BGY Granfondo: The Italian Experience

Italy! While the Giro binds professionals on the roads of the boot, those north of the city of Bergamo in Lombardy revealed their full character to just over 2000 participants, including us, on May 14th. On a 162-kilometer course with over 3200 m of elevation gain, this Lombard sportive already requires strong legs!

Located 5 hours from Lyon, for example, and 50 km northeast of Milan (1 hour by train), this Italian event offers a short trip for all French cyclists. But just like an Étape du Tour or a Marmotte, riding an Italian granfondo is a unique experience. We therefore advise you to plan your registration and accommodation early in the season if you want to be part of the adventure. Because once you’re there, the atmosphere is different from what we know in France.

Despite the language barrier, we quickly understand each other by jabbering among enthusiasts. The day before the event, we visit the various stands of the event’s partner brands, then we pick up our bib number – actually a real little package with some goodies and treats, as well as a jersey to be well-dressed for the event.

For any foreigner, it is essential to take out a daily Italian license. In principle, no problem, but we might note the only flaw in the event: the lack of clarity in the sequence of things to do and collect. Picking up your bib under the tent, your daily license behind the tent, then your chip at the entrance to it… in short, once all these little things are installed on the bike, all that’s left is to sleep after a good plate of pasta or a pizza in a local restaurant, for example.

Promise you won’t regret it!

With a 7 AM start, a very early wake-up is necessary. A bowl of flakes, eggs, bread, or your favorite (or adapted!) breakfast – in short, you’ll need energy for this Italian epic.

The Gran Fondo BGY is the first of its name, as in the past it was aptly named “Felice Gimondi”. The local bike brand Bianchi, whose factory is located in Treviglio, just outside Bergamo, was previously the main sponsor. Now, Milan-Bergamo Airport is the main partner of the event.

We roll through the streets of Bergamo, the elegant Lombard city, catching glimpses of bell towers, domes, watchtowers, and belfries, with the jagged peaks of the Alps in the background. We feel the slight tension among the cyclists who have replaced cars on the streets of Bergamo. We follow the small arrows leading us to our starting corrals. Andiamo!

At 7:00 AM, Bergamo Mayor Giorgio Gori and Bergamo Provincial Councillor Giorgia Gandossi unleash the 2000 true beasts onto these hills around the city. In Italy, more than anywhere else, it starts almost with a sprint. You’ll have to wait until the ninth kilometer to reach the foot of the first slopes.

Colle dei Pasta

The aptly named Colle dei Pasta comes just in time to perfect the imperfect warm-up. 95% of participants are already going full throttle. We sometimes doubt the pacing of some riders…

After this first repecho, the descent is very, very fast. In any case, you have to understand that here, to see the scenery, it’s for the opener ride or a moment of relaxation during your Italian interlude, because now you have to focus on the race.

We now have a valley with a false flat uphill of about fifteen kilometers leading us along the Cherio river, until the first real climb: the Passo Gallo.

Passo Gallo

25 km on the clock, and this time, if the groups had been able to regain some form in the valley, they will clearly form on this climb. Nothing alarming on paper, but the gradient and pace will clarify things. 5.8 km at an average of 7%, with rather irregular sections at the bottom where it approaches 10% and more regular at 7% towards the summit.

You have to manage your effort and not overdo it; the pass is quite “rolling” to find a group at your pace and not waste unnecessary energy… We’re already starting to refuel well, and in about twenty hairpins, we pass this first Passo at just under 770 m altitude.

Passo Selvino

It’s important to understand that the 2000 cyclists are spread across three different routes, so everyone has to find their group. The rather homogeneous level is an advantage on this type of course, temporarily… as we will see later.

The 6 km long descent followed by a second section in the valley, mostly downhill, brings us to the second climb: the Passo Selvino.

A rather “basic” pass with 10 km, 6%, similar to the previous one. Leaving the town of Nembro, we gradually enter these Lombard mountains. It takes a little over 4 km to reach a series of hairpins, 12 in 5 km. Typically Italian, and while the Selvino has the same sound as its counterpart, further north, in the Ortles massif, the Stelvio, the comparison ends here.

Passo Selvino is a small town that you pass through, at 950 m, you still have to remember that the length and elevation are not yet at the 50% mark. So, like the many aid stations in the dedicated area at the summit, remember to reach into your pocket and drink and eat well if your bike computer alarms are not activated…

A “long” descent allows you to recover some energy for what’s next, a first section where you can stop pedaling, then after passing the village of Bracca, you have to make the group you’re in move again. Or not…

We pass through gorges along the Ambrio, then turn right at the village of Ambria, and now tackle the second part of the course. We’ve left the few riders participating in the 89 km course to return to Bergamo, to plunge into a new valley.

It’s sparkling! Here the group I’m in slows down, and I continue with a strong rouleur who is not stingy with his efforts to go into this valley. No idea of my position, nor the gaps, I only care about myself and my legs. We smooth out the effort and arrive together after passing the thermal baths of San Pellegrino (remember to drink) at the foot of a new climb.

