Three hills, three magnificent places. Among its countless natural heritages, Italy also boasts places like Sestriere, Etna, and the San Pellegrino Pass. These are precious destinations for cyclists who climb these slopes to sleep on during their breaks between races. Athletes go up there to heal their minds and bodies, alone or with their teams.
We have relied on three coaches, trainers, technicians... call them what you will, who every year bring riders to these heights to recharge their batteries or to prepare for important events. Marino Amadori for the Sestriere, Paolo Alberati for Etna and finally Paul Slongo for the San Pellegrino PassWe begin our Giro d'Italia among the hills from north to south of our country.
Sestriere: blue destination
In addition to having filled pages of cycling history with epic stages and finishes, Sestriere Every year during the summer it is a pilgrimage destination for cyclists and amateursThe reason? Its 2035 meters and the high number of climbs and roads ideal for riders. Up here every year the city Marino Amadori takes his U23 national team to train in preparation for the most important events.
«I got to know it – says Amadori – because I've been going there with the guys for about ten years. It's a place that it is located higher than Livigno, in the sense that we are at 2000 metres. The training areas are excellent, with this double climb on the Cesana side, one of 10 km, one of 6 km and then you get down to 1.000/1.200 m where you can easily work 100 percent even on the flat. As for the climate... there's always a bit of fresh air precious because obviously you go there in the summer months being in the Alps.
“I think it’s a beautiful area,” says the city manager. “There’s also very little traffic. For cycle tourism it is an area that is very suitableYou can also travel to the Pinerolo area, on Colle delle Finestre, where you can also find dirt roads. At the top, there are only hotels and services. It's well-equipped. One valuable thing when we go there ourselves is that there is not such an active social life and distracting for cyclists. These locations were also chosen for these reasons.
«In 2019 and 2021 – Amadori recalls – we prepared the world championship that we won with Baroncini, but also the Tour de l'Avenir of Aleotti and Zana. This is a sign that we're working well and Sestriere is an excellent natural training ground."
Etna: How Not to Fall in Love
Year after year we have learned to know the Teide and its countless advantages. Just look at the pros' Instagram profiles and you'll notice that this place is one of their favorite destinations. Not least Evenepoel, who came down from up there to win the Liège-Bastogne-Liège. However, not everyone knows that we also have a volcano with those characteristics (and something more). Is called Etna. Mammoth, fascinating and immersed in the magnificent Sicily. Paolo Alberati he told us…
"Etna is a magical place. Unfortunately," he says, "it's never been given much consideration by cyclists. As a racer, I used to ride on the classic heights. But Etna is different because here in March, unlike other places, you can come and ride in ideal temperatures. You sleep at an altitude of 2.000 meters and can pedal up to 2.900 meters with a gravel bike or mountain bike.At these altitudes, as a trainer, I recommend it, you can go up with an e-bike to oxygenate and not tire the body.
«To date we have – explains Alberati – active 7 rideable slopes, the longest is 21 kilometers while the shortest is 14On our website, you can see them all and plan an itinerary to do them all together. For this reason, we've also created a certificate that certifies how many of these climbs you've conquered. What convinced us to create this project was also the ssafety that these roads offer. The asphalt is always resurfaced and traffic is reduced.
"It's an ideal place," he concludes, "not only for cycling tourism and enthusiasts, but also for preparing major events. It has an advantage that, for comparison's sake, Teide doesn't have. It's possible to go down to sea level and find the flat land to train bestIn Tenerife this is not possible because it is a constant up and down. Among the most recent names who came up here before the Giro, I can say Aurélien Paret-Peintre, or Oldani, Baroncini. Whoever comes, always comes back, like Cadel evans who is a frequent visitor. Etna is a magnetic mountain, constantly changing; you can feel it rumbling and breathing."
San Pellegrino: before the Giro
A pass located in the heart of the Dolomites, immersed in a natural setting strictly protected by UNESCO. San Pellegrino We've all seen it at least once on TV in a stage of the Tour of Italy Between one climb and another, or with the arrival in your lap. Let's find out through the words of Paolo Slongo.
«I've always known Passo San Pellegrino – he says – I started going there with the teams from when I was in Liquigas because he was one of our sponsors. From April, May onwards we went up, we also did the December retreat winter training with the whole team. As I said, it's not far from my house, and for a coach, it's important to know the "gym" where they train.
«San Pellegrino – he explains – has everything you need. It's at high altitude, it has many structures designed to accommodate cyclists And above all, it's possible to easily descend into the valley to alternate routes. It's an ideal place for sprinters or to prepare for time trials. At the same time, you have the Dolomites, but also the Flat and undulating paths in the valleys that allow you to do the whole training in 360 degreesI remember that for this reason they often came to prepare themselves too Sagan and Viviani.
«Roads – concludes Slongo – they are perfect. Besides having bike paths, which we professionals may not use, you can get around with ease anywhere. There's a culture of total cycling, and you also feel protected while pedaling. When it comes to climbs, you're spoiled for choice.San Pellegrino is in the heart of the Dolomites. For example, when you go down to Canazei, which is 30 kilometers from the pass, you find a crossroads where you can go Marmolada, Pordoi or Sella and from there a whole world of infinite itineraries opens up. From Ivan Basso including onwards, all the victories of the Grand Tours were prepared up there. With Vincenzo Nibali We really liked going there in the summer, as did he. Aru, Landa and many others. Let's just say that going to San Pellegrino was a guarantee for preparing for an important event."
