The fourth edition of Axion Lugano Summer Ride in Switzerland was a notable success. Thanks to the wonderful sunny day, thousands of people flocked to Lugano's lakefront to watch the various cycling exhibitions. Naturally, the professional aces' criterium won by a margin by Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) was the highlight of the event organized by Velo Club Lugano, City of Lugano, and with the precious support of Axion Swiss Bank – Banca Stato Group.

The president of Velo Club Lugano, Andrea Prati, and former professional rider Patrick Calcagni designed a 1,450-meter circuit along the lakefront. The professionals covered it 26 times for a total of 37.700 km, and the race was naturally very animated. In the finale, Lorenzo Fortunato, who raced with the blue jersey of the Giro d'Italia Mountain Grand Prix winner, and Filippo Baroncini broke away. Pedersen swooped down on them during the 25th lap and then dropped them by several dozen meters.

Mads crossed the finish line with his arms raised, and a few seconds later Fortunato prevailed over Baroncini in the sprint for second place. Then, one by one, Diego Ulissi and other protagonists arrived, including Christian Scaroni, the only Italian stage winner at the 2025 Giro d'Italia, Stefano Oldani, Davide Ballerini, Davide Piganzoli, and Mikkel Honoré. Pedersen sported the cyclamen jersey of the points classification leader at the Giro d'Italia during the "Axion Bank" criterium. The race, commented by Alessandro Brambilla and Giada Borgato, featured numerous attacks.

The organization awarded Norwegian Jorgen Nordhagen as the most combative rider among the 20 elite participants. Races reserved for young people aged between 7 and 14, along with speed trials for amateurs – which also saw the participation of Damiano Cunego, Ruben Bertogliati, Giada Borgato, Sandro Vitali, and Marco Tini, administrator of Axion Swiss Bank – preceded Pedersen and company's race. There was also a parade of vintage bikes and jerseys. The event's guest list was impressive. Marco Tini, Andrea Prati, Roberto Badaracco (Vice-Mayor of Lugano), and Franz Gallati, co-president of Swiss Cycling, awarded the best performers.

Photos by Claudio Bergamaschi