Costa d’Olda and the Forcella di Bura

It’s hard to call it a pass, but the gradient is around 9%: the Costa d’Olda.

4 km at 6%, a small descent into the village, then 1 km at 7% finishes the climb. Now, no one behind me on the horizon, a rider who doesn’t seem to be at his best in my wheel, but I decide to ease off to do the descent and the valley with him.

Descents here on these granfondos are a treat; it’s very simple, like an Étape du Tour in France, the roads are closed to cars for riders ahead of the broom wagon. Because the broom wagon here is not the car that closes the peloton, but the one that indicates another level of rider protection and, notably, the opening to traffic once it has passed. So, in these hairpins and small singles, we sometimes enjoy taking the left. Sometimes, but not without ulterior motives, because you’re not safe from anything…

A brief descent, then a rolling climb: the Forcella di Bura. 7km, quickly swallowed because the gradient is between 2 and 4%. My rouleur is enjoying himself (or not…) and I’m trying to regain strength. Already 30 km together and there are still 60 left.

This time, the descent is a bit longer and we reach the course split at kilometer 113, Brembilla. No connection to the Italian professional rider Brambilla, but the medio course will see the victory of young Thomas Colbrelli, none other than Sonny’s brother, a former Paris-Roubaix winner…

No cobbles here, but another climb that hurts the legs, that’s what we’re here for, especially since I’ve lost my only riding companion who turns off onto the medium course.

Forcella di Berbenno and Costa Valle Imagna

A small personal opinion: this mixing of courses with a single start is disruptive. Ultimately, managing 90/120 or 160 km is not the same and distorts the gaps and rankings without truly homogenizing the race… In short, I will be alone or almost alone for 90 km out of 160, like many other participants. But now, the difficulties follow one another and we pass the small Forcella di Berbenno, 4% at the beginning, then more around 7% before a small descent before resuming small percentages in the final. We then burst into the last difficulty, amidst a few tifosi, warming up for the following weekend and the arrival of the Giro.

This last climb sees the sun beating down. Also beating my head against the slope. Here, in Selino Basso, we once again leave the valley to climb to the heights. Not very high, but 8 km between 7 and 10% will be enough to finish us off with muscle pain and arrive on a few hectometers of plateau. We again take the final of the Giro stage, the asphalt alternates between freshly redone sections and old ones… It zig-zags, encouraged by a few spectators, you’d almost think you were there…

But back to reality, there are just over 15 km left to reach the finish, and on sections of strade provinciali, meaning “national roads,” or rather not very fun sections in cycling jargon… we reach Bergamo, headwind!

So, it goes without saying that anyone who has mismanaged their effort can quickly see their time capital crumble… We grip our hands in the drops, lower our heads, without any sensors, we manage to go as fast as possible towards that finish line.

On the outskirts of Bergamo, we inevitably rejoin the flow of traffic, which here is no longer neutralized.

We also find the finish of the other two courses. We no longer know where we are, we can’t take it anymore: we just push on the pedals. I catch a group of riders 2 km from the finish, I pass them on the left, riders cling on, without me imagining that some of them have done the 160 km… I am of course sprinted past on the line, and then I understand… Anyway, it doesn’t matter, 20 minutes earlier, Manuel Senni had won ahead of Frenchman Loïc Ruffaut and Federico Pozzecco at just over 35 km/h. Yes, in Italy, they ride fast!

They know how to ride, but also how to eat well, as the ensuing pasta party will attest… Italians definitely have something extraordinary! It’s always with stars in our eyes that we return to France, with only one question in mind: when is the next one?

https://www.strava.com/activities/9069073378/overview

https://www.granfondobgy.it/en/la-granfondo/

Results:
162.1 km – men: 1. Manuel Senni (Team Crainox) 4h33.27, kmh 35.566; 2. Loic Ruffaut (Fra) +1.36; 3. Federico Pozzecco (MGKVis Dal Colle) +2.04. women: 1. Maria Elena Palmisano (Garda Scott Matergia) 5h10.47, kmh 31.294; 2. Sarah Palfrader (Team Da-tor ISB) +22.34; 3. Sonia Passuti (Team Staweld Buzzolan Basso) + 29.20

128.8 km – men: 1. Tomas Colbrelli (Domain asd) 3h29.06, kmh 36.958; 2. Federico Brevi (Team Da-tor ISB) st; 3. Samuele Chiappast. women: 1. Luisa Isonni (Asd Boario) 3.55.33, kmh 32.806; 2. Vania Canvelli (Formigosa) +6.06; 3. Giulia Portaluri (MG KVis) +6.09.

89.4 km – men: 1. Fabio Fadini (Team Breviario Bonate Sotto) 2h23.17, kmh 36.289; 2. Luca Boschini (Team Colpack) st; 3. Daniel Pellegrinelli (Team Seven Club) st. women: 1. Sonia Opi (Team Bike Almè) 2h50.26, media 30.590; 2. Chiara Siboldi (Team Seven Club) +1.18; 3. Maria Donzelli (Bike Avengers) +2.29.

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