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A more than eighty kilometre run, wholly internal, of top cycling quality but also of high historic-cultural interest.
A sort of rectangle that starts and finishes in Faenza after passing through towns of art and spas such as Castrocaro, Brisighella and Riolo. In the middle, Monte Trebbio and other breakaways that are not negligible, Casale and Monticino for example.
Advice to those able to detach themselves from competitive fervour: a few stops and glances at the panorama are well worthwhile.
The Dovadola truffle, a prized species
The first stretch, leaving Faenza towards Forlì, is on the Via Emilia where traffic is heavy. But all that’s needed is a little patience because after about ten kilometres, following the signs for Villagrappa on the right, peace will return. This stretch that goes towards Castrocaro is on apparently slightly flat ground that gets your legs ready for the effort of the upcoming climb.
From Castrocaro there are about ten up and down kilometres to Dovadola, famous for a prized species of truffle that grows there.
Here you start going up: first there are two kilometres of pretty gentle ascent then, starting from the Monte Trebbio fork, more than five kilometres from the top, the climb gets really serious. The first kilometre has a gradient of about 10%, then there is a providential flat before you take on about 1500 metres at 12%.
Lastly, after a few hundred metres that are fortunately more easy going, there is a final diabolical kilometre.
When you get to the top you feel gratified by the achievement and by the Memorial Stone dedicated to cyclists. Never was there a better aimed homage.
Watch out at the Monte Casale breakaway
You start going down to Modigliana and the descent is difficult in stretches. You pass the town on a road surface that is treacherous for bikes and carry straight on to the road for Brisighella. |
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Now you have to face the second climb of the day: Monte Casale. It isn’t a long stretch, about three kilometres, but the gradient is roughly a fairly constant 10%. The last 300 metres are the worst and they bite into your legs, but then you are on the way down to Brisighella, once more in the province of Ravenna.
Brisighella, the pleasure of the beautiful
Brisighella, over and above being an important spa centre, is one of the most evocative places in the province.
If you feel like taking a break, this is the right place. It is full of mediaeval charm with its narrow streets, the Fortress, the Clock Tower and that peculiarity, the raised and arcaded Via degli Asini. At Brisighella you’ve covered 60 kilometres but the climbs aren’t over yet: there’s still Monticino, three kilometres touching on 10% with your muscles and spirit already suffering from previous ascents.
Then after three downhill kilometres and another breakaway at the fork of Villa San Giorgio in Vezzano, you arrive at Riolo Terme in the lower valley of the river Senio.
Towards the finishing line
At the Riolo Terme roundabout you take the wide road on the right that leads to Via Emilia.
At the traffic lights you see, on the right, the first houses of Castel Bolognese. The road is busy but in a flash you get to Faenza which a byword for ceramics throughout the world. And the itinerary ends here. |
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