Giro 2024:- Stage 4: Acqui Terme – Andora, 190.0km ***Spoilers***

Stage 4: Acqui Terme – Andora, 190.0km

May 7th.

Start Time: 11-35BST.

The 4th stage of the Giro d'Italia is a 187 kilometres long race Acqui Terme to Andora, on the Italian Riviera. The finishing venue lies at the foot of the Capo Mele. The first part of the route takes the riders on gentle rolling roads to Calizzano, nestled at the foot of the Colle del Melogno. Peaking at 947 metres above sea level, the Melogno is 6.8 kilometres long and slopes at 5%. With just under 60 kilometers to go, the Giro reaches the Mediterranean coast in Savona. Finally the riders tackle the famous Capo Mele, then it's a 2.5km downhill to the finish.

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final kilometres

Acqui Terme

Acqui Terme is a fascinating spa town already renowned in Roman times for its steaming waters. It is surrounded by vineyards and landscapes recognised in 2014 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for their breathtaking beauty. Located in the province of Alessandria, a borderland between Piedmont and Liguria in the Alto Monferrato area, this town is rich in environmental, landscape, artistic and eno-gastronomic attractions, not far from the large cities of Genoa, Milan and Turin. The imposing remains of the Roman aqueduct bear witness to the importance that water has always had for this town, which offers its visitors an enviable combination of art, culture, history, gastronomic excellence, charm and Italian hospitality that make it a unique and captivating destination.

Local Cusine

The gastronomy, though characterised by simplicity, is very rich, consisting of dishes based on local seasonal ingredients. Most dishes have poor origins derived from the modest economic conditions of the area during past centuries, and despite having been enriched over time, they have never lost their primary ingredient: authenticity.

Typical of the local cuisine are a rich selection of starters, including the “filetto baciato” salami, an absolute delight, cacciatorini, lard, peppers with bagna cauda and a variety of savoury pies. Among the first courses, tajarin with mushrooms or game sauces, agnolotti al plin, polenta, cisrò – farinata – deserve a special mention, and among the second courses, the local meats, mixed boiled meat, rabbit, braised meat, tripe, but also stockfish, finanziera, Piedmontese fritto misto and bagna cauda, the convivial dish par excellence, all represent unforgettable dining experiences. Hence the birth of a renowned speciality such as Stoccafisso all’acquese, an iconic recipe handed down from generation to generation and present on several menus in Acqui’s restaurants.

Other local specialities include amaretti biscuits, baci di dama (lady’s kisses), brut e bon, Acquesi al Rhum and Canelin’s award-winning turrón, recognised together with the local artisanal ice cream as one of Italy’s best products!

The highly appreciated truffle, one of the top products of the region, grows underground throughout the local area, in harmony with oak, willow, linden and poplar trees.

Porcini mushrooms, delicious and abundant in our valleys, are much sought after by gourmets in the autumn months.

Roccaverano DOP – (literally “Protected Designation of Origin”) – A product that symbolises the hard work behind mountain sheep/goat farming. This goat’s cheese – a blend of the fragrances, flowers and herbs of the area, produced fresh or matured – appears to this day to be the only one capable of equalling if not surpassing the legendary French cheeses.

Filetto baciato – a renowned product of Aquitaine gastronomy, the filetto baciato is a unique kind of cured meat, invented by the Malò (Ponzone) family at the beginning of the last century and obtained by stuffing salami paste around the pork fillet.

Andora

Andora is a seaside resort with lovely beaches of very fine sand (a rarity in Liguria), a hinterland made of olive groves and footpaths, and a vibrant marina.

Local Cusine

If you love the pleasures of gastronomy, don’t miss the fish market in the harbour or a visit to the agricultural producers of the plain, who are the source of many excellent food and wine products that can be tasted in renowned restaurants.

Andora is the second most important plain for the production of Genovese D.O.P. basil, whose intense aroma fills the air at peak harvest time. Extra virgin olive oil is produced in the nearby hinterland.