Riva del Garda, May 1, 2025. The event’s exhibitors have already enjoyed the Bike Festival Riva Future Summit on the eve of the opening, but the official starting signal for the FSA Bike Festival Riva del Garda 2025 was given today at 11am on the main stage of the Expo Area.
After exhibitors got a taste of the excitement at the Bike Festival Riva Future Summit the day before, the FSA Bike Festival Riva del Garda 2025 officially kicked off today at 11 a.m. To the applause of the audience, FSA project manager Giorgio Marra and Silvio Rigatti, President of the Garda Dolomiti S.p.A. tourism board, ceremoniously cut the symbolic ribbon to open the festival.
“Our tip for everyone attending: definitely check out the exhibitor booths—but more importantly, grab a bike and explore the stunning cycling trails around Riva del Garda. They’re among the most beautiful in the world,” said Marra as he opened the event.
Uli Stanciu, the “papá” of the Bike Festival, highlighted not only the beauty of Lake Garda, but especially the warmth and hospitality of the Garda Trentino region: “Vino, cappuccino, spaghetti—that’s what it’s all about.”
The opening ceremony centered on the festival’s new location and the future of biking. “We’ve done everything we can to make this the best edition ever. We’re confident that we won’t just be testing top-of-the-line bikes—we’re going to have a fantastic time together. I’m proud of how we’ve managed to elevate the platform this year. And to see so many people here after just one hour—that’s something we can all be proud of,” said Oskar Schwazer, General Manager of the Garda Dolomiti S.p.A. tourism board, looking ahead optimistically to the days to come at the festival.
Bike Festival Award 2025
A few hours later, the secret was finally revealed on the main stage: Which brand-new bikes would be honored with the highly coveted Bike Festival Award 2025? The award, now in its second edition, recognizes the best bikes of the year across three categories. A renowned panel of experts evaluated the submitted entries based on the criteria of “Technological Innovation,” “Overall Technical Equipment,” as well as “Appearance” and “Design.”
The title of Best Full-Suspension MTB went to the SPARK RC WORLDCUP from SCOTT SPORTS. The award for Best Full-Suspension E-MTB was given to the S-Works Turbo Levo 4 by Specialized. The award for Best Gravel Bike also went to SCOTT SPORTS, this time for the SCALE GRAVEL. A special prize for the bike with the most innovative feature was awarded to Specialized for its S-Works Turbo Levo 4 eMTB model.
The jury included: Uli Stanciu (founder of the Bike Festival and former editor of BIKE magazine), Hannes Neupert (mobility expert and eBike pioneer), Michael Rieder (Technical Director at KISKA), Andrea Ziliani (YouTuber, content creator, and bike tester), Marco Menin (communications designer), and Giampaolo Allocco (sports industrial designer).
Festival Already in Full Swing
On this first day of the festival, visitors extensively tested the latest mountain, e-mountain, and gravel bikes from over 350 brands. They also had the opportunity to join guided tours powered by Mmove, experiencing the stunning landscape around Lake Garda. Numerous side events added to the program, including expert talks and the SICK! Show – powered by Bikeflip Marketplace. The brand-new Red Bull Summer Vibes Party brought the first festival day to a perfect close in the evening.
Tomorrow, Friday, the first races kick off with the MAXXIS Gravel Garda Trentino and the Bosch eMTB Challenge, followed by the Bike Marathon on Saturday, where even UCI professionals will hit the track.
The detailed program, event registration, images, videos, and all further information about the FSA Bike Festival Riva del Garda can be found at www.bikefestivalriva.com
