BOVES, VALLE GESSO, VALLE VERMENAGNA, VERNANTE
FROM GESSO TO VERMENAGNA BY GRAVEL BIKE
45 km
An itinerary mainly covering paved roads and cycle paths with two beautiful climbs, combining mountain views featuring villages hidden by chestnut woods with the colourful frescoed walls of the houses of Vernante and the towns that have made the history of the Cuneo area, such as Boves. Ideal for gravel biking, and best tackled in spring and autumn when the beautiful colours of the vegetation come into their own.
Please note that itineraries may include roads where motor vehicles are allowed. Authors and trail testers are not responsible for the information contained.
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The itinerary of about 45 km with an elevation gain of about 1,070 metres, does not present any particular technical difficulties and requires an average level of training. The town of Roccavione, where the Gesso and Vermenagna rivers meet, will be your starting point. You will cycle at the foot of the mountains, soon arriving at the Brignola power station, the last site of the network of water collection basins used for the production of electricity in Valle Gesso, one of the largest in Italy.
Turn left at the road to the Riserva Naturale delle Grotte del Bandito, where remains of the now-extinct cave bear were found, thenhead into the valley of Roaschia, initially anthropised by silica mines, then left as a mountainenvironment. The climb is long but its gradients are never steep and it takes you to the Colle delle Goderie, the highest point of thetour at an altitude of 1,343 meters, the last stretch spanning a dirt road with an excellent surface. A beautiful view of Monviso awaits you.
A short crossing prepares you for a challenging descent on asphalt that will take you to the centre of Vernante, the city of frescoes dedicated to the tale of Pinocchio; its historic centre is ideal for an invigorating stopover. Leaving the village, take the cycle path of the lower Vermenagna Valley until you reach Robilante, where the ramps of the Malandrè begin, the second and last climb of the day. You will ride uphill tothe Colle del Moro, at an altitude of 943 metres, enjoying a panoramic view of the Cuneo plain.
The asphalt descent is steep and to be approached with caution; in no time at all it will take you to the streets in the centre of Boves, awarded a goldmedalof military and civil valour in 1963 for its heroic activity in the partisanstruggle during the Second World War. A short stretch of bike path will take you to the Santuario Regina Pacis in Fontanelle, built in the early twentieth century, located in front of a beautiful square.
The last stretch is on a medium-distance road and it is almost flat as far as the gates of Roccavione, where you can admire the local Liberty-style houses, before the tour comes to an end.
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