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Granfondo del Penice

June 02 2024

Piazza della Fiera Varzi Italy

Date Confirmed

Distances: 81, 121 km

Difficulty: Moderate terrain with rolling short steep hills or moderate, sustained climbs

In the heart of the Apennines a Granfondo with an alpine character!

Promoted by the president of the asd Sant'Angelo Edilferramenta, Vittorio Ferrante, the Granfondo del Penice wants to contribute to the enhancement of the mountain territories of the Oltrepò.

The routes will have the following characteristics:

the long from 121km and 2400m in altitude

the average from 81km and 1475m in altitude

For safety reasons, the start will be flying and will be given 1km away from the grids placed in the town of Varzi, just before the start of the long and increasingly demanding ascent that will take the riders to Passo del Penice after just 15km from the start but already with 700m of difference in altitude in the legs.

The next descent in the direction of Bobbio, will take place on a wide road with asphalt in excellent condition, but you will not reach the famous tourist resort of Piacenza because after a couple of km with a detour on the left the track will return to the province of Pavia to continue descending in the direction of Romagnese.

From here still downhill the participants will reach Le Moline in Val Tidone. From which will begin the ascent that through the locality of Moglio will lead first to Torre degli Alberi and then to Bivio Carmine to bring back, with a quick dive, to the bottom of Val Tidone near the Molato dam.

A few more kilometers, at km 52, and once again in Le Moline the division of the routes will take place. For those who will face the medium route immediately a short but intense climb that will lead to the village of Valverde.

The long route will climb instead to the Passo delle Tre Strade, near the Penice, from the Romagnese side. Once climbed, the competitors will then retrace the Penice state road downhill until they touch Varzi. Here they will find waiting for them the last real climb that leads to Pietragavina. Then the road continues downhill to Valverde where the reunion with the medium route will take place.

Then a stretch of valley to climb leads to the entrance of the Val di Nizza where you descend passing through Sant'Albano. At the end of Ponte Nizza, go up the Staffora Valley to return to Varzi and face the long finish straight

Great attention is paid to the reception of participants who with registration will receive a rich race pack, while for the after race they will be expected for lunch inside the structures of the Varzi Fair and can leave the bicycle in the guarded and free parking set up there.

For those arriving from afar, it will be possible to stay in a camper in an area reserved for them or take advantage of the local accommodation facilities.

Granfondo del Penice