Cycling Finals in September.
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| Profile says it all - 2 x huge climbs |
A bit of history - the 1956 Giro saw climber Charly Gaul 11th at the start to the stage up the Monte Bodone. In terrible weather he left the field behind (many abandoning), gained 8minutes to take the lead and went on to win the Giro outright.
Finding myself in the area this June I decided to check it out.
La Leggendaria will climb the "back" of the mountain first. This is a long one - 1,500m to be gained over 20km. It starts with winding roads up through villages clinging to the vertical slopes. Unrelenting 8 to 12% slopes all the way.
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| Hanging villages high up |
Eventually, you get into woods nearer the top which meander on and on, before topping out on the desolate high mountain. On a good day you'll get good views of the Brenta Dolomites.
A linking road right can take you easily to the more populated "front" of the mountain, complete with ski lifts and hotels. This is the finish line for the Gran Fondo.
But instead of heading directly there the route drops left for a circular round of several lakes and then a return to Bodone.
This "front" climb is the legendary Charly Gaul road of multiple hairpins winding through several hill-side villages and then through scores of closed up ski-hotels.
The cyclists of Trento have an amazing training facility right on their doorstep - a 1,500m climb that starts inside the town.