leave a comment Barbara Agosti hails from Piedmont but was born in Novi Ligure She began her career by opening the restaurant "La Brenta Rossa," located in a charmingly renovated farmhouse in her hometown Barbara is a passionate advocate of organic cuisine and her outstanding results led her to consult in the United States and Corsica where she continued to work as a consultant and created various culinary lines for a downtown restaurant she opened the restaurant "Zum" (which stands for Sugar where she offers numerous variations of tiramisu Her love for savory cuisine and the versatility of eggs led her to open "Eggs" in 2017 a small bistro located in Rome's Trastevere district This project arose from a collaboration between "Zum" and the blog Puntarella Rossa The restaurant's menu features dishes prepared with eggs from certified farms the restaurant expanded and changed location incorporating "Bio Orto Eggs," a section of Arianna Vulpiani's Bio Farm with 100% organic egg production Barbara was named among the top ten chefs for perfect carbonara preparation by Gambero Rosso one of the most distinctive and debated dishes in Italian cuisine The chef uses the original recipe published in 1954 but her establishment stands out for its "carbonara menu," entirely dedicated to the iconic dish of Roman cuisine Do you want to discover the latest news and recipes of the most renowned chefs and restaurants in the world La nostra società utilizza inoltre cookie funzionali per registrare informazioni sulle scelte dell’utente e per consentire una personalizzazione del Sito; 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The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. From a distance all you can see is the floodlights, illuminating a dark Milanese night sky. The closer you get, the more you can sense the electricity in the air. The plethora of merchandise stalls and fast food vans seem to form an endless line guiding you to the ground. Then it all opens up before you, the concrete and steel behemoth, a cathedral of calcio. No matter how often you have been here, it never ceases to make you stand in awe. The mighty San Siro. It may now be 94-years-ago, but being crowned champions of Italy is still the club’s crowning glory. Given that the club has achieved very little in the interim it is easy to see why. What makes the title that extra bit special is that alongside Casale, they are the only team not from a region’s capital to have won the Scudetto. The story of how they achieved such a remarkable triumph is perhaps the strangest in the long history of calcio. In short, the club were beneficiaries of a large stroke of luck. But even at that, they still had to do it on the pitch when the time came. Novese had only just been promoted into the top flight for the first time in their history and were expected to do nothing more than just make up the numbers. Calcio though was at a cross road. Back then the leagues were split between north and south, with the winners of each section meeting in the final. The rich industrial northern clubs would inevitably always win and as such controlled most of the power in the game. This power among a select few of the biggest northern clubs would eventually lead to a stand-off with the F.I.G.C, calcio’s governing body. The crux of the argument was that the league had expanded to much and taken in too many clubs, such as Novese. The established clubs lobbied for this to be changed immediately but the F.I.G.C said no. This then lead to an extraordinary turn of events where the mutinous clubs threatened to walk away and form their own league. Like two stubborn children unwilling to give in, the F.I.G.C allowed the intransigent mutineers to for their own league, which they promptly did. Italian football was then presented with the strange situation of having two separate top flight leagues come the 1921/22 season. Knowing that they had a better chance of competing in the original, Novese stayed loyal to the F.I.G.C competition. In the end it proved a shrewd move as the club would go on to win it’s one and only title. Incidentally, in the other competition, Pro Vercelli would win the seventh and last of their titles. It remains to this day the only season that two clubs can lay legitimate claim to the league title with the current Serie A recognising both. Fast forward 94-years and you will find a Novese club in entirely different circumstances. The club have spent most of that time pottering around the lower reaches of the Italian game but have always had their dignity. Sadly, this season has seen that dignity be slowly eroded by incompetence and neglect in the boardroom. On the 6th of March, 2016, Novese were hammered 6-1 by Caronnese, the side who would eventually finish second in the table. While such a defeat can be immensely damaging to the psyche of a side battling relegation, it is what came in the aftermath that truly tore the heart out of the club’s slim survival hopes. The following day, seven players would leave the club citing unpaid wages dating back months as their reason. Given that players at this level are considered only semi-professional, and wages are barely a fraction of what the top boys earn, it is a surprise that they had even stuck around as long. The club had been struggling financially for a long time by this stage. But to pinpoint the time where things