In the saddle at the Tour de France in 2024
In the professional segment, 2024 will see the Tour de France to the Emilia Romagna. That's right: the French road cycling classic will start from Italian soil for the first time on 29 June 2024 in Florence and will arrive in Rimini before heading to Emilia Romagna. The Tour de France will remain Italian until 1 July with the Cesenatico - Bologna and Piacenza - Turin stages. A memorable tribute to a country of cycling enthusiasts that has produced a number of Tour winners, including Gino Bartali, Gastone Nencini, Fausto Coppi and Marco Pantani. The latter, by the way, not only won the Tour de France in 1998, but also the Giro d'Italia won. The "pink race" was already held in Emilia Romagna in 2023, from 14 to 16 May over the routes Savignano sul Rubicone - Cesena and Scandiano - Viareggio.
As the number of e-bike riders grows, so does the number of cyclists who appreciate a decelerated cycling holiday: with plenty of time to enjoy food and culture. In Emilia Romagna, more and more tourism projects are being developed around the bicycle, characterised by innovation, sustainability and enhancement of the territory. Services for cyclists are being further developed, including the consortium's cycle hotels Terrabici. The mapped cycle paths and cycle routes on low-traffic roads, gravel paths or unpaved routes have now reached almost 9,000 kilometres and vary in length and difficulty. The cycle network through the region's nine provinces includes tips on places to eat and drink and historical and artistic stops.
The signposted cycle routes through the region are as varied as Emilia Romagna itself. One particularly beautiful route is the Via Romagna cycle path. The 460-kilometre permanent cycle route on asphalt and gravel roads connects Comacchio with San Giovanni in Marignano, the north with the south of Romagna. There are villages, castles and palaces to discover along the way, the tour leads through vineyards and numerous authentic refreshment stops await hungry cyclists with a taste for the varied culinary delights of the region. These can also be savoured on the Food Valley Bike Route a 70-kilometre route through the heart of Emilia Romagna that combines taste and culture. Through the lands of Giuseppe Verdi and the places of origin of such famous cured meats as Culatello di Zibello. On the Ciclovia di Dante you cycle in the footsteps of the great poet from Ravenna to Florence. 255 kilometres, mainly on country lanes and minor roads with little traffic, linking Emilia Romagna with Tuscany by bike. INHERIT, the abbreviation for a European project for "Sustainable tourism strategies for the preservation and enhancement of the area between Catrocaro, Bagno di Romagna, Riolo Terme and Brisighella", includes the two new 130 and 60 kilometre cycle paths Romagna-Tuscany cycle route and Thermen-Radweg. They also take you on a fascinating uphill and downhill ride through the hills of Faenza. The Romagna-Tuscany cycle path is one of the most recently developed cycle paths and takes cyclists through picturesque historic villages on the one hand and the magnificent nature of the Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona and Campigna National Park on the other: an area of centuries-old forests, monasteries and waterfalls. There are no fewer than ten new cycle routes on the tourism website of the municipality of Ravenna, inviting you to explore the city and the entire province of the same name.
With accommodation offers tailored to cyclists, the regional consortium of bike hotels - Terrabici - sets standards in terms of target group-orientated tourism. In addition to the bike hotels with cyclist extras such as lockable bike rooms or suitably equipped workshops for small repairs, Terrabici's service also includes special offers and packages.
Watch the pros pedal up the mountain, compete with other amateur and semi-professional cyclists or simply enjoy yourself as a cycle tourist: Emilia Romagna offers numerous cycling events that are almost a must for cycling enthusiasts. Numerous Granfondo races in Emilia Romagna offer the opportunity to take part in sporting activities from as early as March, when the season starts with the Granfondo del Po di Ferrara will be opened. The programme continues in May with the Granfondo of Cesenatico or also in May at the Granfondo Squali from Cattolicawhich leads into the Romagna and Marche hinterland and back to the sea. The important, traditional Granfondo races also include the Nove Collifrom the start in Cesenatico to the hinterland of the nine hills, or the Granfondo Riccione. Until September, numerous Granfondo races offer interesting routes and challenging metres in altitude for cycling enthusiasts. Everything is perfectly organised, you just have to register and pedal yourself.
Emilia Romagna
You can't have as many holiday days as this region would need to discover all its cultural and culinary specialities. Add to this the sporting events and you should plan your available holiday days particularly well.
Further information
www.visitemiliaromagna.de
www.italia.it/en/emilia-romagna
