Cycling unites Milan and Cortina: in September in the saddle for the Winter Olympics

Cycling anticipates skiing by connecting Milan and Cortina, the two venues of next spring's Winter Olympics, in the name of sustainability, sport and the enhancement of a unique territory between the Lombard capital and the Veneto Dolomites. The Great Ride Milan-Cortina is the new cycling event that proposes an unprecedented two-wheeled experience, crossing eight provinces rich in history, art and agri-food tradition: 500 kilometres that touch seven Unesco heritage sites, joined by a historic monument of cycling, the Vigorelli velodrome in Milan.

The event, organised by the Cortina Foundation with the support of local authorities (Veneto Region, Province of Belluno, Municipalities of Milan and Cortina), and technical partners, aims to turn the 2026 Olympic appointment into a starting point for bringing new tourist flows at the service of the development of the local economy, especially the wealth of small and medium-sized businesses in Lombardy and Veneto. Cycling is thus transformed into a tool that offers the opportunity to avoid the abandonment of facilities in the aftermath of the conclusion of the Olympic Games, becoming an opportunity for sustainable development and education in sports culture.

In fact, The Great Ride proposes itself as an event that goes beyond a simple sporting event, as an experiential travel project, non-competitive and open to all, aiming at an estimated revenue of one million euros, to be repeated every year at the beginning of the autumn season. But the goal is to transform the route into a permanent infrastructure that can be used by two-wheel enthusiasts even outside the event. All the more so because it crosses unique territories, starting from Milan with its Da Vinci Last Supper, passing through the Lombard territories of Brescia, Roman Verona, the Palladian villas in the Vicenza area, the Prosecco hills to the Veneto Dolomites.

On the other hand, cyclotourism is a booming trend that, according to recent data from the Unioncamere-Isnart-Legambiente report, will involve 89 million cyclists in 2024, equal to 10% of total tourism, with an economic impact close to ten billion euros. Banca Ifis estimates that cyclists in Veneto have three times the spending power of traditional tourists.

The event, which is strictly non-competitive and without a ranking, uses the 'unsupported' formula, guaranteeing maximum flexibility in the interpretation of the route, offering the possibility of three different routes. The complete route is 500 km long with 4,000 metres of altitude difference, starting on 11 September from the Vigorelli, but there are also departures on the following days from Valpolicella and Treviso. The route can be covered at the desired speed and pace, and there are no constraints: the organisers guarantee to wait for the thousand participants expected for the first edition until 16 September in the central square of Cortina, but those who wish can also arrive in the following days, lingering along the route to admire the artistic and historical beauties, or even just for an extra glass of Prosecco or Amarone.