FISU celebrates sustainable mobility through the 3Cs Project

What if your daily commute could cut carbon emissions, improve your health, and connect your campus to the heart of your city? It’s time to celebrate the invention that does this all, also used by over two billion people worldwide—the bicycle!

While the 3 June marked World Bicycle Day as proclaimed by the United Nations, FISU together with its partners of the Erasmus+ Sport 3Cs: Cycling, City & Campus project are celebrating by highlighting the journey that project partners and students took between the cities of Coimbra (Portugal), Montpellier (France), Madrid (Spain), and Torino (Italy) — all by sustainable modes of transport, mainly by bicycle and train.

The routes

This 3Cs project, launched in 2023, aims to promote sustainable mobility and healthier lifestyles within university communities across Europe, and brings together a consortium of universities and organisations including Universidad Camilo José Cela (Madrid), Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier, Università degli Studi di Torino, MUV B Corp, and FISU. Their collective goal is to encourage sustainable transportation – primarily cycling, walking and public transport – between university campuses and their surrounding urban areas.

The 3Cs routes—from Coimbra to Madrid, Madrid to Montpellier, and Montpellier to Torino was an epic adventure spanning a total over 2000 km, packed with stunning scenery, surprise detours, and showed that cycling can be a really enjoyable transport alternative.

• Total bicycle distance
  688 km
• Total train distance
  1,346 km
• Days
  15

Riders pedalled through medieval villages, cruised past olive groves and vineyards, crossed borders (and a few unexpected rivers), and tackled mountain climbs with determination. Whether dodging raindrops in Spain or sampling cherry pastries in Portugal, each stage of the journey was a celebration of what cycling is all about—freedom to move, being socially active, and having fun along the way.

Pictures along the way

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More than that, it showed how choosing a bike over a car can turn even a regular commute into something meaningful—for your health, your community, and the planet.

For more information on the routes and photos, please visit the official webpage of the project here.

Photo credits: UC | Henrique Patricio