Verona Gran Fondo Chesini: Scenic Cycling Race Across Mountain Routes
The entire Verona mountain region is set to come alive with cycling on Sunday, September 24th, during the Gran Fondo Chesini, a bike race that has already earned the recognition of a national gran fondo from the Italian Cycling Federation in just one edition. The event aims to repeat and surpass last year’s successes. The route is particularly scenic and captivating, designed across various distances to cater to all, open to amateurs (élite – under 23), cycling enthusiasts, touring cyclists, but also professionals. The yellow-marked course, covering 97.3 kilometers with two mountain top finishes, is the shortest and represents the new feature introduced this year upon strong demand; the green route, measuring 149.5 km, features three mountain top finishes, while the most challenging, the red course, extends for 183.5 kilometers with four mountain top finishes. Start and finish are in Piazza Bra, Verona, for all routes, and the event involves 16 municipalities in Verona (Pescantina, Cavaion, Rivoli, Ferrara di Monte Baldo, Dolcè, Erbezzo, Velo, Cerro, Sant’Ambrogio, Affi, Caprino, Brentino Belluno, Sant’Anna d’Alfaedo, Boscochiesanuova, Roverè, and Grezzana), with brief sections including the municipalities of Avio and Brentonico in Trentino.
The characteristics of the route and the climbs
The Gran Fondo Chesini owes its well-deserved fame to its demanding climbs. Overall, there are 53 kilometers of ascent, with a total elevation gain of 3,488 meters. The course features eight main climbs, highlighted by the formidable Peri-Fosse time trial, which includes ten hairpin turns that climb over 800 meters in nine kilometers.
Elevation points reach dizzying heights: 1,619 meters at the Branchetto Pass, 1,614 meters at Monte Baldo Pass, 1,505 meters at San Giorgio, and 1,430 meters at Novezza. The La Scaligera association, creator and promoter of the event, registered 800 participants in last year’s inaugural edition and expects to exceed 1,000 this year, with a strong presence of foreigners already registered from Austria, Belgium, France, and Germany.
The race will be inaugurated by legendary cyclists of yesterday and today: Emilia-born Ercole Baldini (Olympic gold medalist at Melbourne, hour record holder in 1956, world champion, and Giro d’Italia winner in 1958) and the 1999 junior world champion Damiano Cunego. The event is sponsored and supported by the Veneto Region, the Province, the Chamber of Commerce, the Tourist Promotion Agency, the Mountain Communities of Baldo and Lessinia, the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI), the Italian Cycling Federation, and all the municipalities along the route.
The event’s image is enhanced by its unique natural landscape, rich with incomparable traces of history, culture, and art. Friends and relatives of the riders will gather along the route using available facilities and will serve as the best witnesses to the tourist potential of the visited places.
La Scaligera has also planned activities for those remaining in Verona awaiting the arrival of the cyclists. At the Arsenal, a pavilion will be set up where visitors can enjoy typical Verona dishes and listen to live music. The race will also be promoted with a show at the Roman Theatre on September 9th, featuring some of the best comedians from Zelig, Milan’s comedy venue, and distinguished sports personalities. Proceeds from the evening will be donated to the Italian Thalassemia Association.
Participants who complete the race will be eligible for prizes such as vacations, stays, and bicycles. All registered riders will receive a substantial race packet and will have access to numerous refreshment points along the route. Detailed information about the event can be found online at http://web.tiscalinet.it/gfchesini, where the registration form is also available.
Those preferring traditional registration methods can contact the La Scaligera office at via Pieve di Cadore 7/b in Verona, telephone 045.917629, fax 045.915544. Vittorio Zambaldo