Photo of the day - 9: Thinking of Il Lombardia (the Tour of Lombardy)

 

As we head into the Autumn and the road cycling season approaches the red kite, representing the final kilometre of the race, I am thinking more and more about The Tour of Lombardy, or Il Lombardia, as it is commonly known - not least because I've been writing a feature about it. In recent days I have spoken to quite a few people, including Norma Gimondi, daughter of the late great Felice Gimondi. 

Today I spoke to the head honcho at RCS Sport, organisers of this event and other big Italian events like the Giro d'Italia and Strade Bianche. It was great to finally get to speak to Mauro Vegni and talk to him about the race and its history. They are putting on quite a few races in the coming weeks - Tour of Sicily, Milan-Turin, Gran Piemonte as well as Il Lombardia. So I felt quite honoured that in this busy period he took the time out to talk to me. 

All this talk of the race, and cycling in the Lombardy region leaves me thinking that I really should go there. I must admit, I have gotten used to doing things over the phone or in video chats. Travelling seems such a faff, especially at this time where you end up having to think about Covid tests and health passes to go to different places - or even the government suddenly deciding to put the country you are visiting onto a red list, or add in other special measures. 

But, I must say I have fond memories of the couple of years I spent in Milan, and I really loved riding around the various areas in the Lombardy region - Como, Bergamo, Lecco, Intelvi, Lugano (in Switzerland), and also going South to Pavia and Oltrepo Pavese. I managed to get in a trip to Lombardy in February of last year, right before the coronavirus pandemic hit. It was only a brief trip up a couple of climbs near Bergamo - before I went on to do some skiing in Courmayeur and Chamonix - but it was lovely. So yes, all this talk of Il Lombardia has me salivating and thinking, maybe I should go there, and meet some of the folks I spoke to, other professional riders, as well as some friends I know there too. I'm holding that thought.

My Tour of Lombardy: Naviglio Pavese and Naviglio Grande

After a settling day in Milan I hit the road doing proper bike rides. One day was an easy outing along the Navigli Grande and Pavese, the next day was a hilly ride around Lake Como and up Ghisallo.

Naviglio Day

In an ideal world this would have been my southern Lombardy bike ride, going past Pavia and into the Oltrepo Pavese area. I had it mapped out in mind, to get down to Casteggio and do a loop from there, taking in places like the hilltop village of Montalto Pavese, Salice Terme, and maybe even Zavartarello - places on the edge of Lombardy province, bordering on Piedmont and into the wine region that not a lot of people know about (and which I would say is a mini version of Tuscany).

Unfortunately, I wasn't actually feeling great and was on the verge of getting a cold, so had to take it easy rather than climbing too many hills. In any case time was not on my side. I made an attempt at a getaway in that direction, but the traffic first thing in the morning was pants, even though we were travelling away from Milan.

The start of the Naviglio Grande in central Milan

So with all of that conspiring against me I made an executive decision to stop somewhere near Chiesa Rossa and start my ride from there. This town is know as the official start line of the Milan-Sanremo professional bike race (rather than the ceremonial parade from Central Milan) and I decided to make it my official start too for my flat bike ride, rather than taxing myself in the hills.

These canal paths or Navigli are great cycle routes for if you're wanting to get out of town. There are three that lead from central Milan to small surrounding towns roughly 20 miles away. The Naviglio Pavese and Naviglio Grande are near one another and both start from the Darsena channel near Piazza 25 Maggio among all the bars and restaurants. The third, Naviglio Martesana is more to the North-east of the city, past the Stazione Centrale.  Since the time I lived there they have been smartened up with the paths resurfaced, sign-posting put up and distance markings painted on the ground.

Resurfaced cycle path with signage

Naviglio Pavese

From where I parked I got onto the Naviglio Pavese and headed south towards Pavia. This canal path, which leads from central Milan to just outside the picturesque town of Pavia (which to me looks like little Florence), is a great place for riders of all persuasions. And that's what I saw along the way.

There were people using it as their commute to get to work, others were out for a leisurely bike ride, though not in great numbers given that it was a foggy Friday morning. Then there were the harder core club riders who rode it like they were on a mission, some perhaps trying to beat their Strava record. Whatever church the rider belonged to, they all said "Ciao"as they passed me.

Naviglio Pavese

This Naviglio passes various villages and hamlets, and if you have time there are a couple of churches, monuments, and relics from a bygone age of functioning canals you can visit. There's even a museum of coffee making machines nearby if that's your thing. But I didn't have time to do that during my ride.

Naviglio Grande

By the time I reached Certosa di Pavia the fog had become quite thick, and it was getting sketchy, even trying to see other riders a short distance away. So I turned around and headed towards Milan, which was bathed in sunshine, where at Binasco I left the Naviglio Pavese and cycled west to pick up the Naviglio Grande.

