Enjoy Romagna – four routes of the Nove Colli

The Nove Colli is probably Italy's most famous cyclosportive event. It was born in 1971 in Cesenatico, a beautiful seaside resort on the Adriatic Sea, thanks to the ‘Fausto Coppi’ cycling group. It then grew from strength to strength, reaching 12,000 participants each year. In 2015, the 12,000 places available online were sold out within four minutes of registration opening.

For years, the official meeting point for the group of friends who invented the Nove Colli was the Bar del Corso, on the famous Porto Canale Leonardesco. The port was so named because in 1502 Leonardo da Vinci came here to see for himself how the shipyards were progressing. The route is characterised by an emblematic succession of nine climbs over some 200 kilometres (124 mi): Polenta, Pieve di Rivoschio, Ciola, Barbotto, Montetiffi, Perticara, Monte Pugliano, Passo delle Siepi and Sogliano.

For those who wish to enjoy Romagna with a little less effort, there are shorter routes on offer. Over the years, routes of 60, 130 and 170 kilometres (37, 81 and 106 mi) have been created to meet every need. Typically, the 60-kilometre route is aimed at families and beginners; the 130-kilometre route is the intermediate distance; while the 170-kilometre route was created in 2023 as a result of changes to the road network following the floods in May of that year.

As all four routes are entirely on asphalt, I recommend a road bike with low gears to tackle the toughest climbs. The maximum gradient is 18% on some sections of the Barbotto, but on many other climbs it reaches double figures. The start and finish of each Tour is in Cesenatico, where there’s a wide range of accommodation. The Adriatic town lies on the railway line between Rimini and Ravenna. It’s also served by the state road 16 and the A14 motorway.

All these routes can be ridden during the event or at any other time of the year. Romagna is particularly suitable for cycling, even in the coldest seasons, as it’s always a little warmer than the national average. Food and drink are readily available in the populated areas. A famous phrase by Cesenatico-born Marco Pantani shows how easy it is to fill up with water on the course: "I always go out without a water bottle because I only need the four fountains whose locations I know.”

The four Nove Colli routes await you for an incomparable cycling experience!