Scenes from the 2022 Giro della Donna

tipscycling490 avril 04, 2022

Scenes from the 2022 Giro della Donna

Over the weekend I attended the seventh edition (we lost one year to COVID) of the Giro della Donna. It’s an event in the Yarra Ranges east of Melbourne that started with four of us in a little office saying, ‘Why do we do this each and every day? We want to inspire people to get out and ride their bikes, and what are we doing to achieve that?’

We saw a disconnect between the content we produced online, and what we were able to provide in real life. So we said, ‘Let’s do the biggest and best gran fondo that cycling enthusiasts actually want to ride. Something with authenticity, fun touchpoints in between the start and finish line, and something people will remember until the next year.’

Thus, the Giro della Donna was born.

We envisioned hosting a Giro della Donna equivalent in multiple countries throughout the year so we could involve many more people. That was the dream.

We didn’t know what we were getting into. We’d never run an event for thousands of people before, but with the help of others we managed to pull off a festival of cycling like none other.

Since the Giro della Donna began it’s attracted guests such as Marianne Vos (twice), Alberto Contador, Carlos Sastre, Simon Gerrans, and Mitch Docker. Not only that, it always gave me a massive buzz to see pros and celebrities show up to this of their own volition. But more than that, seeing all the regular cyclists who participate blows my mind. It’s the one time of the year I stand back and feel like I’m in a dream looking down from the clouds, watching it all happen. This year was no different.

CyclingTips no longer owns or operates the Giro della Donna. It ended up being too much of a distraction and risk for the business, but we’re blessed that the folks from CorporateCycling.cc have taken it over and continue to evolve it in the direction it was meant to go.

Thank you to everyone who makes this event what it is. I’m truly humbled each edition.