Guido Monaco Bike Rally

A cycling rally in the heart of the Casentino

The Guido Monaco Bike Rally is the cycling event that brings Talla to life every spring and summer. This small municipality in the province of Arezzo is nestled in the lush greenery of the Casentino, in Tuscany. Launched in 2024, the event has quickly become a highly anticipated date for mountain bike and gravel enthusiasts across the region, thanks to a route that perfectly balances physical challenge, nature, and history.

Routes through dirt tracks, forests, and abbeys

The rally features routes primarily on dirt roads, suitable for mountain bikes, gravel bikes, and enduro bikes. Starting from the Pro Loco parking lot in Talla, the trail climbs through the Casentino woods to reach one of the area's most iconic landmarks: the Badia di Santa Trinita in Alpe. Founded around the year 1000, this was the first Benedictine monastery in the Casentino and is traditionally linked to the figure of Guido Monaco. This site serves as the intermediate refreshment point, offering a chance to catch your breath while admiring one of the hidden gems of the Arezzo Apennines.

Talla and Guido Monaco

The rally's name pays homage to Guido Monaco (Guido of Arezzo), the music theorist credited with inventing modern musical notation. According to local tradition, Talla is his birthplace. Cycling along these paths means traversing the very places where he grew up, creating a unique blend of sport and culture that sets this event apart from a standard cycling race.

Sport, community, and solidarity

The Guido Monaco Bike Rally is not a competitive race but a cycling event open to everyone; those who are not particularly fit can participate by renting an e-bike. The event has always been driven by a strong sense of community and charity: all proceeds from previous editions have been donated to charitable causes, ranging from fundraising for Save the Children to purchasing public utility equipment for local hamlets.

• Where: Talla, province of Arezzo (Casentino, Tuscany)
• Meeting point: Pro Loco parking lot in Talla, Via Verdi
• For whom: MTB, gravel, and enduro enthusiasts, as well as cycle tourists on e-bikes
• Highlights: Refreshments at the Badia di Santa Trinita in Alpe and a final group lunch

A day designed to experience the Casentino from the saddle, discovering its villages, abbeys, and trails, topped off with the conviviality of a final lunch and the opportunity to support a charitable cause.