Stage 7: From Valle del Chiese to Riva del Garda
The Sella Giudicarie forms the watershed between the Chiese and Sarca rivers. And on this watershed lies the municipality of the same name, which was created by merging the villages of Bondo, Breguzzo, Lardaro and Roncone. The municipality has around 2,900 inhabitants and when someone pours out a glass of water, it still flows into Lake Idro. Just a short distance further on, over the saddle in the direction of Tione, the water would already be flowing into Lake Garda, as the Sarca rushes through here, pouring into Lake Garda at Torbole after less than 50 kilometres. And it is precisely in this direction, first to Tione, that the last stage of the TOUR Transalp 2022 starts.
So it can't be far to the finish of this Transalp and those who are consumed by the longing for Lake Garda can take a shortcut here. But the little detour, which adds a little spice to this stage, is worth it. If you now follow the Sarca northwards against the direction of flow in Tione, you will reach the famous ski resort of Madonna di Campiglio via Pinzolo. It lies at the foot of the Brenta, the mighty mountain massif with its highest peak, the 3,173 metre high Cima Tosa. There is no road through this massif and if you were to cycle around it, you would end up with around 140 kilometres on the clock and also get to know the Val di Sole, the Val di Non and Lake Molveno.
Passo Daone offers an attractive descent
Only here, at the very bottom in the south-west, between Tione and Pinzolo, is there a hidden mountain road that cuts a very small slice of the big cake: the road over the Passo Daone. With a summit height of less than 1,300 metres, this pass road does not really penetrate the mountain massif, but at best plays a little with its southernmost foothills. However, the Daone is definitely an attractive road bike pass, as the winding descent on the south side back down into the Sarca Valley is great fun.
Now the Passo Duron is the most direct connection to the Val Lomasone, which is more recognisable as a plateau than a valley. However, this stage only pays a brief visit to this farming country, which is characterised by fields and farmland, as the Passo del Ballino is soon overcome. After that, everything happens very quickly. On the descent, the turquoise shimmering Lake Tenno rushes past, a moment later the view over Lake Garda takes your breath away and you're sitting in a bar with a drink at the finish in Arco. However, there is nothing to stop you from racing down these last few kilometres at race pace and taking your time to enjoy the impressions.
A detour to Lake Tenno with a short break on the lake shore, at least one photo stop in the Lake Garda panorama - these last kilometres are simply too beautiful to concentrate solely on the road. At the end, it's time to run for show all the way to the Magnolia Avenue in Arco, which gives you the feeling of arriving on the red carpet even without a finish arch or spectators.
You can stop off here
Refreshment stops are few and far between on this stage. If you feel thirsty or hungry after the Passo Daone, you can look for a bar or restaurant in the villages of Preore and Zuclo. The same applies to the village of Fiave in Val Lomasone after the Passo Duron. From Lake Tenno to Arco, however, it is impossible to go thirsty or hungry.
Shortcuts / variants to the original route
If you prefer a very short route, turn right at the war memorial in Bondo and take a small road in the forest to Zuclo, where the ascent to Passo Duron begins. This way you can skip the Passo Daone. There are no sensible alternatives in the same category.
The stage as a short trip
If you want to do the stage in one day, you have to take a taxi back. Addresses for taxi companies can be found at gardatrentino.it to find.
The stage as part of a round tour (2 to 4 days)
If you are not afraid of the busy road with the tunnel galleries on the western shore of Lake Garda, the Gardesana Occidentale, you can head south on this road. After Limone, the Strada della Forra, a dream road, turns right and leads up to Tremosine. Then it goes downhill again until you turn back into the Gardesana just before Gargnano. From Gargnano, a road leads through the mountains over Lago di Valvestino to the southern shore of Lake Idro. Once you have cycled round it, you are back in the Chiese Valley.
Marc Schneider's tip
There's nothing wrong with an Aperol Spritz in the Bar Centrale next to the church in Arco, at the end of this stage. The best ice cream can be found in the Gelateria Artigianale Tarifa (Via Giovanni Segantini 51) in the town centre.
General info
If you want to stay overnight or are looking for other tourist offers, you will find what you are looking for at visitchiese.it and gardatrentino.it. Anyone who needs a service for their bike will find it here and here. There are bike shops like sand by the sea on northern Lake Garda.
The 7th stage from Valle del Chiese to Riva del Garda, 70.20 km and 1,497 metres in altitude.
The GPS data will be available for download on the TOUR website after the TOUR Transalp 2022, which takes place from 19-25 June.
If you are still thinking about switching from Touri to Race mode, you can find all the details about the Everyman Race over the Alps at www.tour-transalp.de.
