After the success of 2021, the MIA Women Ride returns, from Verona to Milan along the Ciclovia Aida. An initiative aimed at women that leaves its mark on the world of cycling
It's called MIA Women Ride and it is the first cycle-tourism event in Italy dedicated exclusively to women. The first edition took place in 2021, bringing around a hundred cyclists to ride together from Milan to Verona along the Ciclovia Aida. A three-day journey marked by sharing, exchange and lightness. No performance anxiety or pressure, but rather a celebration on two wheels that managed to bring together people from different walks of life to send a clear, heartfelt message: women on bikes exist, they want to be there, and they want to do it together.
Free, colourful and conscious — this is the spirit of the MIA Women Ride. The event is open to everyone, and the first edition saw participants aged between 30 and 75 with entirely different backgrounds and cycling styles: mothers with toddlers and newborns in tow, cycle tourers who have crossed half the world on two wheels, and students trying longer distances for the very first time. Some love sleeping under the stars in a tent; others prefer a hotel room. To each her own — there is room for everyone, and above all there is camaraderie. Last year, with no directing hand, the group travelled as one, waiting for each other, helping each other, and spurring each other on.
The initiative was born from the Cicliste per caso, namely Silvia Gottardi and Linda Ronzoni, who are a couple not only in the saddle but also in life. Through the stories of their adventures on the blog Cicliste per caso, they seek to convey messages tied to female emancipation. If you don't know them, you can watch their documentary "Grizzly Tour" on Amazon Prime, or look for their wonderful book "L'Italia in bici sulle tracce di Alfonsina Strada".
"At a time when Italy has a great many demanding trails and cycling events, whose participants are almost exclusively male, we felt the desire to organise a ride that was easier in terms of distance and elevation, so as to make it accessible to a greater number of women," explains Silvia Gottardi. "Our goal is to bring more and more women closer to cycle tourism and, in doing so, to promote women's sport more broadly."
"We want women to meet, support one another and build networks," adds Linda Ronzoni. "There is so much energy that needs to find space and places in which to express itself." Indeed, female participation in cycling events is growing steadily, and over the past ten years the number of women who play sport in Italy has increased by 12% (Censis data). And so, with the organisational support of Witoor, the first MIA Women Ride came to life.
The route winds along the Ciclovia AIDA – Alta Italia da Attraversare, a project created in 2016 by Fiab, the Federazione italiana ambiente e bicicletta, with which MIA Women Ride also collaborates. The route is part of the Bicitalia network and is recognised by the Ministry of Transport. It is a long cycle-tourism itinerary running from Moncenisio to Trieste, part of which will be covered during the MIA Women Ride. The event features a journey of 192 kilometres divided into three stages, from Verona to Milan, along safe cycle paths that pass through small towns waiting to be discovered. The departure is set for Friday 16 September at 2 pm in Piazza San Zeno in Verona, while the arrival is expected on Sunday the 18th in Milan, at the Arco della Pace. All the information can be found on the dedicated website.
