Valtellina, land of cycling. It is with this belief that, on the morning of Tuesday 16 April, in the provincial council chamber, the “Project to promote cycle tourism in the province of Sondrio 2024” was presented to the press. The initiative, supported by the Provincial Administration, the BIM Adda Consortium, Ersaf-Stelvio National Park, the Valchiavenna Mountain Community, the Valtellina Mountain Community of Morbegno, the Valtellina Mountain Community of Sondrio, the Valtellina Mountain Community of Tirano, the Alta Valtellina Mountain Community and the Tourist Consortium Media Valtellina includes a series of activities aimed at promoting cycle tourism in Valtellina, a sector that has been growing continuously for several years and is also of great interest for the province of Sondrio.
“Cycle tourism has quite effectively become an important point of reference for our territory. It is one of the most important tools of tourism, also from the point of view of deseasonalizing the offer. We have an important landscape and natural heritage, as well as a network which, from the point of view of cycle tourism, is absolutely attractive, with all the Alpine passes and other routes. The Province’s commitment is to continue to make resources available which the bodies in charge use in an excellent manner”, he said. commented Davide Menegola, president of the Province of Sondrio. With him his predecessor, Elio Moretti, today head of APF Valtellina, the Promotion and Training Company of the Province of Sondrio. “In Valtellina and Valchiavenna we have a wonderful territory, which lends itself to this type of sport. But the territory alone is not enough. We must applaud those who had the great intuition, first and foremost Pierluigi “Gigi” Negri. Our role is to coordinate all important initiatives.”
The Giro d’Italia, once again, is the main cycling competition in the province of Sondrio. In 2024 the Corsa Rosa returns to Valtellina with the most difficult of the stages, the Manerba del Garda-Livigno, scheduled for next May 19th, 220 kilometers long. “The Giro d’Italia is broadcast by 220 televisions around the world, an important showcase for our territory”, as explained by Pierluigi Negri, director of the Media Valtellina Tourist Consortium, one of the main architects of the turning point in cycling tourism in the province. “The whole world tries to imitate us”, said Negri, referring to the traffic-free demonstrations on the Alpine passes.
Valtellina wants to demonstrate that it lives up to the expectations of cyclists and cycle tourists. As explained by Lucia Simonelli, tourism manager of APF Valtellina, during the Giro a Valtellina stand will be present in the starting village during all 21 scheduled stages, with 15 Italian regions “touched”. The stage of the Giro-E on May 19th, starting from Tirano and arriving in Livigno, will be covered by Team Valtellina, made up of six riders who will convey the local brand. Among them Alex Bellini, veteran of the EYES ON ICE feat just concluded in Alaska and the professional cyclist from Grosotto Monica Trinca Colonel as part of the Continental BePink-Bongioanni team. Furthermore, on the occasion of the Giro d’Italia Woman 2024, scheduled from 7 to 14 July, the Valtellina brand will be promoted on the finishing straight of all eight stages through the positioning of personalized poles. Andrea Pusateri, paracyclist, triathlete and content creator (very famous on Instagram and Tik Tok) also spoke in a video conference, defining Valtellina as “paradise”.
The other events 2024
Numerous bike events are scheduled in Valtellina from May to October. Above all, the Enjoy Stelvio Valtellina initiative, the non-competitive event (and without registration) open to all and which includes a calendar of closures to motorized traffic on the most famous and beautiful mountain roads in the province of Sondrio. The initiative, originally promoted by Ersaf – Stelvio National Park, has seen interest and participation from enthusiasts grow over the years (in 2023 there were over 23,000 attendees), so much so that the number of climbs has gradually increased closed to traffic. Alongside the great climbs of the Stelvio National Park such as Stelvio, Gavia, Mortirolo and Cancano, the Spluga Pass, the San Marco Pass, the Campo Moro climb in Valmalenco and the Forcola Pass in Livigno have been added over the years.
Among the new features, the great protagonists are lovers of gravel bikes. There are two events on the calendar: the Valchiavenna Gravel Escape, scheduled for May 12th, and Gravellina, scheduled for September 21st and 22nd. As told by Camillo Bertolini from Gravellina, the event is ready to take flight, after last year’s zero edition, among breathtaking landscapes and high-level food and wine.
Varied proposal
The itinerary proposals and the destination’s bike offer in general, with insights related to food and the territory, are available in the new Valtellina Bike Magazine, which can be consulted and downloaded. The Magazine is available in the Info Points of the area and will be further disseminated through participation in sector events and fairs, as well as on the occasion of the Giro d’Italia, the Vuelta di Spagna and the Tour de Pologne. The promotion of cycle tourism will not only be limited to Italy but will also include some activities abroad including sponsorships on social media and a strengthening of the presence on apps dedicated to the outdoor world, in particular on Komoot and Outdoor Active.
Tags: Valtellina home cycle tourism
