Andy Devaney
The FSA Bike Festival rolled into Riva del Garda and, for three days, made Lake Garda feel less like a postcard and more like the command centre of European off-road cycling.
This was not merely a gathering of people in expensive sunglasses discussing tyre pressure over espresso, although there was undoubtedly some of that. The 32nd edition brought together professional riders, bike brands, gravel racers, junior competitors, eMTB specialists and visitors from around the world for a weekend that mixed competition, product testing, trail culture and proper mountain scenery.
And now the date is already fixed for the next lap. The 33rd edition of the FSA Bike Festival Riva del Garda will take place from 30 April to 2 May 2027.
Riva Del Garda Finds Its Cycling Rhythm
There are worse places to ride a bike than Garda Trentino. The lake sits there looking impossibly calm, the mountains rise with the quiet confidence of old prizefighters, and the trails do what good trails should: tempt, test and occasionally humble anyone who arrives thinking they have it all worked out.
On the first weekend in May, cycling fans, professional athletes and industry experts gathered at the FSA Bike Festival in Riva del Garda to test new products on the trails, compete in races, explore the latest trends at the Expo and experience the region through a packed side-event programme.
The festival opened with the BOSCH eMTB Challenge and the Bike Festival Award, setting the tone for a weekend where electric mountain biking, gravel racing, technical kit and human enthusiasm all jostled for position.
By the second day, the UCI Bike Marathon had taken centre stage as the event’s sporting headline act. It gave the weekend its competitive spine: serious riders, serious terrain and the sort of effort that makes calves question their life choices.
Big Names, Bigger Trails
The FSA Bike Festival has grown into more than a cycling meet-up. It is now a working hub for the international bike scene, where athletes, brands and riders meet in the same space rather than admiring one another from opposite sides of a press barrier.
“Once again this year, the festival – alongside a strong visitor engagement – has confirmed its status as a central platform for key figures in the bike scene, including Danny MacAskill, Gee Atherton, Ines Thoma and Hans Rey,” said Oskar Schwazer, General Manager of Garda Dolomiti S.p.A.. A particular milestone is the ITRS Gold certification for Garda Trentino. This makes the region the world’s first destination to be recognised based on international trail classification and management standards.”
That ITRS Gold certification is not a decorative badge for the brochure rack. It matters because it positions Garda Trentino as a global benchmark for trail classification and management — a serious point of difference in a world where every destination with a hill and a hire shop claims to be “world-class”.
Here, the infrastructure appears to match the ambition.
Gravel Gets Its Moment
The third day underlined the festival’s breadth. The MAXXIS Gravel Garda Trentino races sent riders out across two different routes, giving gravel cycling another confident shove into the spotlight.
Gravel has become cycling’s wonderfully awkward middle child: not quite road, not quite mountain bike, but increasingly impossible to ignore. At Garda Trentino, it fitted naturally into the landscape, offering riders a taste of endurance, scenery and loose-surface jeopardy without requiring a full expedition beard.
Its presence at the FSA Bike Festival also reflected a wider industry shift. Riders want versatility. Brands are responding. Events like this give both sides a chance to meet somewhere practical: out on the route, where the marketing language either holds up or gets shaken loose on the first descent.
The Juniors Steal Their Share Of The Show
Away from the senior racing and industry buzz, the SCOTT Junior Trophy delivered one of the weekend’s more heartening scenes.
More than 400 children aged three to 14 took part, following in the tyre tracks of the professionals but with rather more joy and considerably less concern about recovery protocols.
It was about fun, movement and shared experience — three things cycling can do brilliantly when nobody overcomplicates it. For a sport always looking to secure its future, few sights are more useful than children discovering that bikes are not just transport or equipment, but freedom with handlebars.
Expo Buzz And The Biker’s Choice Award
The Expo gave visitors a hands-on look at the latest cycling innovations, from practical kit to technical upgrades and brand experiences designed to survive contact with actual riders.
In the Biker’s Choice Award, visitors voted for their favourite exhibition stands. Thule won Best Stand, Sher took Best Crew, MIPS claimed Must-have Gadget, and Vittoria landed Best Experience.
“This year, the interaction with the audience was excellent. Through simple and hands-on product tests, we were able to make our innovations more tangible for consumers, and we are happy to win this award,” said Loredana Calò from the Vittoria Group.
That line neatly captures why events like this still matter. Cycling technology can sound painfully abstract when trapped in spec sheets. Put it in someone’s hands, let them try it properly, and suddenly the conversation becomes much more honest.
What The FSA Bike Festival Means For Garda Trentino
Beyond the races, awards and celebrity riders, the FSA Bike Festival reinforces Garda Trentino’s position as one of Europe’s most compelling cycling destinations.
It has the landscape, certainly. But landscape alone is not enough. Plenty of places have mountains. The difference here is the combination of trail structure, event organisation, international visibility, hospitality and a cycling culture that feels embedded rather than imported for a long weekend.
“We are proud to have given the cycling community a top-class event. The festival is a hub for people to meet, exchange ideas and look towards the future together,” added Schwazer.
For the region, that matters. Events of this scale do more than fill hotel rooms. They create identity, attract investment, support local businesses and give visitors a reason to return when the banners have come down.
The Road To 2027
After three days of racing, testing, meeting, watching and occasionally pretending not to be out of breath, attention has already shifted to next year.
“The festival is open and inclusive, creating real value for the region and everyone involved. I am looking forward to next year,” adds Silvio Rigatti, President of the Garda Dolomiti S.p.A..
The 33rd edition of the FSA Bike Festival Riva del Garda will take place from 30 April to 2 May 2027.
By then, the trails will be waiting, the Expo stands will be rebuilt, the gravel crowd will be back, and Lake Garda will again find itself surrounded by riders who came for the bikes but may leave talking just as much about the place. That, in the end, is the mark of a proper event: it does not just happen somewhere. It belongs there.