• Coach makes journey to celebrate his club avoiding relegation • Also highlights road safety three years after death of his son

Two months ago the Crotone coach, Davide Nicola, with his team looking set for relegation to the Italian second division, promised he would cycle the 1,300km to his home town in Turin if they escaped the drop.

Crotone went on to pull off one of the greatest escapes in Serie A history and on Sunday Nicola fulfilled his promise as he arrived in Turin after nine days of solid pedalling from the southern region of Calabria.

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The 44-year-old was greeted by about 300 people as he completed his journey from Crotone, in the southern Italian region of Calabria, to Turin. “Am I tired? I still do not feel any particular pain,” he told reporters. “From tomorrow I will have a better idea and maybe I will feel a bit tired.

“What matters most to me is that my goal has been achieved. I kept the promise and, with the help of many people, we have also attracted the attention of many people to the question of safety on the roads. Here in Turin I was greeted with great enthusiasm: I am very excited.”

Nicola’s concerns about road safety stem from when his 14-year-old son, Alessandro, was killed when a bus hit the back wheel of his bicycle close to his home, in July 2014.

Crotone, playing in the top flight for the first time last season, looked for much of the campaign almost certain to be heading back to Serie B. But, having taken only 14 points from their first 29 games, they found form to win six of their last nine matches and finished on 34 points, two points above the relegation places.

Nicola, the former coach of Livorno, made his promise after a 2-1 win at Chievo, their first-ever Serie A away win, in early April.

Despite their late surge Crotone began the final day of the season in the drop zone but they beat Lazio 3-1 to leapfrog Empoli after the Tuscan side lost at Palermo and were relegated instead. “It’s been a beautiful journey, a fairytale,” said Nicola.