Trezzano sul Naviglio

The roads in between these two canal paths are to be endured rather than enjoyed. They're not so busy give or take the odd truck, but they are not particularly picturesque. There are plenty of factories and arable farms if you like looking at that sort of thing, and then every now and again you get a random prostitute near a lorry park. Oh, well. No, this aint no Tuscany - just a criss cross of suburban roads to get you to the various motorways; roads that take you through commercial and industrial areas that help make the Milan economy one of the strongest in Italy.

Thankfully, I was soon back onto the pretty Naviglio Grande, which has a suburban forest and picnic areas as well as ornate churches at Gaggiano and Trezzano. For those into open water swimming, something I have dipped my toe in, there is a swimming race from central Milan out to Abbiategrasso. The paths and surrounding areas are definitely pleasant, but the water might be another story!

One short section along the path that was closed for maintenance. With bollards blocking us off and heavy machinery in sight there was no way of passing through there, even on foot. So I was obliged to take a diversion. I could see a path that appeared to cut across fields to get around the the works and wondered if it was worth trying that option rather than making a 3-mile diversion, or riding along the very busy parallel road.

Gaggiano - nice day for a bike ride

It was interesting seeing the varying pieces of advice from the different local riders I asked. A few just said, "Absolutely not - you'll definitely get a puncture." They also looked like they wouldn't have even wanted the slightest fleck of dust on their flashy steeds. A couple of others just said, it is possible to get through but I had to "be very careful". In the end I took the short cut, and to be honest, I don't know what all the fuss had been about. The road surface was nowhere as bad as pave in Paris-Roubaix - not even a bit of Strade Bianche. These Italian guys were real snowflakes! I bet they don't ride when the sun's not shining either!

So I continued along my way and returned to my base in the sunshine near Chiesa Rossa. By the time I finished it was lunchtime and many more cyclists and club runs had come out, making the most of this very pleasant Friday afternoon.

I was pleased with my Naviglio ride, though I still have it on my list to ride in Oltrepo Pavese the next time I am in Lombardy - and I will even drink some wine.


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My Tour of Lombardy - Upcycle

Giro dei Navigli (Canals of Milan) - Martesana

Hills near Milan - Oltrepo Pavese

Milan to Rapallo - Part 1

Hills near Milan - Oltrepò Pavese

Earlier in the year I wrote about hills you can ride just to the north of Milan, in Brianza. In the interests of balance I also plan to write about hills in other directions from Milan. Today is about hills just to the south of Milan.

If you head due south from Milan for about 20 miles, you reach the historic town of Pavia. Continue past there for a further 6 miles and you reach scenic countryside with rolling hills. Further in the distance the mountain range around the Ligurian Appenines and Monte Penice come in to view. If you are feeling energetic you may want to scale those slopes and drop down towards the dramatic Ligurian coast.

The good news though, is that you don't need to travel so far to enjoy a scenic hilly bikeride! The Oltrepò Pavese, just south of Pavia is made up of rolling hills on which vineyards are perched, and agroturismos await, ready to welcome tourists wanting to enjoy a full gastronomic and wine-tasting experience.

And the cycling's all very scenic. As you ride along the various valley roads, you quickly realise that everything on either side of you goes upwards - in some cases with a castello or a charming medieval village at the top of the steep roads.

While riding around I notice lots of signs reminding me that I am on the Strada del Vino e dei Sapori - meaning that I can stop off and sample, even buy wines, and other local produce like salami and mushrooms. In fact, looking around, this could be a mini Tuscany - I may not find Chianti here but I could sneak a cheeky Pinot Nero or some local spumante into my bidon! And it'll all taste just as nice!

The great thing is that Oltrepò Pavese, not having been heavily publicised has not fallen victim to the tourist trap. Bikingwise, that means I get the roads practically to myself - well apart from loads of other club cyclists! Yes, Oltrepò Pavese is very popular with club cyclists from the Milan/Lombardy area, so on a sunny Saturday or Sunday you are never alone. However, motorised traffic is very light - which is the bonus of cycling around here.

And if you don't want to go home straight after the ride there are lots of agroturismos providing a very authentic and untouristic experience at reasonable prices.

I have ridden in the Oltrepò Pavese on a number occasions. The first time, was during a ride to Liguria. I went via Montalto Pavese and Zavatarello to reach Bobbio via Monte Penice.
On other occasions I have been  to Lago di Trebecco via Rocca de Giorgi and Passo Carmine.

