Granfondo Cinque Terre

dsoutar

http://www.granfondo5terre.com

Anyone done this ? Any advice / tips ? I have previously spent a week walking round here - it's stunning - and via a post on the Pro Race forum found that there's a sportive. Fits in well with my calendar too and I was looking for a sportive on a Sunday on the continent around then.

ugo.santalucia

Familiar with the area... one of the seven wonders of this planet... go for it!

el_rey

If you do it please let share your experience. I am looking to ride my first Gran Fondo in 2013 but I have yet to decide which one.

dsoutar

El Rey, I'd highly recommend the Maratona dles Dolomites. Excellent organisation; closed roads; unbelievable scenery. Good time of year for the weather. Done it 3 times and would do again. Also got the benefit of having three courses and the way they are laid out means that you can decide which one you ultimately end up doing whilst you're cycling round depending on how you feel on the day.

knedlicky

dsoutar wrote:

http://www.granfondo5terre.com
Anyone done this ? Any advice / tips ?

I can’t tell you any tips about the GF Cinque Terre, but I do know of links with info and detailed profiles of three of the passes used in the GF: Colla di Gritta, Passo Termine and Passo del Braco. The descriptions are in German. If that’s too hard for you, I could PM you paraphrased translations in a week or two.
I think I’ll PM you anyway now.

rusty nuts

I've done the event twice and found it to be one of the hardest I have done. Apart from a short section inland that's slightly flat the majority of the route is continually up and down - the route profile is like a sawblade!

I did it in 2004 in atrocious weather, many of the Italians turned around after the first climb and went home. Unfortunataly a Polish chap lost his life after crashing down into a ravine!

We stay in Moneglia, had to get the hotel owner to drive us along the coast to the start as the single lane road uses an old railway tunnel that's pitch dark and about 2-3km long. Even with lights you would struggle to get through before the traffic lights change at the other end!

A great place to ride your bike, the food and scenery is amazing.

Fly into Genoa and use the train to get along the coast.

FransJacques

Ok, I fly out to Pisa this Friday night.

I'm as ready as I can be, I'm just not looking forward to the weather which'll be 30C and very little breeze. Looking at the climbs none are too steep or long compared to the alpes but I know it won't be easy.

If it's really hard I'll just ride slow and take 8 hours and enjoy the day rather than keeping my expectations too high and trying to race it.

Anyone else go for the challenge? I know a couple others were interested...

dangerousdave.

look forward to hearing how you get on, its an event that i would like to do next year or the year after
Dave

knedlicky

dangerousdave. wrote:

look forward to hearing how you get on, its an event that i would like to do next year or the year after, Dave

FransJacques wrote:

Ok, I fly out to Pisa this Friday night.
Anyone else go for the challenge? I know a couple others were interested...

dsoutar wrote:

Fits in well with my calendar too and I was looking for a sportive on a Sunday on the continent around then.

Look forward to hearing how you all get on. Good luck!

I haven’t been able to make it after all - family interest clashes this weekend and next, I only finally gave up the idea last Monday. I’ll plan again for next year.

(Have managed one continental sportive, though, this year, the Tour de l’Arvan Villards, in the French Alps, first 50 kms in torrential rain)