Cà del Poggio, Grammont Wall, Mur de Bretagne: it's the new twinning of cycling. A twinning of passion, effort, and double-digit gradients. Three walls uniting three symbols, three temples that tell the story of three eras of cycling. The road that suddenly climbs, the crowds, the effort...
The delegations of the Muro di Ca' del Poggio, the Muro di Grammont and the Mur de Bretagne met on the occasion of the seventh stage of the Tour de France.
The idea of San Pietro di Feletto
The Treviso representation was led by Cristiano Botteon and Celeste Granziera, who is also the coordinator of the working group made up of representatives of the municipalities where the three Walls are located: San Pietro di Feletto for Ca' del Poggio, Geraardsbergen for Grammont and Guerlédan for the Mur de Bretagne.
"It is a cooperation project between the Walls – said Botteon – an initiative I strongly believe in and which will go beyond sport, to embrace three very different territories, but united by the same vocation for cycling."
Between relationships to consolidate and new initiatives to plan, there was also talk of a big dream, all from Treviso, for the 2026 cycling season: a stage finish of the Tour of Italy in the heart of the Prosecco hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, with the Muro di Ca' del Poggio once again taking center stage.
Ballan, our exceptional guide
And we tell about these three Walls with the help of Alessandro ballanThe former world champion faced all three of them, all three in the race, and one above all evokes the memories of an indelible victory: we are clearly talking about Grammont and his Tour of Flanders.
Let's start from Ca' del Poggio: it is a stretch of just over a kilometre, on the Prosecco hills.
«Ca' del Poggio – says Ballan – is a wall that I remember above all for the Italian championship that it won Giovanni ViscontiI finished third that day, even though the course wasn't particularly suited to me, as it involved climbing this wall 12 times. Yes, I'm a classics rider, a wall rider, but not one for races with 4.000 meters of elevation gain. I thought about attacking in the last two or three laps, but I found Visconti incredibly strong. Despite this, I have wonderful memories of Ca' del Poggio. My memory is linked above all to the cheering: the road is so narrow and steep that you go very slowly, and the cheering of the people enters your ears, you feel it for a long time. It's something you don't easily forget."
Ballan also gives a technical eye: tackling it is difficult not only because of the slopes, but also because of how you get there.
«The wall comes from a very fast plain. There is a sharp right turn and then immediately a ramp above 20 percent. A ramp that's very painful and remains steep until almost below the restaurant, whose owner is, let's say, the true inventor of this little road through the Valdobbiadene hills. By the way, if you happen to be in the area by bike, stop at that restaurant: everything is good, but especially the fish dishes. I really appreciate their risottos.
From Ca' del Poggio to Grammont
Let's move on to another wall: The Grammont. This is truly a temple of cycling, an absolute icon. And it was especially with the old path of the Tour of Flanders, but even today it is a destination for enthusiasts.
"The strongest memory that ties me to the Grammont wall," says Ballan, "is the roar. A tremendous roar that erupted at the top as we exited the hard section and approached the little church of Geraardsbergen. A roar that I appreciated very much, even though I was a rival of Tom Boonen and despite the sprint, in that Flanders, I beat Hoste who was a Belgian. But I was a hard rider. I also achieved many placings. And I think it's thanks to all this that I earned their respect and affection."
The Muro di Grammont is truly challenging. The climb begins before the actual wall, in the village, between two lines of people. Then the road narrows and the gradient increases. The surface is cobblestone.
«At the beginning – Ballan continues – The cobblestones are typical of Flanders: loose stones spaced far apart. This further complicates the climb. It's not just the gradient. When you exit the steep road and approach the church, the cobblestones are still cobblestones, but the stones are smoother, more compact, and closer together. The fatigue doesn't change, especially since the Tour of Flanders was reached after 250 kilometers, and the sensations could change even in just a few kilometers. For example, the year I won, I wasn't feeling well at all. I almost attempted a "dead man's shot," as they say in slang. Then I turned around and I was alone.. At that point my energy suddenly returned and I managed to escape."
The Grammont wall measures just over a kilometer, the maximum gradient is 18 percent and is reached in the very narrow central section (just over three meters). All this complicates the climb, but makes it an absolute symbol of cycling.
Final on the Mur de Bretagne
We close with the youngest: the Mur de Bretagne. He faced the Tour de France for the sixth time a couple of weeks ago, with Tadej Pogacar's victory. Ballan faced him in the 2008 Tour.
"I remember," he explains, "that he was also arriving on one of the very first stages, and I remember withdrawing almost immediately. I didn't have a good feeling at all. So much so that I thought, 'Who made me do this? How am I going to get to Paris?'" But all things considered, that Tour went well.
Technically, it's a different climb than the other two: perhaps less of a wall and more of a climb. The gradients are gentler, and the asphalt road is much wider. The start is quite fast.
«There's a central section of about 700 meters that really hurts. If I remember correctly, it never goes below 11 percent, While the finish is more of a relationship: the gradient eases off a bit. Without a doubt, what I remember about the Mur de Bretagne is the atmosphere. Insane cheering, so many people, even more than at the other two walls. It's the call of the Tour, where the cheering is different, like a big event. A cheer for everyone, with wings of the crowd that accompany you from the first to the last meter. A cheer for everyone, but especially for the French: it was the era of Voeckler, Chavanel, Pinot. For them it was truly another world."
