Friuli Venezia Giulia is a surprising Italian region, and one of the best ways to discover it is by bicycle.
This year, the first unsupported bikepacking event will be held on the weekend of September 19-21, allowing participants to explore a region dedicated to tourism and increasingly prepared to welcome cycle tourism, a growing way of traveling. The FVG Bike Trail was born from a blend of passion and professionalism, like many other great initiatives. It's appropriate to say so, especially given the region's abundance of ideas.
Ippolito Nievo, a famous writer, described Friuli Venezia Giulia as "a small compendium of the Universe." This non-competitive bikepacking event, designed for cycling and outdoor tourism enthusiasts, was conceived by two friends and avid cyclists: Giacomo Miranda and Alex della Mea.
Miranda, the owner of a marketing agency, PM2, which is deeply involved in sports, is driven by a great passion for the Friulian territory, which offers a myriad of points of interest. Add to this the mapping created by a cartography enthusiast, such as the Tabacco maps with over 300 tracks by Simone Braidotti—an accountant by profession and a cyclist by passion—plus additional routes by Michele Miani, and the event comes to life.
The event is organized by It Takes Two, a benefit company from Udine, with the support of PromoturismoFVG, and the patronage of the FVG Region entities, who immediately recognized the promotional potential of the event. The event is held in partnership with the PM2 communication and marketing agency, Consorzio del Prosciutto di San Daniele (San Daniele ham producer association), X-Zone Bike, BCC CrediFriuli, and 620 Passi craft brewery (bless the maltodextrins!).
"Friuli offers a wide range of experiences," says Tatjana Familio, head of the press office of the regional tourism promotion body. "From the Dolomites to the sea and in a territory so close to Europe, four languages are spoken here: Friulian, Italian, German, and Slovenian.
“We are expanding the cycling product, which is increasingly important for neighbouring countries and beyond, with a regional development plan that includes the creation of 10 cycle paths—800 km of routes already available out of the 1,400 planned across 20 circuits. These are real cycle paths, also dedicated to families, routes for 'Food & Wine' Mountain Bike and sports cycling tourism, all linked to an intermodality that allows you to travel by public transport as well as by pedaling, but above all, in peace."
The limit set by the organization of 500 participants has been reached. The FVG Bike Trail has already made its mark, with 30% of participants coming from abroad—Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Switzerland, and France, as well as Finland, Poland, and the USA. Among the Italian participants, more than 70% will come from outside the region.
Speaking of numbers, the average age is 49, with 30% women and 70% men. The Regional Department of Tourism highlights a new post-pandemic trend: visitors are increasingly seeking forms of slow tourism, in contact with nature and away from mass flows.
"As Friulians and great fans of the cycling world, designing these two routes was perhaps the most challenging part of the project," explains Giacomo Miranda, creator and organizer of FVG Bike Trail and CEO of PM2.
"We tried to create a story on two wheels that could provide a true and unexpected image of our region to those who travel it." Beyond the ideal morphology of the territory, Friuli Venezia Giulia presents itself as a place for unique experiences, where you can immerse yourself in traditions, including food and wine—a fundamental step for cyclists of all levels to savour ancient flavours and traditions.
For these reasons, the Region's support for initiatives like the FVG Bike Trail is total, as it combines a passion for sport with outdoor tourism, enhancing the landscapes, scenarios, and many small local gems that characterize the region. The FVG Bike Trail was created to guide participants through the wonders of the region, combining the love of cycling with the spirit of adventure and the pleasure of travel.
There are two circular routes of different lengths and difficulties. The longer route is 490 km with 5,200 meters of elevation gain (D+), suitable for well-trained and resilient cyclists. The shorter route is 190 km with 2,000 meters of elevation gain—less demanding but equally full of pleasant surprises.
The common denominator is that each route has been designed to offer participants a concentration of nature, history, and the beauty of the Friulian territory, winding along the secondary and forest roads of the region. From the hills of San Daniele to the coast of Lignano, passing through Venzone, Gemona, the Torre and Natisone Valleys, the Colli Orientali, Cividale, Palmanova, and Marano Lagunare.
The FVG Bike Trail is an absolutely non-competitive "unsupported" event (single stage). Each participant has complete freedom to decide which route to take, when to depart (with the departure dates planned for this first edition from September 19 to 21, with a long-term plan for growth), how much to pedal, and where to stop.
The track of the chosen route in *.gpx format is provided by the organization shortly before the departure, which will take place, in a loop, from Villa Manin to Passariano di Codroipo, easily reachable by all means of transport, including bicycles. "We chose the unsupported format because we believe it fits well with a region like Friuli Venezia Giulia, a land rich in routes and connections, but sometimes unknown even to those who live there," adds Miranda.
"In designing the event, we wanted anyone who participated to do so freely but also consciously. The philosophy of an unsupported event is precisely this: no one dictates the pace; you pedal at your own speed and in freedom, but you are also called to make a real connection with the territory, to get to know it, and to independently organize stops and overnight stays."
The event's shirt is an essential element. FVG Bike Trail is inextricably linked to the territory, and so the official jersey of the first edition bears the signature of a great Friulian artist, maestro Gianni Borta, a painter and leading figure in Italian naturalistic art. He transformed the Supergiara Jersey model by Sportful, the event's technical partner, into a precious canvas where art and cycling blend in a mosaic of colours.
It is a work of art produced in a limited edition that has already sold out—a beautiful memory and an iconic piece to be cherished.
