The most beautiful amateur cycling races scheduled for 2023

The tenth edition of RideLondon, perhaps the world's leading cycling festival, takes place in May and was inaugurated in 2013 to follow up the 2012 Olympic Games. There will also be a cycling race from London to Essex, the county to the north-east of the capital, at the festival, which brings together cycling enthusiasts from all over the world. The main race is 100 miles long (about 160 kilometres), but there are also two shorter 60 and 30 mile versions (96 and 48 kilometres), which are ideal for engaging enthusiasts of all ages , whatever shape they are in.

It's a chance to discover the fascinating Costa Rica of Central America by bike. This cyclosportive, which is part of the official UCI calendar, includes 11 different categories according to age, is open to men and women (from 19-34 years old up to over 80) and a category reserved for e-bikes.

This crazy race is not for everyone. It has involved more than 100 cyclists who have challenged each other on the very long route from Trondheim to the capital Oslo, crossing half of Norway, since 1967. This year's race, which is scheduled for the weekend of 17th and 18th June, winds along 540 kilometres, with 3,627 metres climbing: a tough but very exciting undertaking.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009, the Dolomites are among the most beautiful mountains in the world, stage to the legendary Giro d'Italia exploits. A fantastic cycling marathon is held here every summer, involving some of the most beautiful mountain passes, with three different routes to be as open as possible to all levels of expertise: 138 kilometres with a difference in height of 4,230 metres, 106 kilometres with a difference in height of 3,139 metres and 55 kilometres with  1,780 metres difference in height. The start and finish are in Alta Badia, while the theme of the 36th edition is Humanity, the leitmotiv of the entire competition.

This race takes place on the other side of the world: a cycling route, between the Surf Coast and the Shire of Colac Otway, where cyclists tackle 130 kilometres of entirely closed-off roads, making them extremely safe and ideal for a bicycle race. There is also a recreational category, designed to make the race as open as possible, which, among other things, allows a van to provide assistance to face the most complicated sections and still cross the finish line, and allows the use of e-bikes.

It is one of the most evocative races of the GFNY (Gran Fondo New York) World Events circuit, which organises races for amateur and professional cyclists in dozens of countries around the world. Bali is extremely popular for its amazing views, from the coast to the bamboo forests, the rice paddies and the sacred mountain of Bali, Gunung Agung. There are two routes, one stretches along 137 kilometres and the other 102.

The Strade Bianche has become an increasingly popular race in recent years, so much so that it is now commonly referred to as the sixth Cycling Monument. The Eroica Montalcino is held on the same tracks, the magnificent gravel roads of Tuscany, in September. Saturday 30th September is the day for the most demanding routes, the Lungo (209 km) and the Medio Crete Senesi (135 km), while Sunday 1th October is the day for the lightest routes: the Cento Val D'Arbia (106 km), the Percorso Corto Gallo Nero route (81 km) and the Passeggiata Valle del Chianti (46 km).

More than a race, it is a veritable cycling festival organised by former cyclist George Hincapie on the routes on which he used to prepare for the Tour de France, with live music, and sociability. South Carolina's Blue Ridge Mountain is the backdrop to three different routes, ranging from 128, 80 and 24 kilometres.