What a spectacular event the Granfondo Matildica Merida was!

1100 participants at the start of the Granfondo Matildica Merida 2024. A trend that remains stable compared to many other events, bringing cyclists and companions to Reggio Emilia from all over Italy, Europe, and even some from overseas, with 20 nations represented.

Stefania Bondavalli, the sports councilor of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia, kicked off the competitive race at 7:30 AM, while at 7:45 AM, the non-competitive cyclists began.

The top finishers (the top 25% of each category) earned qualification for the UCI Granfondo and Mediofondo World Championship, which will be held in Australia in 2025.

The overall winners of the mediofondo route were Marco Rinaldi, Paolo Totò, and Lorenzo Visani for the men, and Dalila Ivana Sasso, Anna Cadorin, and Elisa Leardini for the women; for the granfondo route, the winners were Alberto Nardin, Danilo Celano, and Matteo Freddi for the men, and Giulia Bisso, Giulia Medri, and Eva Pigna for the women.

"It was an incredible emotion to witness the start. Seeing all the cyclists pass under the starting and finishing arch was the culmination of months and months of hard work. I can only thank the institutions, participants, and volunteers, all part of the complex mechanism that distinguishes the Granfondo Matildica Merida. We hope that everyone was satisfied, and long live the Granfondo Matildica," said Paolo Pè in his closing speech of the event.

"I am truly happy to have participated, as a cyclist as well as a mayor, in the Granfondo Matildica. Only from the bike can you appreciate the perfect organization, as well as admire a beautiful and evocative route, meticulously designed by the organizers. I want to thank all those, many of whom voluntarily, who contributed to the success of a sporting event that is now a fixed and essential appointment on our calendar. See you next year, Matildica," said Marco Massari, Mayor of Reggio Emilia.

"Once again, the Granfondo Matildica confirms itself as a great celebration of sport for our city and our territory, which today welcomed over 1100 cyclists, engaged in three different routes to discover the beauties of Reggio and our Apennines," commented Stefania Bondavalli, sports councilor of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia, who had inaugurated the event this morning. "I thank all those who contributed to the success of this event, which allows us to showcase our places and products beyond local borders. The many participants will surely take home the images and flavors of our land."

Giammaria Manghi, Head of the Political Secretariat of the Presidency of the Emilia Romagna Region, stated: "A great day of sport, with excellent participation from the public as well, testifying that the sport-promotion combination is a great vector of territorial promotion and that the Emilia Romagna Sport Valley continues to be fueled by events like granfondos, which are undoubtedly a crucial driving force in this absolutely priority direction."

On Saturday, August 24, at 6:00 PM in Piazza Gioberti, the presentation of the Reggio Emilia teams took place. This initiative was carried out in the spirit of collaboration established during the organization of the Granfondo Matildica Merida; the technical, organizational help and the high number of registrations from these friendly societies were fundamental. The icing on the cake was the presence of a team from Dubai composed of 25 athletes (men and women) from the Dubai Police, which created much excitement among the organizers. The Dubai Police Cycling Team is a specialized sports unit within the Dubai Police, focused on improving fitness among its members and presenting Dubai Police as a modern institution aligned with health and environmental trends. The spirit that unites these two entities is one of experience exchange that strengthens international ties in sports competitions, particularly in cycling. At the end of the presentation, the team coach of the Dubai Police Cycling Team presented President Paolo Pè with the Arab team’s jersey.

At the conclusion of the event, the thanks go to all the volunteers, the Emilia Romagna Region, and the Municipality of Reggio Emilia, who welcomed the event with open arms and made the realization of the fifty-second edition of the Granfondo Matildica Merida possible.