– The Queen of the Festival starts tomorrow at 7:30 a.m.

Saturday at the Colnago Lake Garda Cycling Festival was a whirlwind of excitement, filled with sports, fun, and solidarity.

The day began at 9:30 a.m., when Desenzano del Garda welcomed the participants of the Colnago Gravel “Terra del Garda”, who rode 63 km or 38 km through the spectacular scenery of the Brescia side of Lake Garda.

The cyclists made their first stop in Salò, at Piazza Baden Powell, where they refueled with a hearty meal to continue the ride in top form!

They then crossed the finish line in Padenghe sul Garda, at Palazzo Barbieri, the town hall. A grand closing celebration full of surprises awaited them at the finish line, featuring products from the Strada dei Vini del Garda and the presence of reenactors from the “Padenghe Tricolore.”

In the afternoon, downtown Desenzano became the scene of a wonderful celebration! Starting at 2:00 PM, the first cyclists brought Piazza Malvezzi to life, where the race packs and bib numbers for the Granfondo Colnago were handed out.

At 2:30 PM, the second edition of the CONAD Junior Bike took place, an event designed for young athletes who gathered on the Cesare Battisti Lakeside Promenade to tackle skill challenges on their bikes—this year’s sole round of the Regional Championship. At the end of the event, all participants were treated to a tasty CONAD snack, followed by the dedicated awards ceremony.

Meanwhile, children and parents took their places at the starting line for the Colnago Family ride, a guided tour led by the Garda Cycling Academy and designed for parents and children of all ages. The Colnago Family ride symbolized the union of sports and solidarity: all proceeds from event registration will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House in Brescia.

A special thank you goes to all our partners—X-BIONIC, Ekoi, Tomasi Auto, Noleggiare, and Named—who brought life and color to the day in the Festival’s Expo area. 

At 7:30 p.m., the official start of the second edition of Desenzano By Night took place, a 3- and 6-kilometer recreational walk to admire the views of Lake Garda at sunset.

To wrap up the day, the CCF organizers treated participants and guests of the Colnago Lake Garda Cycling Festival to a fireworks display over the lake.

At the end of this beautiful and exciting day, all that remains is to thank all the participants, as we look forward to the highlight of the festival, the Granfondo Colnago, tomorrow morning.