The Italian “big ride” for cyclists comes to Philly

"It's a beautiful area. The houses were gorgeous," said Cycak after finishing the 32-mile course.

Riders of all ages and sizes, on bikes of all sorts, pedalled away from the starting line in front of the Art Museum steps at 7 a.m. Sunday.

A recording of Pavarotti singing his signature aria, Nessum dorma, seranaded the riders as they circled Eakins Oval behind three Ferrari pace cars and then headed upriver along Kelly Drive. An orange AgustaWestland helicopter, made by the sponsoring Italian company that has an assembly plant in norhteast Philadelphia, hovered overhead.

At the finish, riders climbed the last hill to Memorial Hall between the pillared statues of Civil War generals George Meade and John Reynolds, grabbed bottles of water and hunted for shade.

The Browns arrived at the Please Touch Museum in Fairmount Park in three hours and 25 minutes, tired but satisfied.

"It was hillier than I thought it was going to be," said the elder Brown. His son said the final hill to the park's plateau was an unpleasant surprise, but he said he and his father hoped to ride in the event again.

"I hope it's not the first and last," he said.

Contact staff writer Paul Nussbaum at 215-854-4587 or pnussbaum@phillynews.com