Bytagand the publication "Return to the GF Alé La Merckx"
The Granfondo Verona, as its name suggests, is a cyclosportive event located in the North of Italy, to the East of Lake Garda, at the foot of the Vicentine Alps belonging to the Dolomites massif. No high mountaintagnot to be expected, but the city and its organization have many resources, so the pleasure of the eyes and the sore legs (of course!) as well as the art of pizza were able to dictate our Italian journey!
By David Polveroni – Photos: DR
A 16th edition sees its departure for 2023 given near the Bra square, a stone's throw from the Verona Arena. At 32 m high, these are among the best preserved monuments of the Roman amphitheaters. With a capacity of 30 seats, they could have accommodated almost 000 times the cycling peloton present for the event!
The Alé jersey included in the the packaging Proudly worn by the majority of cyclists, in colours mixing yellow and black, with a well-cut fit in the current trend, will be the subject of a second article since we were able to enter the premises of the Venetian company. Main sponsor brand of the event, which in its image is provided with a nice bunch of champions pleasantly wearing their team jersey of the Italian brand, Alé:
-Sonny Colbrelli and Jonathan Milan of Bahrain Victorious,
-Filippo Zanna of Jayco Alula (Italian champion),
-Zoccatoro and Davide Gaburra from Greenproject Bardiani CSF
-Lawrence Pithie of Groupama FDJ
They will accompany us without impacting the race and will not be timed… But the level of this edition will be particularly high. It should be noted that this year, the Alélamerckx Granfondo was supporting the European Granfondo Championships. Unlike the Granfondo World Championships last year in Trento, this detail would have perhaps deserved more communication. Was this the intention or not of the organization? But this remained far too confidential from my point of view, and a greater number of cyclists could have come to measure themselves on the gentle slopes of the hills of the “della Lessinia” park.
Not from the high montagnot here, but of average mytagto finish this first part of the season. 138 km for 3000m of elevation gain: we are already on to something serious!
7:45 am, Piazza Bra, June 11, 2023. A little over 1500 cyclists set off in the suburbs of Verona. The official start is then given a few kilometers after leaving the arena and the frenetic pace, usual in Italy, can then begin.
More than 50 km/h on average for the first 5 km on the flat, and 44 up to the foot of the first climb, after these 13 km rather… stressful! In the middle of the various roundabouts and speed bumps, it was sporty! Right turn route narrows, you have to put your foot down. You then have to gradually climb back up to the top of the pack without panicking.
Ahead, a group broke away, with the future winner of the GF Verona accompanied by around ten mediofondo riders, at the initiative of the FDJ rider.
Clean descent in the company of the Italian champion (pro!) and the world champion Kirshmair (cyclo!): always nice these kinds of moments. We enjoy. It rolls tempo without overdoing it too much, the slopes are rather around 6% and the routes are twirling in the vineyards. The sun is dominating, the tifosi are coming out onto their balconies, there's no denying it, we're pretty good here. A few attacks spice up the pace, but I rely on my legs and follow the bulk of the twenty or so runners present in this group.
No distinction regarding the choice of mileage they adopt, because yes, the mediofondo and the granfondo are confused. It doesn't matter, we ride for ourselves and we hang on.
The peloton splits up at the end of the second climb, before returning to 5 on the (counter) group on an easier section. Without thinking too much, I escape in front at this point when things are no longer really going well.
I am let go and I take time easily. This allows me to descend quietly to the junction between the long and short course after 25 km on routes mixing the sometimes humid portions of the night and winding gorges. A little more than 60 km on the clock, and the bifurcation between the long and short routes takes place.
Everyone knows where they stand since we are all doing the same race now...
The counter then displays 30 km of ascent, for 1150 m. In two very distinct parts.
First a very regular slope over 12 km between 5 and 7% before a small descent of 3 km, then follows the finale of this Passo Del Branchetto: irregular climb over 10 km where we only gain 250 m of altitude difference, then we finish this long climb with the hardest of this European championship: 4,3 km at an average 7% where short passages are close to 10%.
"Only" 90 km on the clock, and we've almost finished the elevation gain for today, or almost... On this wide "Strade Provinciale" we'll have to put the small chainring back on with small ones ass shots, including a length of almost 2 km at 9%… Route open, which is quite rare in Italy, but it was very well warned and in any case it is better to be vigilant. At the top of this Italian pass, you can appreciate the pastures that extend on either side of the route and where one can guess below the full of the Po. The Cows are dozing or broutent quietly while I am covered in manure on my right leg. Here the dung is on the route, no doubt we are well in mytagno… The wind is zero today, here if Aeolus gets involved, the slope could quickly become more difficult…
The bottom of the descent makes us leave the route main road to twist through the small villages north of Verona. It winds, on a route this time in a state that requires being very concentrated.
After almost 35 km of descent, we arrive at Grezzana to take the national road again. The traffic gets denser, but the involved signallers, more than present at each crossroads, ensure that everything is smoothly managed at the foot of the last small climb.
On the top of "Veronetta" this climb punchie the “Torricelle” with 1 km at 7% and the 500 m upstream and arrival, very rolling, will finish classifying all the runners.
Andréa Bais wins in front of a small peloton and thus becomes European champion of the 19-34 age group. All the results can be found below.
The setting here is idyllic! I have participated in a good number of cyclosportives, although it is certainly not top-notchtagne, but the history of the Roman times makes the test more than interesting. We return quietly by passing the Ponte Pietra and crossing the Adige, a Roman bridge in ochre red colors, it's magnificent! We then enter Verona to return to the starting square.
Once the jersey presentation ceremony has taken place, on the banks of the Piazza Bra, after having tasted the Risotto between cyclists, we relive the race, those pleasant moments that we perfect with a little walk in the streets of the city, ice cream in hand in front of Juliet's balcony, imagining ourselves as Romeo courting her...
Anyway, enough rambling, we inevitably end the day with a Pizza before going to visit the Alé factory, the main sponsor of the event, but that's for a future article!
Bytagand the publication "Return to the GF Alé La Merckx"
