L’Eroica 2024 has reported 9,016 cyclists registered for this year’s event, with 8,331 actually riding on the weekend of October 5-6, 2024.
Set in central Italy’s Tuscany region, L’Eroica mixes up wool jerseys and vintage bicycles along with modern bikes and gear. A popular event, held on the white roads of Siena, Italy, the number of participating cyclists in 2024 mirrors the number of riders taking on last year’s event.
This year, 41% of riders were international (non-Italian) with over 1,000 women. Overall, participants came from 52 different countries.
The different routes saw 3,618 cyclists taking on the two longest routes on Saturday, while on Sunday, 4,713 cyclists (57% of the total) took on the three shorter routes available.
Many initiatives were organised in tandem with the main cycling events, celebrating cycling history and legends. These included:
- A screening of the film on Ottavio Bottecchia by Franco Bortuzzo,
- The inauguration of the Berruti bike workshop, led by Jacek Berruti and his mother Zofia,
- The Fiat 1500 that RAI and ASI (AutomotoClub Storico Italiano) put back on the road specifically for L’Eroica after a very long hibernation in the garage of the RAI headquarters in Rome.
L’Eroica founder Giancarlo Brocci said “The enthusiasm of the people is contagious, and we organizers are prisoners of this wonderful creation and of this world that has been created around Gaiole in Chianti. We owe too much to these people and we already feel obliged to start working on the next edition.”
Franco Rossi, President of Eroica Italia, added “L’Eroica is the result of the work of a great team that never lacks the support of the authorities and administrations that fall within Terra Eroica.
“Their close collaboration is a huge help. I thank the volunteers; they were all excellent and generous as always. I am very proud of the young protagonists of the growing project, and I am particularly grateful to RAI. The images transmitted have allowed many to admire the magnificent world of L’Eroica.
“This year RAI radio was also involved and it was fantastic to see the Fiat 1500 used for filming the Giro in the 1960s and 70s back on the road. Many chose to pedal on the of the ‘One Hundred Years of Radio’ route. As always, the party is not over yet and we are already looking forward to the next edition.”
