Piemonte Cycling Tour & La Fausto Coppi Gran Fondo

We always start this week with a light loop which provides the perfect introduction to Le Langhe, with its rolling hills that stretch as far as the eye can see, its ancient villages and castles perched atop hills, and the succession of gentle slopes planted with rows and rows of vines, creating magnificent geometric shapes that you will roll between as you ride the two gentle climbs that should loosen your legs after your travels.

Highlight: The descent and views from La Morra
Distance: 30km
Elevation: 560m

It’s time for you to explore the maze of tiny roads that wind deep into the bosco and the heart of the Cuneo Province, past the sloping vineyards of Dolcetto grapes, which thrive in this area’s clay and limestone soil, and start the day’s climb and a panoramic hill between the valleys of the rivers Tanaro and Belbo. You will then wind your way back through the forest and the vines to Monforte d’Alba.

Highlight: The tiny back roads
Distance: 50km
Elevation: 1007m

Rolling out of Monforte today you will head east, past a imposing medieval castle, you keep descending all the while taking in the splendid views across the vineyards of the low Langhe and the Serralunga before we tackle three more of the “colline” before reaching one of the prettiest towns in Italy

After a light lunch, you will continue your ride through hazelnut groves and more picture postcard vineyards, passing small villages as you make your way back up to Monforte and the villa.

Highlight: The continual rollercoaster of climbs and the descents.
Distance: 82km
Elevation: 1730m

Today is a bit of a rest day on the bike, with a traditional coffee shop ride. Expect a climb or two and more of the majestic landscape filled with endless rows of vines, cascading down the rolling hills. There will be plenty of time for on-the-bike conversation as you make your way along quiet farming land and then up another side of La Morra and then heading for home.

Highlight: The smell of truffles as you descend through the hazelnut groves.
Distance: 85km
Elevation: 1420m

As you keep building your condition for Sunday’s Gran Fondo, you only have three rolling hills to contend with today as we head south and deep into the bosco and another beautiful and quiet hamlet, where we’ll stop for coffee before tackling two more beautiful ascents and the the reward of spinning along the ridge line back to Monforte d’Alba for a well earned lunch.

Highlight: A descent along a tiny, empty twisting road, with a densely covered canopy of trees and forest.
Distance: 53km
Elevation: 1235m

You say goodbye to Monforte and make your way south past the iconic vineyards of the Barolo region one last time. You take in the jaw dropping view of the snow capped Alps as you roll down the ridge on your way to the flat farm lands on your way to Cuneo and home to the Fausto Coppi Gran Fondo.

Highlight: The open flats lands with the snow capped Alps in the distance.
Distance: 80km
Elevation: 1280m

After a leisurely start, you will head west towards the French border along tiny quiet roads, flanked by fields of strawberries and orchards of apples and pears with the imposing Alps in the background. We’ll stop for a caffe in a little village at the foot of the mountains before riding the mostly gentle downhill stretch back into Cuneo.

Highlight: The anticipation of what is to come and the expo in the main piazza that takes in the best of Gran Fondo Italy bike brands.
Distance: 33km
Elevation: 205m

Sitting at 2,480m, this is not only a great challenge for the body and the mind, but it also has some of the most amazing landscape you will see on a bike. Open rolling high valleys and craggy rock strewn peaks dissected by a narrow ribbon of tarmac.
The Gran Fondo or Medio Fondo? The choice is yours.

Highlight: Colle Fauniera; the challenge of ascent and the adrenalin of the descent.

Medio Fondo
Distance: 111km
Elevation: 2510m

Gran Fondo
Distance: 177km
Elevation: 4125m