CYCLING TOURISM: BIELLA-OROPA CLIMB
The route, enhanced by dedicated signage recalling the exploits of great athletes during the various Biella stages of the Giro d'Italia, can be easily summed up in a single word: climb.
There is a sign for every kilometre, with indications of gradient, distance from the summit and a brief history of cycling in Oropa. The first six kilometres are dedicated to the winners of the stages: from Vito Taccone in 1963, then Massimo Ghirotto, Marco Pantani, Marzio Bruseghin and Enrico Battaglin to finish with Tom Dumoulin in 2017. At 8 km from the finish a tribute to the "Pirate" Marco Pantani, at the point where in 1999 a technical failure of the bike chain forced him to stop and from where he began the incredible comeback that led him to win the stage with a 21" lead.
Although in different ways, almost all of the 13 km are climbs. A gentle climb in the introductory phase that leads out of Biella; a nasty one, in the variant of the old road of Favaro, where you pedal on cobblestones, reaching a peak of 13%; a tough climb in the final stretch, when you return to the state road and your energy starts to drop. In all, the 13,000 metres of the route have an average gradient of 5.5%, with three sections in porphyry: at the start in Biella, halfway through Favaro and finally the Prato delle Oche, the finishing straight.
Location: Biella (Biella and Oropa Valley)
Means of transport: Bicycle
Difficulty: Medium
Length(km): 13.0
Uphill height difference(m): 725
Travel time: 48 minutes
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