Chase the Sun Italia

A ride from sunrise to sunset, from sea to sea

Chase the Sun Italia is a non-competitive cycling tour that every year, on the summer solstice weekend, offers a challenge that is as simple in concept as it is epic in execution: to cross Italy by bicycle in a single day, from coast to coast, chasing the sun from east to west. The starting point is Cesenatico, a pearl of the Adriatic Riviera in the Province of Forlì-Cesena, in the heart of Emilia-Romagna; the finish is in Tirrenia, on the Pisan coast in Tuscany, where the sun dips into the Tyrrhenian Sea.

It is not a race, but a great collective adventure: there are no rankings or stopwatches, only the pleasure of cycling together and the satisfaction of completing the route before dark. The event is part of the international Chase the Sun circuit, which originated in the United Kingdom and has since spread to several European countries.

The route: about 280 km from coast to coast

The route measures almost 280 kilometers with about 2,600 meters of elevation gain. It develops for just under a third in Romagna and for over two-thirds in Tuscany: after starting from the coast, it heads towards the Apennines, crosses the suggestive Casentinesi Forests, and follows the Arno River from Monte Falterona to the sea, passing through art cities like Florence and Pisa before reaching the beach of Tirrenia.

Solo or relay

You can participate in two ways: solo (SOLO), completing the entire route alone, or in a relay with teams of three people (TEAM), with the mandatory presence of at least one woman and support from a following car. There are four mandatory checkpoints along the route, which also serve as changeover zones for relays.

Cesenatico, gateway to the Adriatic

The start from the lighthouse of the Porto Canale in Cesenatico — designed according to Leonardo da Vinci's tradition — offers a scenic start with the sun rising behind the cyclists over the Adriatic. Cesenatico, with its Maritime Museum and famous trabaccoli (traditional fishing boats), has always been a favorite destination for cycling enthusiasts in Emilia-Romagna, a land that gave birth to legendary champions like Marco Pantani.