The 2029 UEC Road Championships will be held in Italy, in the Abruzzo Region, and will be hosted by the Province of L'Aquila.
The agreement was signed today at the headquarters of the Abruzzo Region by the President of the Union Européenne de Cyclisme, Enrico Della Casa, the President of the Abruzzo Region, Marco Marsilio, and the Councillor for the Budget and Sport of the Abruzzo Region, Mario Quaglieri.
The event, which will bring together more than 850 participants from 40 countries over five days and award a total of 14 titles in the Juniors, Under 23 and Elite Men's and Women's categories, will be broadcast across Europe thanks to an agreement between the UEC and Eurovision, and will take on a value that goes beyond the sporting aspect. Indeed, 2029 will mark the 20th anniversary of the earthquake that struck the town of L'Aquila on 6 April 2009, killing 309 people and injuring more than 1,600.
Enrico Della Casa, President of the Union Européenne de Cyclisme: "The 2029 Road European Championships will be an opportunity not only to celebrate unity through sport, but also to remember and honour those who experienced and continue to experience the consequences of the tragic event of 2009.
Sport is a universal language that speaks of strength and solidarity. On this occasion, more than ever, we want to use this extraordinary tool to send a message of togetherness to the region, demonstrating that sporting passion can be a powerful vector of hope and rebirth, and we will do so with an event that will benefit from extensive television and media coverage.
I would like to thank the Abruzzo Region, with its President Marco Marsilio and its Councillor for the Budget and Sport Mario Quaglieri, for the commitment and passion with which they immediately supported this project, which has now become a reality; Luigi Di Giosia, who is responsible for relations between the Region and the UEC; the journalist Enrico Giancarli, who created the European 2029 project in L'Aquila; and the Italian Cycling Federation with its President Cordiano Dagnoni, who is always active and close to our events and initiatives”.
Marco Marsilio, President of the Abruzzo Region: "We are delighted and proud to be able to host the 2029 European Cycling Championships in Abruzzo, and that this prestigious sporting event is being held in L'Aquila on the twentieth anniversary of the earthquake. Over these long years, the capital of the Region has completed an extraordinary journey of reconstruction and rebirth, demonstrating its ability to recover and once again compete at the highest levels.
I would like to thank all those who have made it possible to achieve this ambitious goal, knowing that we are about to experience five days of intense, high-quality sport".
Cordiano Dagnoni, President of the Italian Cycling Federation: "I'm particularly pleased with this appointment, because it shows that the national system is working. When I was invited this summer to ride with the President of the Abruzzo Region, Marco Marsilio, and with the Councillor for the Budget and Sport, Mario Quaglieri, to launch a bid for the World Championships (on the initiative of my friends Giancarli and Di Giosia, which subsequently led to the award of the European Championships), I was able to appreciate the strong link between civil society and regional institutions, united by the same objective: to promote this magnificent region through cycling.
The 2029 European Championships will be a success, as was the prologue to the 2023 Giro d'Italia on the Trabocchi hill and the finish, in previous years, at Campo Felice and on the Blockhouse.
I would like to thank Governor Marsilio and Councillor Quaglieri, with whom an immediate harmony was born, based on a shared passion for our sport and on their firm determination to invest in cycling, not just for major events, but with structures, initiatives and itineraries capable of encouraging grassroots activity, everyday cycling and steady, sustainable tourism.
I would also like to thank the President of the UEC, Enrico Della Casa, who enthusiastically accepted this bid, immediately appreciating the willingness and passion of the Abruzzo institutions for our sport.”
