L'Eroica speaks in the feminine: record participation for women in the 2025 edition

L'Eroica 2025 marks the step of women: one thousand female cyclists are the protagonists of the 2025 edition.

In Gaiole in Chianti, in the province of Siena, the historic cycling tourism event dedicated to vintage cycling, non-competitive, based on the use of steel bicycles and retro clothing, took place, crossing the picturesque "white roads" of the Tuscan countryside.

Last weekend, 8,328 cyclists from 51 countries participated in the event, which, now in its twenty-eighth edition, continues to attract enthusiasts from all over the world, confirming a formula that is appealing and not experiencing the decline of other mass events. Interesting data that, in light of the latest news, takes on a pink hue. The most significant figure comes from the female front: 1,111 women participated in L'Eroica, accounting for 13.3 percent of the total. A record result that testifies to the growing openness of the event towards an ever-broader and more diverse audience, where the passion for cycling and the desire for sharing transcend every barrier of age and origin.

Italians numbered 5,464, accounting for 60.7 percent of participants, while over 40 percent of cyclists came from abroad, with attendees from all over Europe, the United States, Japan, and Australia. Chianti has thus once again transformed into a global crossroads of vintage cycling. On Saturday, October 4, a day dedicated to the longer routes, 3,722 cyclists pedaled (44.7 percent of the total): 1,644 tackled the "Eroico" route of 212 kilometers and 2,078 the "Crete Senesi" route of 135 kilometers.

On Sunday, October 5, with the shorter routes, 4,606 participants set off (55.3 percent), distributed among "Val d'Arbia" of 106 kilometers, "Gallo Nero" of 81, and "Valle del Chianti" of 46.

And there is great news for 2026: L'Eroica lands in China. After Eroica Cuba (2024) and NOVA Eroica Istria (2025), 2026 will see a new, historic milestone: the first edition of Eroica China. A new chapter for a dream born in the heart of Chianti and become a global movement, capable of connecting places and people in the name of cycling and beauty.

Cover photo by Paolo Cadelo for Unpslash