VICENZA – Contrary to what one might think, theAquila Gravel it does not take place in L'Aquila, but in VicenzaThe reason is easy to explain. The name is a tribute to the eagle (in lowercase) which is the symbol of Liotto Cycles, which organizes the event and which itself has been based in Vicenza since 1922.
Having resolved the lexical and geographical issues, it is worth starting by saying that the latest edition of L'Aquila Gravel It took place last weekend, and we were there. The program included two different, distinct, and at times even antithetical events.
On Saturday, around Lake Fimon – about ten kilometers from the city of Palladio – was heldAquila Race, a circuit race valid as a national championship gravel of ACSI. On Sunday instead the program wasAquila Gravel Ride, a non-competitive cycling event with three different routes, from 60 to 130 kilometers.
Race on Saturday, cycle touring on Sunday
True to this publication's non-competitive approach, we won't say much about Saturday's event. Except that...
1) The 9-kilometer route (to be repeated 7 times) around the lake was in fact quite suggestive , between dirt roads, single tracks, meadows and woods surrounded by the first hills of the Berici Hills.
2) However, during the race we didn't have much chance to appreciate all that fascination , as we were busy trying to keep our heart rates below 250 (but still not even close to competing for the podium in our category).
3) Connected to point 2, which the real competitors go really, really, really fast. As is normal to expect from road racers, accustomed to competing with bladed weapons on city circuits, who dedicate themselves to the gravel.
On Sunday, however, the atmosphere was very different. The same start was under the Liotto arch , next to the Liotto gazebos displaying the best of Liotto bicycles, but many more people, more relaxed and more cheerful. The starters, we discovered at the end, numbered over 500. After the exertions of the previous day, we chose the medium route, 100 kilometers with 1.100 meters of elevation gain, which was called Orthogonal (we'll see why later). We all set off together, and the first few kilometers were a long, winding route descending toward Vicenza, then gradually unraveling like a rosary as we climbed toward the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Monte Berico , overlooking the city.
From there the Eagle route Gravel It moved westwards and then immediately northwards, entering the Vicenza Prealps. This always happens in events of this type, yet finding ourselves at Cycling among strangers on unseen roads is always, every time, a beautiful experience in its simplicity.So, jumping from one small group to another, finding the one with the right pace, we arrive at the first refreshment point, halfway up a ramp that goes up the small but picturesque Val di Barco.
Coldiretti-designed refreshment points and historic climbs
I refreshments in L'Aquila Gravel They deserve two lines of digression. There are four for the long route, three for the medium and two for the short, but the interesting thing is that are organized by Coldiretti Vicenza e Friendly Vicenza campaign, directly in local farmhouses. It should also be added that we had been guests at the local farmhouses the day before. For lunch at the marani managed by Francesca Barbieri, who is also the president of Terranostra Vicenza, the association that brings together Coldiretti's agritourism businesses. Dinner in the restaurant From Pierina, where those who are passionate about grills, spit-roasted meats and the like are strongly advised to book as soon as possible.
In short, thanks to this intelligent collaboration, at the first refreshment point—as well as at the second and third, the one at the arrival point—we found no energy bars, bananas, or packaged cakes. Instead, we found dishes made with products directly from the farms, from cured meats to cheeses, to savory and sweet pies . All this in warm, simple, and welcoming settings, as only agritourism can be.
The central section of the trail is, unfortunately, where the climbs are concentrated. One in particular, the one that gives the route its name, the Ortogonale. The Ortogonale is a dirt road built during the First World War , part of a larger defensive line that ran along the ridge dividing the Agno and Leogra Valleys. It's the longest climb of the day, about three kilometers on dirt, but like all military roads, it has a steady gradient . And then, from up there, once you reach the top, the view opens up over the entire Vicenza plain with the surrounding mountains, and as we all know, the hardest part is already done.
Same arrival, different spirit
Then comes the descent to Malo (Libera nos a), along woodland paths that could be anywhere in the world, other small valleys, and dirt roads through the fields that lead back to Vicenza. The final kilometers are completely flat along the Ciclabile delle Risorgive, a breath of fresh air after the day's exertions.
The Arrival of the Eagle Gravel it's the same as the previous day's race, the same lap around the lake with the same dirt road and the same finish line at the end of the straight. But getting there like this, after a day of cycling at your own pace on asphalt, concrete, gravel and paths, with friends old and new, at least as far as we are concerned it has a whole different flavor.