Either way, the sequence is similar - a nice run-in along a valley road, followed by the road progressively getting steeper and steeper and going on for around 20km. The area becomes more desolate, and every time I think I am at the top I see another castle or church that is even higher up. As I near the top, I put in some big out-of-the saddle efforts as I think that my climbing is coming to an end - but alas, heaving and panting I realise I still have more work to do! Finally, I reach the top - tired, but glad I managed to hang in there and I am treated to a beautiful view. The descents are twisty but exhilarating, and it's hard to believe that these small lanes that provide so much fun are relatively unknown.

I even did a cyclosportive here at Salice Terme earlier this year, which went through lots of other pleasant parts of the Oltrepò Pavese. Sadly, I can't fully describe the route as the weather on the day was grey and abyssmal (to match my performance!). I look forward to doing this cyclosportive again - hopefully when I am fitter and when the weather is nicer.

Getting down to Oltrepò is quite easy. I can get a train to Broni, Stradella, Voghera, or Casteggio. Otherwise I can ride all the way there. I must admit, riding down to this area is much more pleasant than riding up to Brianza, since most of the route to Oltrepò Pavese is done on the traffic-free Naviglio Pavese, and even the less scenic roads around Pavia are not completely choked with industries and factories like some of the roads to the north of Milan.

And of course, at the end of my ride I won't have any trouble finding a glass of something nice! Cheers!

Milan to Rapallo - The Long Saturday - Part 2

Grinding my way through the vineyards of the Oltrepo Pavese

Continuing my two-wheeled excursion from Milan to the Ligurian coast via the hilly Oltrepo Pavese.....My ride up Monte Penice did not fail to disappoint! At an average of 5% over 15km the climb was not so difficult, however since I had already ridden around 25km uphill to get to this point things were not so easy! I was passed by a father with his young son who both approached Monte Penice with a certain trepidation, though they were still faster than me.

I was also overtaken by a few club riders who sailed up the climb like it was just a teaser. Maybe it was a teaser, but I was weighed down by my day pack and an overnight bag. That's my excuse anyway! Just like with any road that has lots of switchbacks on it, there were lots of motorbikers around who were really enjoying the hairpins. If only I could have had a small piece of their engine!

I must admit, this climb was beginning to test my force of will. I had already been climbing for 3 hours getting over the initial section of the Oltrepo Pavese, and I was beginning to get bored of being in the same old granny ring. I needed a new faster ring that would be easier to pedal - a supergranny ring! Also, I had gotten my fill of cute hilltop villages that I could only look at without touching. They were beginning to lose their charm, as I began to struggle upwards. Where are the boring flatlands when you need them?

I stopped at the side of the road for a snack, while mentally regrouping. Nearby, a wedding reception was taking place in an old palazzo. If only I could have snuck in and joined the celebration. My ride was no longer that joyful, so I could have done with doing something uplifting! Not knowing when I would reach the summit of this beast was getting rather frustrating.

Finally, just when I wondered how much more I could take, the road levelled off and began to descend. This was no false dawn either, since the sight of other cyclists in coats and longs riding in the opposite direction meant that there would be a significant amount of downhill to ride. I had reached Monte Penice -yay! At last, my legs could get some respite!

I savoured every moment of the descent. I had a permanent smile on my face as the bike sailed around the smooth curves in the road, all the way down to Bobbio.

The mountain gateway village of Bobbio was a meeting point for all travellers - motor bikers, motorists, walkers and of course cyclists. I would have loved to have stayed to visit the cathedral and the abbey in this old town which apparently forms the backdrop to Leonardo di Vinci's Mona Lisa painting. But time was marching on. In fact, so much time had passed, and as the clock struck half past four I wondered if I should call it a day and maybe just stay in Bobbio.

By now, I was 70km from Genoa and it was touch and go as to whether or not I would reach my hotel in Rapallo before dark. Even worse was that where I had thought the road would be downhill from Bobbio, it was actually climbing! Oh God!

Feeling that it was too early to stop, and not wanting to throw away the 70 euros I had paid for my hotel reservation in Rapallo, I continued along the road to my next milestone, Montebruno. Surely this place would be so close to the coast that from that village it would be just a 1-hour mad descent to the coast. Yes, that would be something to look forward to.

In the meantime I would content myself with a false flat along the SS45 road which meandered round rocks and gorges, following the river and occasionally dropping under crags.

If I hadn't felt in a stressed out rush I would have really appreciated this area known as Val Trebbia. Many people had stopped to go sunbathing or bathe in the thermal springs. Oh well, this would be yet another venue to note on my increasingly long list of places to return to in the future!

I had to climb hills, and more hills to reach the Ligurian coast

En route I rang the hotel to tell them I would be late and that my estimated time of arrival would be 9pm.

When I mentioned to the receptionist that I was on a bicycle about 5 miles from Montebruno she didn't seem phased and said that my ride would be downhill after the village.

