Next year, the Italian towns of Treviso, Bassano del Grappa and Marostica will play host to the 20th World Press Cycling Championships (WPCC), an annual competition that attracts a large group of international journalists who swap their pens for bikes to do battle for the coveted title. The 2019 WPCC takes place between September 12-15 and provides the Veneto region with a unique opportunity to showcase its landscape as well as its art, wine and cuisine.
The 2018 edition of the event took place in the Belgian town of Roeselare. In 2019, the press corps will be back, this time on the roads of Veneto in Italy for the 20th outing of the event when Treviso, Bassano del Grappa and Marostica play host to 200 journalists from 20 different nations.
In the three days that follow the 2019 opening ceremony, the journalists will compete in an individual time trial, a team sprint and a road race to determine the winner of the press world champion jersey.
“Italy has won 100 medals over the years in the World Press Cycling Championships and so it is a great honour for us to be able to play host to the event once more,” said Roberto Ronchi, President of the Italian Cycling Journalists’ Association (AGCI). “Doing so in Veneto, a region where cycling is revered, makes it a source of even greater pride.
“We in the AGCI are certain that the 2019 World Press Cycling Championships will be a great success and are expecting colleagues from all over Europe and beyond to take part.”
Once the Belgian organisers hand over the baton to the Veneto committee, the countdown to the World Championship begins in earnest.
“We have an entire year to work not only on the competitive side of the event but also on all the other elements that enrich the Championships,” stressed Enrico Cuman who chairs the 2019 WPCC Organising Committee. “That will involve a busy cultural and entertainment programme for all our guests to ensure this Italian World Championship is an experience to remember.”
Aside from being a major sporting event, the 20th World Press Cycling Championships will also provide the Veneto region with a major opportunity to raise its profile with the influential media present.
