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The Granfondo Verona, as its name suggests, is a sportive located in Northern Italy, east of Lake Garda, at the foot of the Vicentine Alps, part of the Dolomites massif. No high mountains to expect, but the city and its organization have many resources, so the pleasure of the eyes and leg pain (of course!) as well as the art of pizza dictated our Italian journey!
By David Polveroni – Photos: All rights reserved
The 16th edition in 2023 started near Piazza Bra, a stone’s throw from the Verona Arena. At 32m high, these are among the best-preserved Roman amphitheaters. With a capacity of 30,000 seats, they could have hosted nearly 15 times the cycling peloton present for the event!
The Alé jersey included in the packaging, proudly worn by the majority of cyclists, with colors mixing yellow and black, and a very fit cut in the current trend, will be the subject of a second article as we were able to visit the premises of the Venetian company. The main sponsor of the event, which, in its image, boasts a fine array of champions pleasantly wearing their team jersey from the Italian brand, Alé:
-Sonny Colbrelli and Jonathan Milan from Bahrain Victorious,
-Filippo Zanna from Jayco Alula (the Italian champion),
-Zoccatoro and Davide Gaburra from Greenproject Bardiani CSF
-Lawrence Pithie from Groupama FDJ
They will accompany us without impacting the race and will not be timed… But the level of this edition will be particularly high. It should be noted that this year, the Alélamerckx Granfondo was a support for the Granfondo European Championships. Unlike the Granfondo World Championships last year in Trento, this detail might have deserved more communication. Was it the organization’s will or not? But this remained far too confidential from my point of view, and a greater number of cyclists could have come to compete on the gentle slopes of the “della Lessinia” park hills.
No high mountains here, but medium mountains to finish this first part of the season. 138 km for 3000m of elevation gain: we are already on something serious!
7:45 am, Piazza Bra this June 11, 2023. A little over 1500 cyclists set off in the suburbs of Verona. The official start was then given a few kilometers after leaving the arena, and the frantic pace, usual in Italy, could then begin.
Over 50 km/h average for the first 5 km on the flat, and 44 until the foot of the first climb, after these 13 rather… stressful km! Amidst the various roundabouts and speed bumps, it was quite a workout! Right turn, the road narrows, you have to put your foot down. You then have to gradually move back up to the front of the peloton without panicking.
In front, a group had escaped, with the future winner of the GF Verona accompanied by about ten riders from the mediofondo, initiated by the FDJ rider.
Clean descent in the company of the Italian champion (pro!) and world champion Kirshmair (cyclo!): always nice to have these kinds of moments. We enjoy it. We ride at a steady pace without overdoing it, the slopes are mostly around 6% and the roads wind through the vineyards. The sun dominates, the tifosi come out on their balconies, there’s no denying it, we’re pretty good here. A few attacks spice up the pace, but I trust my legs and follow the bulk of the twenty or so riders in this group.
No distinction regarding the choice of mileage they adopt, because yes, the mediofondo and granfondo are combined. No matter, we ride for ourselves and we hang on.
The peloton fragmented at the end of the second climb, before 5 riders rejoined the (counter) group on an easier section. Without thinking too much, I broke away at that moment when the pace had really dropped.
They let me go and I gained time easily. This allowed me to descend calmly to the fork between the long and short courses after 25 km on roads mixing sometimes wet sections from the night and winding gorges. A little over 60 km on the odometer, and the long and short course bifurcation occurs.
Everyone then knows where they stand since we are all doing the same race now…
The odometer then shows 30 km of climbing, for 1150 m. In two distinct parts.
First, a very regular slope for 12 km between 5 and 7% before a short 3 km descent, then follows the final of this Passo Del Branchetto: an irregular climb for 10 km where you only gain 250 m of elevation, then you finish this long climb with the hardest part of this European championship: 4.3 km at an average of 7% where short sections approach 10%.
“Only” 90 km on the odometer, and we’re almost done with the elevation for today, or almost… On this wide “Strade Provinciale,” you’ll have to put the small chainring back on with small kicks, including a long one of almost 2 km at 9%… Open road, which is quite rare in Italy, but it was very well signposted and in any case, it’s better to be vigilant. At the summit of this Italian pass, you can appreciate the pastures stretching on either side of the road, and below, you can glimpse the Po plain. Cows doze or graze peacefully while I’m covered in manure on my right leg. Here, the cowpats are on the road, no doubt we are indeed in the mountains… The wind is nil today; if Aeolus were to get involved here, the climb could quickly become more arduous…
The bottom of the descent takes us off the main road to wind through the small villages north of Verona. It snakes along a road that, this time, requires full concentration.
After almost 35 km of descent, we arrive in Grezzana to rejoin the national road. Traffic thickens, but the involved and ever-present marshals at each intersection ensure that everything runs smoothly at the foot of the last small climb.
At the top of “Veronetta,” this punchy climb of the “Torricelle” with 1 km at 7% and the 500 m before and at the finish, which are very fast, will finalize the classification of all riders.
Andrea Bais won ahead of a small peloton and thus became European champion in the 19-34 age group. All results can be found below.
The setting here is idyllic! I have participated in many sportives; certainly, it’s not high mountains, but the history from Roman times makes the event more than interesting. We return calmly, passing over the Ponte Pietra and crossing the Adige, a Roman bridge with red ochre colors—it’s magnificent! We then enter Verona to return to the starting square.
Once the jersey presentation ceremony was over, on the edges of Piazza Bra, after enjoying risotto with fellow cyclists, we replayed the race, those pleasant moments we refine with a short walk through the city streets, ice cream in hand in front of Juliet’s balcony, imagining ourselves as Romeo courting her…
Anyway, enough rambling, we inevitably end the day with a Pizza before visiting the Alé factory, the main sponsor of the event, but that’s for an upcoming article!
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