Two wheels confirm themselves as the driving force behind sustainable tourism and the valorisation of Italian territories. On the evening of Friday 19 June, the splendid Ligurian setting of Sanremo hosted the proclamation ceremony of the Green Road Award 2026, the highly coveted Italian Oscar for cycle tourism. Created by Ludovica Casellati, the award celebrates regional excellence that invests in infrastructure and services dedicated to slow travellers.
The eleventh edition of the event recorded a historic record of 33 overall applications, examined by a technical jury on the basis of rigid parameters such as design, signage and cyclist services. The choice of Sanremo as the venue was not random: the city paid homage to the Cycling Riviera della Liguria (winner in 2025), celebrated in these hours with the official inauguration of the final stretch between Imperia and Diano Marina.
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The podium of 2026: the Umbrian rebirth and the paths of excellence
Climbing onto the top step of the podium is the splendid Trasimeno Cycle Route, which gives first place to the Umbria Region eleven years after the success achieved in 2015 with the Assisi-Spoleto-Norcia route. The winning itinerary winds for approximately 58 kilometers around the body of water of the same name, offering a flat route, usable twelve months a year and perfect for every level of preparation.
The silver medal went to Puglia thanks to the Giro a Anello del Gargano (Gag), an impressive 350 kilometer panoramic ring that combines the dense vegetation of the forest with the coastal cliffs. The third step of the podium saw a very important ex aequo: Piedmont with the Via del Mare cycle route (470 kilometers between rice fields and rivers) and Lazio with the Etruria cycle route, a fascinating 430 kilometer corridor immersed in the archaeological sites of the hinterland.
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The special mentions and the international triumph of France
The 2026 edition introduced important thematic innovations, starting from the focus on “silence” and the opening to equestrian tourism. The newly created Ippovie special mention was awarded to Abruzzo for the Gran Sasso horse trail, a colossal network of 687 kilometers that can also be covered by bicycle among high altitude pastures.
Tuscany, on the other hand, earned the Silence Mention thanks to the 347 kilometers of the Grand Tour of the Etruscan Coast, while Calabria excelled in the Walks category with the evocative Norman Way (163 kilometers between the Tyrrhenian and Ionian seas). Finally, Sardinia won the Press Mention with the 102 wild kilometers of the Shardana Bikeventure. Beyond national borders, the jury wanted to reward France as a foreign bike-friendly destination, recognizing the transalpine model’s unique ability to transform cycling mobility into a truly widespread cultural language.
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