The countdown has officially begun. Exactly one month from the start of the 29th edition of the FSA Bike Festival, Garda Trentino is ready to kick off the MTB season in style. From Friday 28 April to Monday 1 May, the former Cattoi area in viale Rovereto in Riva del Garda – which this year has expanded further to include the Parco dell'Ora and the Miralago area – will welcome more than 170 exhibitors who will present their news from more than 350 brands in the bike sector.
After the great success of the last edition with the absolute record of visitors, the event, also this year organized by the German publishing house Delius Klasing in collaboration with Garda Dolomiti Azienda per il Turismo SpA, aims to exceed the 60.000 guests expected among the stands of the Outdoor fair, where over 1.000 mtb and e-mtb will be available to test for free.
FSA Bike Festival Garda Trentino is therefore confirmed as the absolute reference event for the MTB sector in Europe, with all the leading two-wheel brands present and an exhibition area that has been further expanded to respond to an increasingly lively demand from year to year. year.
Looking forward to celebrating the 2024th edition of the event in 30, the organization of the Bike Festival has already fielded many new features this year, further enriching a program already full of appointments, sporting competitions and moments of great entertainment .
With the addition of a day to the event, in fact, in addition to the classic Marathon, the eMTB Challenge and the race dedicated to the little ones, the Bike Festival this year will present two great innovations: the Specialized Lake Bash, a Gravel challenge that can be faced by the participants both as a race and as a simple tour to admire the surrounding beauties of the area and the FUNduro, an enduro stage route, in a new guise, with - as the name suggests - the fun in the saddle in the foreground. For more information on the programme click here.
THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2023 BIKE FESTIVAL
The inauguration on Friday 28 April at 12:00 will kick off the 29th edition of the Bike Festival in Riva del Garda. The expo area, as always with free access, will be open on Friday 28 April from 11:00 to 19:00, Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 April from 10:00 to 19:00, and Monday 1 May from 10:00 to 16:00 pm.
The FUNduro will be held at the Bike Festival on Friday 28 April at 13 pm with a fun-filled route that leads to Monte Altissimo and includes three stages. At the end of the trials, the most skilled bikers will receive a special prize.
On Saturday 29 April at 7:30 the Scott BIKE Marathon will start from Riva del Garda: one of the most awaited events of the weekend will once again offer three splendid routes (Ronda Piccola, 30,67 kilometers and 1.065 meters in altitude; Ronda Grande , 59,56 kilometers and 2.406 meters in altitude, Ronda Extrema, 82,77 kilometers and 3.484 meters in altitude) and breathtaking scenery on Lake Garda.
At the end of the day on Saturday, from 19:00 to 22:00, the Bike Festival Open Night will take place, in which the exhibition village will be transformed into an open-air party, with music and fun, followed by the Bike Festival Party, at the Spiaggia degli Olivi.
Sunday 30 April from 8:30 to 9:30 will be the time for this year's big news, the Specialized Lake Bash, the Gravel challenge starting directly from the shores of Lake Garda. Along the 100 km route (or 65 for the short loop) there will be three timed fractions, while the remaining development will not count towards the ranking, thus allowing participants to pedal together, chat and admire the surrounding nature. Local specialties will also be served at the refreshment points, thus combining competition and local food and wine.
Also on Sunday at 10:00 it will be the turn of the Bosch eMTB Challenge supported by Trek, a challenge that combines elements of Enduro, Downhill and Orienteering, specially dedicated to pedal assisted bikes. For this competition, a division into two categories (advanced and amateur) is made, and all participants in the advanced one will have to complete an additional phase which requires more technique and riding competence and is therefore suitable for experienced cyclists.
Finally, on Monday 1st May, space for little bikers with the Junior Trophy at 10:30 (for athletes born between 2020 and 2015) and at 12:30 (for those born between 2014 and 2009) who will be able to experience a incredible experience, breathing the air of the race like the older ones.
For all the events, residents of the municipalities in the Garda Dolomites tourist area who register online will be guaranteed a discount when picking up the bib numbers.
For all information on the program and how to participate in the competitions, click here.