Of course it would be downhill. After all, I was in the mountains and Rapallo is right by the sea! It would be a piece of cake getting to Rapallo once I reached Montebruno. I was really looking forward to arriving at Montebruno, knowing that once I arrived there it would be the end of my hard work.

Just as night fell I reached Montebruno. It was a quarter to nine. Okay, so I was going to arrive in Rapallo an hour later than scheduled. I may have missed dinner but I was sure I would find a late-night snack-bar in the town somewhere if room service had finished.

According to my map, a left hand turn in Montebruno should have taken me towards my destination. But the lane I saw was too small to be a real road. There weren't even any streetlights.
I asked directions from a local, and he confirmed my fears.

"Sure that's the right road for Rapallo. Just go over the climb and follow the road. You'll get there."
"Go up?" I asked, bemused. "Don't I go down?"
"Oh yes, you go down - after you've done the 10km climb. You look strong, you'll be fine!"

My heart sank. I couldn't believe it. I'd managed to hang in there, thinking that things would be plain sailing after Montebruno, and here I was faced with another long climb - at nightfall!!


Related posts
Milan to Rapallo - The Long Saturday - Part 1

Milan to Rapallo - The Long Saturday - Part 3

Milan to Rapallo - The Long Saturday - Part 4

Milan to Rapallo - The Long Saturday - Part 1

It was meant to be a mini cycling challenge - a fun jaunt from the city to the coast with the reward of sun, sea, sand and a bit of ice cream. Back in London we would do this all the time - London to Brighton, sometimes riding back. In Yorkshire the folks do Hull or York to Scarborough. So hey, why not do Milan to the Italian Riviera. It would be a slightly classier, more continental, and warmer destination than other seaside club runs I've done.

I chose to do Milan to Rapallo, which was immediately due south of where I was staying. That would make it a bit shorter than the classic Milan-Sanremo, which travels southwest and gets up to almost 185 miles. Also, the return home by train would be easy, since trains from Genoa back to Milan are direct and regular. I would just have to get on with the 100-mile bike ride first. That should be straight forward enough; I've ridden that distance before; and hey, I would be spoilt rotten with picturesque scenes while riding through the vineyards and rolling hills of the Oltrepo Pavese. All the ingredients were there for a fun, challenging ride, while still being doable....er, hopefully.....


I set off from Milan at 8am under clear skies. The ride to Pavia was very easy - just a flat blast down the canal path, the Naviglio Pavese. There was nothing of note to report apart from a religious procession along the road. I'm guessing this was just a normal occurrence on a Saturday morning as none of the motorists seemed bothered by the tailbacks as the happy crew paraded down the road singing songs of praise.

Riding through the vineyards of Oltrepo Pavese - a bit like Tuscany but less pretentious!

A section of the canal path was fenced off for resurfacing. That was a snag because there was no easy way to divert back onto the road, so I had no choice but to try and ride through the section. I crawled through the fence and winched my bike over it, then hoped that there would be no massive manholes and I wouldn't get a puncture riding the 3 mile section of dirt track on my road bike. Luckily, the bicycle survived that section unscathed and incident free.

Once past Pavia I left the canal path to join the motorised traffic on the roads. My route went towards Voghera, and then just before that town I turned off the main road onto some quiet roads. From there on in, my route would be on roads with very little traffic.

Also, from here onwards there would be no more flat terrain and it would be all about the hills for the next few hours. It was all good though, as the views were very pretty. I was riding through the picturesque villages and vineyards of the Oltrepo Pavese.
This wine-produing area set among rolling hills does not get alot of press, despite its attractiveness. Everyone talks about Tuscany it seems, but a stay in one of the agroturismos of the Oltrepo Pavese is worth a stopover if you have time and is not an experience to be sniffed at. I would have certainly enjoyed a glass of wine there, but sadly, I didn't have that much time to stop. Although I was missing out on this pleasant experience there were enough bellavistas in the area for me to enjoy my ride.

Lunchtime soon arrived and I had reached a highpoint near Passo Carmine. It was time for a quick snack while admiring the panorama and imagining coming back here on a day when I had more time - on a day when I could join the villagers for lunch on a high terrace and enjoy what they were enjoying on this sunny afternoon.

But I had to press on to reach Monte Penice, and Bobbio. I believed that once I'd crested this significant mountain in the area there would be a long descent all the way to Bobbio and then from there my ride would just be gentle undulations all the way to the coast.

Er...


Related posts
Milan to Rapallo - The Long Saturday - Part 2

Milan to Rapallo - The Long Saturday - Part 3

Milan to Rapallo - The Long Saturday - Part 4 & conclusion