Dirt roads, paved roads, medium-mountain paths, terraces and dry stone walls. Gravellina opens its doors to a Valtellina rich in history and food and wine to be discovered on your gravel bike. An event ready to accompany cyclists on unique itineraries, designed to delve into the history of ancient agriculture and heroic viticulture. The event will be held on September 21st and 22nd 2024, the tours will be divided into several options to design your own experience according to your own possibilities.
A preview event was held to pave the way, with media, opinion leaders, and industry companies invited to try out the itineraries. From the capital Sondrio, eastwards almost to Tirano, or westwards towards Lake ComoThe result was a ride in good company, with many positive and enthusiastic comments about the unconventional, sometimes challenging routes, but above all, the landscapes that touch your heart.
Voice of the Earth
The Gravellina routes follow the rural roads where Valtellina cultivates and produces its most famous products, such as wines and apples, and more traditional ones, such as rye and buckwheatThe streets today, like a century ago, are a manifesto of the relationship between man and nature, here in connection and in balance.
"The Valtellina - Explains Camillo Bertolini of Days Off, an outdoor marketing agency that handles the organization and communications of Gravellina, is a key player in cycle tourism. It is known for its legendary passes and its most famous road and mountain bike routes. The context that will host Gravellina instead includes the Media ValtellinaA stunning area from a naturalistic point of view. The project was launched thanks to a contribution from GAL Valtellina Valley of Flavors which allowed the mapping of the territory Starting this spring, this event was born precisely out of the need to honor these fascinating places, rich in tradition. The key to understanding is the rural roads and paths that have centuries of history. The roads of agriculture, vineyards, apple orchards, rye and buckwheat have always been there."
Gravel is ideal
Not just mountain biking, but also conquering the great Alpine passes on a racing bike. Valtellina is also gravelWith Gravellina, you can travel along the centuries-old rural roads in the heart of the Province of Sondrio at a slow, eco-friendly pace.
«Gravel is a perfect fit – says Bertolini – with this type of route. We are in Alpine territory, but the event develops between the valley floor and the mid-mountain where there's this network of dirt roads. There are also many paved roads, which are the ancient paths that connected the medieval mountain villages, some of which still exist practically intact and with this atmosphere that transports you back centuries of history.
The climbs wind through the vineyards, like the Fracia or that of the Old Press along the Via dei TerrazzamentiThe medieval historic center of Ponte in Valtellina, the apple orchards of Chiuro, the mills and palaces of Teglio. Then there's Grumello Castle overlooking the valley, and the monumental sanctuary of the Holy House in Tresivio. The footbridge over the Cassandre Gorge, the Valtellina Trail along the Adda River, the rock formations of the Pyramids of Postalesio, the historic Scarpatetti district in Sondrio. Gravel in Valtellina is not just cycling, but a journey that exudes history and tradition with every pedal stroke and natural beauty at every glance.
Pedal to taste
Surrounded by vineyards and apple orchards, cycling through these lands ties every pedal stroke to the desire to taste and discover the flavors of these places.
«We sought the involvement – states Bertolini – of agricultural production. Valtellina has food and wine among its strengthsFirst of all, it is certainly worth mentioning the wine grown on these terraces, which are the symbol of heroic viticulture. Their distinctive feature is the dry stone walls, not surprisingly the logo of Gravellina it represents the wall itself which supports all the crops and the roads that will be traveled.
«Besides wine, apples are another excellence of Valtellina. With the involvement of Coldiretti we also take back all the production of local products, how can they be pizzoccheri, cheeses, chestnuts and mushrooms and everything that the mountain can offer. Another interesting point is the involvement of agricultural company structures. Especially those who have good practices in recovering traditional crops. In fact, cyclists will encounter the Menaglio Mill at one of the refreshment points, owned by an association that recovers ancient rye grains. There will be the opportunity to taste the ancient grains in the Teglio area, the home of pizzocchero, but also get to know associations that have recovered traditions and products that had already been abandoned».
Accommodation and departure
Gravellina will be a event open to the public in 2024 and will take place on the weekend of September 21-22The event will offer various routes, from challenging ones for those who want to challenge the climbs among the terraced vineyards, to more relaxed ones with less elevation gain for those who prefer to stay closer to the valley floor.
"We have three types of tours: long, medium and short. The lungo It measures 118 kilometers and has the city of Sondrio as its center. medium tours There will be two of them, representing the two circles of the eight that form the long tour. This is to allow one to complete the tour in one day, or to do the half tour divided into two days. Instead, we will have a much easier itinerary It's entirely on the valley floor with very little elevation gain. This is obviously to ensure everyone's involvement and make this experience as open as possible.
«Valtellina is ready to welcome everyone. Sondrio will be the capital of this event and will also be the starting point for tours, especially within the Adda Mallero Natural Park, where the starting village will be created and stands will be set up that will involve the farmers themselves. Furthermore, between the two ends of the tours, Ardenno on one side and Bianzone on the other, there are numerous facilities, many of them new and modern, ready to accommodate cycle tourists.
