Fifth edition and another success for European Media Cycling Contest, the event born in 2022 with the objective of bringing together specialized media from around the world and taking them to discover a destination with great cycling potential.

Organized with the support of Apt Servizi Emilia-Romagna and Visit Romagna, this year EMCC took advantage of the presence of the Velo-city World Summit in Rimini to guide 30 journalists from Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, United Kingdom, Spain, Slovenia, Lithuania and Italy through the stimulating roads of Romagna, a region of undisputed tourist value and strong historical, landscape and gastronomic appeal.

Accompanied therefore by a perpetual smile and a strong desire to experience a unique adventure, from June 16 to 19 the heterogeneous group of participants was able to admire with their own eyes some of the most renowned localities in the area by taking part, on Wednesday the 17th, in a 76-kilometer ride that allowed them to pass through San Mauro Pascoli, Savignano sul Rubicone, Roncofreddo, Monteleone, Montiano and Longiano and taste some of the most delicious local delicacies in Montenovo.

The following day, with another ride of 63 kilometers including passages through Santarcangelo di Romagna, Poggio Berni and Verucchio, the menu and emotions were not very different except for a small addition that gave a spicy note of competition to the adventure: the individual time trial climb "Via Romagna Challenge" of 3.4 kilometers which, with the participation of Davide Cassani as a special guest, awarded the EMCC Award 2026.

To receive them, in a magical setting like that of the Rocca Malatestiana, were the English Paris Wood and Francesco Casale who, respectively in the women's and men's categories, prevailed over Agnes Guell (Spain) and Gaia Benzi (Italy) and Donatas Servytis (Lithuania) and Sergio Gil Llorens (Spain): once applauded and celebrated in an atmosphere of absolute serenity and conviviality, for them as for all the others came the moment to return, along the scenic route of the Coste di Sgrigna, towards the city of Rimini which, on this occasion, represented the true nerve center of the four-day event.

It was here that in fact, in addition to staying and experiencing the comfort of some of the city's bike hotels, the professionals took to the pedals to participate in their guided excursions in the Rimini area, animate the Velo-city Bike Parade of 10 kilometers through the streets of the capital (one of the many collateral initiatives of the week) and moved on the last day towards the Convention Center, the venue where the thirty participants were able to conclude their four-day Romagna experience by taking stock of the state of the art of the bicycle industry with the closing conferences of the packed program of the Velo-city World Summit.

With the interesting insights provided on the occasion, followed by institutional greetings from the speakers present on site, the curtain thus fell on another intense edition of EMCC which, through the activities organized by the organizers, once again succeeded in the aim of exalting and giving visibility to a precious corner of Italy while reaffirming, at the same time, how the bike offers incredible opportunities for aggregation and is a fantastic means to know and best convey the specificity of places, customs and traditions.

Photo credit: parissophiawood17 - Emilia Romagna Cycling