ROME – The universe of cycling under the lens of “Be off cycling meeting hub”. A cycle of conferences on trends in the cycling world has kicked off in Vicenza, with the organization of meetings in partnership with Meneghini and associated talent unions. The events will take place in the main Italian districts for the production or practice of cycling and aim to collect stimuli, testimonies and data of one of the forms of mobility considered greener by the European Commission. All this will then flow into the “General States of the bicycle” as part of the Italian Bike Festival 2023, scheduled from 15 to 17 September in Misano Adriatico.
The first Be Off event took place in the eighteenth-century Vicenza villa Valmarana ai Nani, a significant context both for the suggestion of the Veneto landscape, one of the most usable by pedaling enthusiasts, like Tuscany, and for its location in the Veneto district where the he bike industry is particularly active.
For the occasion, the president of the Bike Economy Observatory, Gianluca Santilli, recalled how the bike sector alone in the EU is worth 500 billion euros, an ecosystem made up of entirely sustainable sectors, among which the cycling tourism sector stands out, for about 50 billion euros, of which 5 billion in Italy and 20 in Germany.
The regional councilor of Veneto, Milena Cecchetto, reaffirmed her commitment to upgrading infrastructure, while the Tuscany region, with Francesco Tapinassi, director of Toscana for tourism promotion, presented the major projects and results already achieved in the field by the region.
Andrea Colombi, Yamaha’s country manager, spoke about the technological innovations and champions such as Mario Cipollini and Nicola Minali took part, underlining how the bicycle is combined with many recreational activities but also with extremely competitive forms of sport. The Be Off meetings will continue in other cities and regions with high potential for bicycles, sport cycling and cycle tourism, with a focus on other issues for an increasingly authoritative comparison. (Maurilio Rigo)