Giro d’Italia climbs: Oropa, Rosazza and Bielmonte from the west

This includes the famous climb to Oropa, which has six times been a Giro d’Italia stage finish, and reaches 1,448 meters before exiting through the Rosazza Tunnel. It closes with the climb to Bielmonte from the west.

The route starts from the square in Bielmonte and goes down the Panoramica Zegna towards Valle Cervo, in which there are several villages, including Sagliano Micca, birthplace of Pietro Micca, remembered for the heroism which cost him life and enabled the city of Turin to withstand the French siege in 1706.

On reaching Biella, the route follows the streets used in the 2014 Giro d’Italia and then climbs to the Oropa Sanctuary, a place impressed in the minds of many cyclists, above all because of Pantani’s legendary victory in 1999. In that stage of the Giro, at the beginning of the climb, the Romagna champion had to stop (his chain came off) when the group was already sprinting to the finish. Pantani’s recovery was awesome, overhauling over 50 riders in the nearly 13 km climb. On his arrival he didn’t even raise his arms, not being sure he’d overtaken all the riders ahead of him.

The 13 km climb varies in difficulty but can be divided into two parts, the first being to the fork into the old Favaro road. Up to this point it’s largely flat, with a maximum gradient of 5.5%. Taking this right hand fork the music changes though and the gradient often exceeds 10%. It’s only in the last kilometer that there are some slightly simpler sections where you can recover a little. On arriving in the square with the majestic Santuario di Oropa (UNESCO heritage), there’s a final sprint on a paved section.

After a visit to this majestic site, fruit of the greatest Savoy architects (including the unmistakable Juvarra) we start a climb from the square to the dark and narrow pass through the Rosazza Tunnel (1,488 m). The tunnel recalls the Galibier and Parpaillon passes (remember to bring lights: the tunnel is short but not lit).

From here we drop down into Valle Cervo and thence climb back to Bielmonte from the west. Before doing so however, it’s well worth visiting Rosazza, “Italy’s most mysterious village”.