Eroica Montalcino and the Ministry of the Environment: united for sustainable cycling

From May 23 to 25, 2025, Eroica Montalcino returns to capture the hearts of vintage cycling enthusiasts amid the authentic landscapes of the Val d'Orcia and the Crete Senesi, a UNESCO World Heritage site. In this unique setting, the collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security (MASE) is renewed with new initiatives that blend passion, culture, and sustainability.

This synergy, which began in 2022 with the exhibition held at the European Parliament in Brussels, is rooted in the principles of the Sustainable Cycling Manifesto, a document that promotes a slower, more conscious, and environmentally respectful model of mobility. Because every pedal stroke can be a tangible act for the future of our planet.

Again this year, the Ministry of the Environment will be present in Piazza del Popolo, under the loggias of the town hall, with its stand featuring the “Dipende Da Noi” campaign, created for the Cultura e Consapevolezza platform. Many initiatives will engage visitors throughout the three days of the Festival.

Under 25 in green jerseys: young ambassadors of sustainability

A special team of Under 25 cyclists will take part in Eroica Montalcino riding vintage bikes and wearing wool jerseys bearing the logo of the Ministry of the Environment. They will act as ambassadors of the Sustainable Cycling Manifesto and play an active role in the Adotta un Chilometro project, caring for designated stretches of the course. With small yet meaningful actions, they will contribute to waste separation along the route, showing how environmental care can start from every road we ride.

The sustainable Heroic Notebook: a space for the youngest

The Eroica Montalcino village will also host the Ministry’s stand, where children and young participants will receive a special notebook inspired by the values of sustainable cycling. Drawings, notes, reflections — each page will be an invitation to creativity and environmental awareness, turning the diary into a personal guide to sustainability. Because the future begins here, with the hands and ideas of the next generation.

“I Percorsi Ritrovati”: bringing forgotten roads back to life

On Friday, May 23 at 11.30 AM, at the Chiostro di Sant’Agostino, the official presentation of the volume "I Percorsi Ritrovati" will take place — a publication resulting from a study initiated by Eroica and supported by MASE in 2024. The book features over 200 trails connecting national parks, geomining parks, and protected areas, rediscovering the beauty and value of white roads and minor routes. This is a heritage to be preserved and enhanced, capable of linking slow mobility, sustainable tourism, and the cultural memory of the Italian landscape.

A special press conference will bring together local authorities, park representatives, and officials from the 17 municipalities participating in Terra Eroica’s permanent routes, to share the vision behind the project and explore new ways to protect the land.

A race that is also a choice

Eroica Montalcino is not just a sporting event — it is a cultural movement that, for nearly thirty years, has told the story of a different way to experience cycling and the landscape. Thanks to the support of the Ministry of the Environment, its message is now even more powerful: riding on the roads of Eroica means caring for the land, rediscovering the value of slowness, and building a more sustainable future — together.

From May 23 to 25, come live a heroic experience that looks ahead.