If you have never heard of "Padania" read on....
The Lega Nord, or Northern League, is a political party founded in 1991 by Umberto Bossi. Arguing that the poorer south is a drag on the wealthier, industrialized north, the Lega Nord champions what it calls "Padania", referring to regions around the Po River Valley. The Lega Nord promotes either secession from Italy, or larger autonomy, for Padania. In 1996, Bossi went so far as to declare Padania an independent republic.
Last September, Bossi, still the Lega Nord leader, declared "I want the Giro di Padania". A year later his wish has become a reality with an international stage race on the UCI calendar. The five stage race will take place from September 6th to 10th. The event website is www.girodipadania.it .
The leader's jersey is green, the official color of the Lega Nord:
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dear readers: I've deleted comments only because I don't want this entry to become a political battleground ...which is where this was headed based on comments left and emails sent to me. Padania does not exist, well, it exists only in the minds of some. I wanted to give a background so readers would have a context for the naming of the race.
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