Giro 2024:- Stage 2: San Francesco al Campo – Santuario di Oropa (Biella), 161.0km ***Spoilers***

Stage 2: San Francesco al Campo – Santuario di Oropa (Biella), 161.0km

May 5th.

Start Time: 12-05BST.

Oropa is the earliest summit finish in the Italian Grand Tour since 1989. Back then, Acácio da Silva climbed to victory on Mount Etna. Oropa, a mountain made famous when in 1999 Marco Pantani won atop it despite dropping his chain at the bottom. The 150 kilometres long route rises at 6.2% to the line in the last 11.8 kilometres. The 2nd stage takes in an elevation gain of 2,300 metres. That’s not excessively, but since the bulk of it is packed into the last 45 kilometres the riders face a trying finale.

map

climb detail

final kilometres

The last 11 km are uphill, from Biella to the Sanctuary of Oropa. The first part has gentle gradients up to the village of Favaro, where the most unwelcoming sectors are reached (around 13%). The climb continues with numerous bends and slopes of around 9% until the final straight, 130 metres with porphyry paving 6.5 metres wide.

San Francesco al Campo

Overview

The town lies at the meeting point between the metropolitan area of north-western Turin, the plain that leads to the Lanzo Valleys and the morainic plateau entering the Canavese area. It is a municipality with an ancient agricultural tradition which has grown remarkably over the years, following the fate of numerous other towns in the province of Turin. Its proximity to the latter (about 20 km) has unquestionably favoured its development, welcoming over the years several families who chose to move out of the crowded city. The Sandro Pertini airport is located just out of town. Since 1996, it has been home to the Velodromo Francone (Francone Velodrome)

Local Cusine

The typical product for which this town is known throughout the region is ‘L Canaveis’ panettone, produced by a historic artisan workshop in San Francesco al Campo. It is a traditional Piedmontese panettone, therefore slightly lower than the Lombard version, glazed and baked according to a very special recipe that has made it an exclusive and particularly sought-after Christmas cake for decades.In addition to this local product, the town – thanks to its position straddling three areas (Torinese, Valli di Lanzo and Canavese) – offers a wide range of typical products, from Torcetti di Lanzo to Paste di Meliga (cornflour cookies) and the now widespread Pusa, the Piedmontese herbal liqueur (so-called “Amaro”) made with extracts and natural aromas typical of the area, such as genepy, serpyll thyme, chamomile, lavender, sage and mint.

Santuario di Oropa (Biella)

The origins of this sanctuary, which stands at an altitude of 1,200 metres, are extremely ancient: it served first a place of passage and later a place of devotion for pilgrims who climbed all the way up here to pray before the statue of the Black Virgin.The Savoy family, for whom Oropa held great symbolic and devotional importance, called in the greatest court architects to transform the ancient church into the most amazing Marian sanctuary in the Alps.The monumental complex is located in a natural setting of extraordinary beauty, within a Regional Nature Reserve that also includes the Sacro Monte di Oropa, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Wine and other drinks

The Biellese waters are famous for their exceptional lightness.

Biella also boasts a high quality beer and the oldest active brewery in Italy, as well as many accolades for the numerous microbreweries located in the area.

Among the local wines, one D.O.C.G. must be mentioned: Erbaluce di Caluso, a straw-yellow wine, with a fine scent reminiscent of wild flowers and a dry, fresh and characteristic flavour. Red wine is also represented, with 4 D.O.C. wines: Bramaterra, Lessona, Canavese and Coste della Sesia, ruby red wines with a characteristic and intense aroma and a dry, harmonious flavour.