Italiano | English

A reconnaissance of the long route: here are the latest changes

A reconnaissance of the long route: here are the latest changes

 

Tuesday 17 May 2022

 

The works planned for the summer on the Pianello bridge - which from the Fonti di Poiano crosses the Secchia river and leads to the Carnola climb towards Castelnovo Monti - will modify the long route of the Granfondo Matildica, readjusting it to the working site imposed by the Province.

The new route designed by the Cooperatori,  organizers of the 50th edition (first Valentino Iotti memorial), from a numerical point of view does not deviate much from the original plan.

It is no coincidence that the kilometres remain almost unchanged (148.5 compared to 149, always with 3 refreshment points and 6 ’water’ in addition to the to that of Reggio) while the difference in altitude changes by a few metres (the current 2,800 compared to the previous 2,750). The novelty is that instead of arriving in Castelnovo Monti from above, therefore from the Felina-Fonti di Poiano-Carnola route, it will proceed from below, through the Felina- Villaberza-Bellessere, already proposed in part last year.

In detail, the start is confirmed at 7 a.m. in Piazza della Vittoria in Reggio. The long route is valid for the Uec European Championship of ’granfondo’, but can also be cycled by cyclists (start at 7.30 a.m.), as long as they have a medical certificate for high sports intensity. The first 50 kilometres to Casina remain unchanged (and are identical to the medium route): after Reggio you proceed towards Albinea, where the first asperity of the day is expected, the climb of the ’Cavazzone’ (5.5 kilometres, average gradient of 4.9% with peaks of 10%) to Regnano, then turn right towards La Vecchia, Paderna, with short but demanding ’strappi’ (steep climbs), and Pecorile, where begins the second climb, the fearsome Cavandola tear (2.8 kilometres at 10% with peaks of 15%).

Finally the climb towards Casina on wide and safe roads also used by the Giro d’Italia 2021, arriving to kilometre 50 (at 25 km/h it takes exactly 2 hours).

From here the next 30 kilometres have been modified: from Migliara (along via Monte Portola) the diversions leads to Cigarello and then to Carpineti, climbing up towards Felina shortly after Case Perizzi, to then reach Castelnovo Monti from below, passing through Villaberza and Bellessere; the 80th kilometre, in fact, takes place in the town centre, and taking into account 25 km/h as an average, it takes just under 3 and a quarter hours.

But after the well-deserved refreshment, the race finally gets into full swing. The descent towards Ciano d’Enza (110 kilometres), passing through Rosano, Legoreccio and Piagnolo (a scenic and spectacular with successive tears and descents), and then along the Enza, leads to the decisive moment of the race. The ’climb of the smile’, dedicated to Michele Scarponi, will in fact take the athletes as far as the castle of Canossa (6.8 kilometres at 4.7%, with peaks of 8%), before take the dive towards Quattro Castella (130 kilometres) passing through Sedignano. At the finish line is only 18.5 kilometres away, and after 5 hours and 15 minutes (considering the usual average of 25 hours per hour), fatigue will really start to set in. After Montecavolo the return towards Piazza della Vittoria will go around Rivalta, deviating from San Rigo and then Coviolo to avoid passing in the centre of the hamlet, before the triumphant parade along the splendid ’boulevard’ of viale Umberto. The updated map and kilometre tables can be found on the ’mediofondo’ section of the site.

The changes, we remind you, only concern the long route. Medium route (except for the already mentioned above) and the short route will instead remain substantially unchanged.

GRANFONDO MATILDICA MERIDA

Granfondo Matildica

ASD Cooperatori

ASD COOPERATORI

 

via Antonio Marro 2

42122 Reggio Emilia RE

P.Iva 01672740352

© 2022 A.S.D. Cooperatori

FOLLOW US

 

CONTATTI

granfondo@cooperatori.it