really took a turn for the worse, we must go back to November 2015. It was in this month, the one traditionally associated with the dead and all souls, that Novese began what looked to be its death kneel. Owners Emanuella Giacomello and Renato Traverso came to the decision that they were no longer willing to fund the club’s everyday expenses and a buyer was sought. Into this void stepped Raffaele Retucci, a small business owner from the town of Castellamare di Stabia, just outside of Napoli. Very little was known of the reclusive Retucci but he soon took control of 80 per cent of the club’s shares with Traverso holding the remaining 20 per cent. The deal saw Retucci basically take over the club free of charge, while just accepting the club’s debt which was considerable for a team of this level. However, the new owner would not bring an upturn in fortunes. Indeed, he brought quite the opposite. On Tuesday the 23rd February, 2016, the club’s offices in the Piazza Dellepiane of Novi Ligure were raided by the Guardia di Finanza (Financial Police). Witnesses who were present at the scene told of seeing the police leave with boxes full of folders. Minority shareholder Traverso was asked to attend the scene while the raid was being carried out. Retucci’s whereabouts were unknown. Local journalists quickly quizzed Traverso on the reason behind the raid. The 20 per cent shareholder stated that he did not know the reasons behind the raid but did say that it was accounting documents that were being taken away. The club was in complete disarray, with wild rumours beginning to be spread throughout the town as to the club’s potential future. One such rumour that seemed to have a semblance of truth was that some kind of foreign consortium were interested in taking over the club. The front man for such a deal was supposedly one Morris Pagniello, a man who had been banned from the sport for eight months only back in June of 2015 for match fixing with Monza. In the end, nothing ever came of Pagniello’s proposed takeover. Two days before the raid on the club’s offices, Novese had drawn 2-2 with Ligorna. In the aftermath of the match, head coach Piero Lo Gatto told the local media: That though was of little use to a club who were in dire straits in March, with the club being hit with a €7500 fine over non-payment to two former players. By the end of March, Lo Gatto could only call on 14 players to fill his match day squad, with a portion of them being taken from the club’s youth teams. On the 22nd of March, things then took a further turn for the worse when Lo Gatto along with General manager Luca Carangelo resigned. More players continued to leave the squad meaning survival in Serie D was impossible, the main aim now was to simply just finish the season. How that would be done however was not fully clear. Nevertheless, club’s youth team director, Daniele Artoli, was determined to see it done: Most troubling for Novese fans was that Retucci expressed that he was preferably willing to sell the club to someone in Novi Ligure but was not beyond selling the naming rights of Novese to other towns. Some unknown towns were already said to have expressed an interest in buying the title. By the 30th of March it becomes clear that Lepone would not actually be the one taking over the first team but rather youth director Artoli. Artoli then made a general plea to any and all players who had left the club to return and train with them for the final few matches of the season. Few were expected to return as what remained of the club’s board made it perfectly clear that those that did would be doing it at their own expense. They would be guaranteed neither food nor board. Incredibly however, eight players did decide to return, giving the club enough breathing space to just about finish the league campaign. Even at that, former owners Giacomello and Traverso (Minority shareholders now) were forced to stump up money so that the side could make the trips to the remaining away matches. In late April, the man who had virtually destroyed the club, Retucci, resigned. His legacy had more or less left the club in a state of paralysis. Amazingly, on his departure, Mayor Muliere stated that “he [Retucci] has never been seen, we do not know what he looks like.” This despite him being the owner of the club for six months or so. Needless to say, Novese were easily relegated come the end of the season with their final matches all being routs in the oppositions favour. Where the club goes next is still very unclear. Those who are currently in control have assured the fans that the club will enrol in the Eccellenza for next season and have even been bullish enough to suggest applying for a reinstatement into Serie D. This all, however, still seems very unlikely and the possibility of the club going bust and having to start again remains a real possibility. One thing does remain true though. This is a proud club with a small loyal fan base and the uproar over the way the club has been treated showcases this. No matter what comes next, there will always be a Novese Calcio. The men of the 1922 title may all be gone, but their memory remains in the heart of this club. It is one the fans are not about to let die any time soon. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "ab77893dc2a1490af30a97d8997b832f" );document.getElementById("bfea0afb7f").