The Felice Gimondi Special

Get ready for a long, brutal day in the saddle. Legend has it this was one of Felice Gimondi’s signature training loops—the one he liked to ride as a final tune-up before heading off to the Giro or the Tour. And if you look at the numbers, it’s pretty obvious why: 155 km and 3,500 meters of climbing. This isn’t a ride—it’s a declaration of war.

Gimondi knew perfectly well that a few days later he’d have to face Eddy Merckx, the Cannibal himself, so he needed something suitably punishing to toughen up the legs and the soul. This loop delivers exactly that: a grand tour of the entire region. You start with the Colle dei Pasta, dive into Val Rossa, grind your way up Passo di Ganda and Passo Crocetta, then tackle all three climbs of Val Taleggio—because why suffer once when you can suffer three times?

And for the grand finale? The ascent of the Boccola in Città Alta, the same iconic finish of Il Lombardia. By this point, if you’re still upright, you’ll feel every bit as heroic (and destroyed) as Gimondi did… minus the part where he went on to win races afterward.