You can almost feel the cycling tradition under your tyres as you climb the Colle d'Esischie on your racing bike. The gravel crunches under your tyres - as if you were riding in the days of Fausto Coppi in the 1940s and 1950s. Back then, many mountain roads in the high mountains still had no tarmac surface. Today, it has to be said that the roads no longer have a good surface. The Alpine valleys of Piedmont are full of signs of rural depopulation - decaying roads, dilapidated houses. But the mountains are full of beautiful landscapes, there are plenty of narrow ribbons of road that are almost too narrow for cars and not inviting enough for motorcyclists to emulate Valentino Rossi - Italy's motorcycling idol. This is the ideal terrain for participants in the Granfondo La Fausto Coppi bike marathon.
Back at the Sampeyre
The 36th edition of the cycling marathon, which starts and finishes in the city of Cuneo, ventures back onto a road steeped in tradition. For almost a decade, the Colle de Sampeyre had to be bypassed - in the eyes of the organisers, the surface on the mountain road was too poor, which was last used for the Giro d'Italia in 2003 - albeit in the opposite direction back then. At his last Giro start, Marco Pantani crashed on the 18th stage in adverse conditions on the descent of the Sampeyre - when, after disqualifications and accusations of doping on the bike, he was no longer the charging pirate, but only a shadow of his former self. He rode his farewell lap at the Giro. A few months later he was dead - an overdose of cocaine was diagnosed as the cause of death.
Fausto Coppi's legendary solo
The organisers are proud of the cycling tradition in Piedmont and the pass roads with a lot of history. Fausto Coppi was once born in Castellania, a day's cycle ride away, and died in hospital in Tortona, a similar distance away, in 1960, probably as a result of malaria. He once started one of his many legendary solo rides in Cuneo. On the 17th stage of the 1949 Giro d'Italia over the passes and climbs of Maddalena, Vars, Izoard, Montgenèvre and Sestriere, he broke away early and rode a good 190 kilometres as a soloist on the way to Pinerolo. Initially, when Francesco Moser and others were among the front runners in this traditional cycling marathon, the route led over these passes in France - now, according to the organisers, the approval requirements in the neighbouring country are too great. The race remains on home turf - and that offers enough. Elisa Balsamo, the 2021 world champion, started her cycling career around Cuneo. Recently, according to the organisers, she was Tadej Pogačar was spotted at Colle Fauniera during his altitude training camp ahead of the Tour de France.
Hot and slippery
To summarise: The Granfondo (cycling marathon) La Fausto Coppi offers a lot of tradition and a new route: TOUR took a test ride - in scorching hot conditions. After a brisk 50-kilometre ride from the start in Cuneo over the Colletta di Rossanna, where there is a memorial to Pantani, some of the riders charge overconfidently up the first pass - as if the next 20 kilometres or so up the Sampeyre up to 2,280 metres above sea level weren't possible and as if it wasn't around 35 degrees on this last weekend in June 2025 - even in the mountain valleys of Piedmont. Nevertheless, the narrow pass road winds its way uphill in the shade, and somewhere halfway up there is a water hose at a stream that entices most of the participants to take a short break. Anyone who thinks they can then recover on the long descent is thoroughly mistaken. The roads at La Fausto Coppi also offer extremely challenging downhill stages: Ruts, crumbly tarmac, sharp, poorly visible bends with terrifying views into the abyss, scree on the carriageway. Although the organisers have posted Alpini, the Italian mountain hunters, with flags at almost every danger spot, at some point you get the impression that you need a hint as to where you could bravely open the brakes and let the discs cool down. Phew.
Double pass: Colle d'Esischie and Colle Fauniera follow
As soon as you reach the bottom of the valley alive and crash-free, it's straight uphill again on the other side - to the highlight of the day, which is kindly called Colle dei Morti, Pass of the Dead. However, because this could cause guests too many bad feelings, the miserably long ascent, on which you die many physical and psychological deaths, is called Colle d'Esischie after a few metres of descent to the highest point of the day, the Colle Fauniera - 2,480 metres high. Cooling down? Not a chance. Coke, water, isodrink, everything tastes like hot tea. The tables are full of sweets, but who fills their stomach with hard-to-digest sweet stuff in the sweltering heat with almost no protection from the sun? Good for those who have lugged enough energy gels uphill in their jersey pockets. A few cups of cola will raise your blood sugar level back up to a level where you can tackle the next respect-inspiring and endlessly long descent with some degree of concentration - usually huge rocks block the view of the ideal line, in which there are usually a few boulders in exactly the wrong place.
One last mean thing...
Once in the valley, you could actually shoot out of the valley from Delmonte to the finish in Cuneo. But the organisers wanted to offer the participants the prospect of at least 4,000 metres of altitude gain per day - which is why a pilgrimage up to the church of Madonna dell Colletto is offered, another 600 metres of altitude gain in a kind of free-running sauna. Sensational: on the climb, strangers hand you drinking bottles or pour cold water over your head and neck on request. Even at the last of half a dozen refreshment stations, there is nothing really cool for the stomach - at least there is a refreshing descent, even if it feels like you have to rodeo down the tarmac mogul slope on your racing bike like a downhill skier over legendary key sections such as Ciaslatwiesn and Kamelbuckel. Afterwards, a small group of cyclists ride the last 20 kilometres on a gentle slope at breakneck speed to the finish - to the central town square of Cuneo, Piazza Galimberti, which is dedicated entirely to cycling on the day of La Fausto Coppi.
Conclusion: lots of tradition, good atmosphere, great passes
Conclusion: A cycle marathon like in the old days - in the best sense of the word. Less event, less hustle and bustle than elsewhere, no support vehicles, everyone feeds themselves. And because the organisers require everyone to wear the jersey of this year's event in the race, it is obviously not interesting for small semi-professional teams to start in Cuneo. The route is largely well secured - the police, carabinieri, fire brigade and Italian army provide countless marshals. Everyone at the refreshment points is committed and quick. And along the way, you are amazed that in an increasingly ambitious cycling marathon scene, strangers stand and hand you water bottles or pour cool water down your neck. And every cyclist must have tackled the Sampeyre, Esischie and Fauniera passes once in their life - preferably in the direction of the Granfondo - from north to south. The other way round, the route is only recommended for gravel or mountain bikes. Tip to the organisers: Cool drinks at the refreshment stations would be important - and more opportunities to lower your body temperature. In addition, a little more race or cycle marathon-compatible refreshments such as bars and gels.
Info from the organiser: www.faustocoppi.net
Andreas Kublik
Editor