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Europe’s largest biowaste dry anaerobic digestion plant is to be constructed under the lead of the established Italian company Cesaro Mac Import. As the exclusive partner of Kompogas in Italy, Cesaro Mac Import will be using the tried-and-trusted dry fermentation technology provided by Hitachi Zosen Inova (HZI). In the future, Herambiente SpA, the largest waste treatment company in Italy, will operate the plant. Herambiente was looking for the most efficient and most economical solution for treating and processing the organic fraction of collected household waste in the plant of Sant’Agata Bolognese. After receiving all the building permits required, the initial building work is set to begin in summer 2016, with the construction for the core module delivered by HZI scheduled to start in fall 2016. Giro d'Italia 2010 stage five photo gallery by Graham Watson>> Jérôme Pineau defied the sprinters to win the fifth stage of the Giro d'Italia today into Novi Ligure. In a Giro d'Italia that continues to confound expectations, Pineau leaped from a breakaway group of lone warriors that had survived for most of the 162km stage from Novara to Novi Ligure. The Frenchman from Quick Step was the strongest - and the most tactically astute - to keep a rampaging peloton, insistent to set up a bunch sprint, at bay. "The first time, Monday, they told me that I went into the escape for nothing," said Pineau. "I remember what Didier Rous told me, 'An escape is good only if it gets to the finish line.' "I called my brother a little after the race, I told him that I think I have finally found faith in myself. Even when the Japanese rider attacked, I believed I had the legs and I believed I could win." "The Giro d'Italia for me is important because the mythical cyclists have raced here. [Fausto] Coppi grew up here and to think that I am racing a bike with Eddy Merckx's name on it. These guys made cycling, so to win here is special." The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox! With 20 kilometres of the stage remaining, the breakaway group commanded a lead of just two minutes on the peloton. With Columbia and Lampre working together on the front for André Greipel and Alessandro Petacchi, it looked the breakaway's days were numbered on the long, straight roads into Novi Ligure. The bunch chipped steadily away at the break - now down to three after Paul Voss cracked - and had it firmly within its sights with just two kilometres left. Sensing the danger, Yukiya Arashiro attacked the trio soon after the red kite, with Pineau and Julien Fouchard gritting their teeth to stay in contact. A tight right-hand bend played into the break's hands as Arashiro jumped again. This time Pineau was expecting it. It was in fact the perfect lead out for the Frenchman who bided his time and tore past Arashiro to take the stage win, Quick Step's second of the race after Wouter Weylandt's win on Monday.  Behind Fouchard and Arashiro, Tyler Farrar once again proved he is the sprinter to beat in this year's Giro, leading home the bunch ahead of Greg Henderson and Petacchi. There was little change on the general classification and Italy's Vincenzo Nibali remains in the pink jersey ahead of team-mate Ivan Basso. RESULTSGiro d'Italia 2010, stage five: Novara-Novi Ligure, 162km1. Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Quick Step 3. Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Bbox Bouygues Telecom at same time 4. Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin Transitions at 4secs 10. William Bonnet (Fra) Bbox Bouygues Telecom at same time. 26. David Millar (GB) Garmin-Transitions at 4secs 28. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas at 4secs 30. Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team at 4secs 40. Adam Blythe (GB) Omega Pharma-Lotto at 4secs 98. Bradley Wiggins (GB) Team Sky at 4secs 149. Charly Wegelius (GB) Omega Pharma-Lotto at 48secs 154. Steve Cummings (GB) Team Sky at 55secs Overall classification after stage five1. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas in 10-44-00 3. Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Liquigas at 20secs 4. André Greipel (Ger) HTC-Columbia at 26secs 6. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Astana at 33secs 7. Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Katusha at 39secs 9. David Millar (GB) Garmin-Transitions at 45secs 10. Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Astana at 59secs 25. Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC racing Team at 1-59 59. Adam Blythe (GB) Omega Pharma-Lotto at 8-05 85. Charly Wegelius (GB) Omega Pharma-Lotto at 10-19 91. Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin-Transitions at 10-42 Elation for Pineau but despair for Fouchard Vincenzo Nibali looks the part in the maglia rosa Giro d'Italia 2010: Cycling Weekly's coverage index 2010 Giro d'Italia coverage in association with Zipvit Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1 *Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1 Cycling Weekly and its team of expert journalists brings cyclists in-depth reviews extensive coverage of both professional and domestic racing as well as fitness advice and 'brew a cuppa and put your feet up' features Cycling Weekly serves its audience across a range of platforms from good old-fashioned print to online journalism