In cerca del mito: da Novi a Castellania Coppi

These roads are legendary in every way. They are the roads that the Champions trained on - the Airone Fausto Coppi, his brother Serse, and before them, Costante Girardengo, along with many other heroic cyclists of the Tortona hills who created an epic cycling era. This route is a particularly challenging path through the Tortona hills that traces the road leading to the birthplace of the Coppi brothers, from Castellania Coppi and back to Novi. It starts from the Museum of Champions in Novi Ligure, a must for those who enjoy cycling history. Continuing along  viale dei Campionissimi, follow via Acquistapace until you reach the Stadium; then turn right onto viale della Rimembranza and then left onto Via Manzoni. After km 2.6 you will come to a roundabout on the road 35 Bis dei Giovi; go straight towards Merella (here, amongst the farmhouses, is a circuit, extremely popular with cyclists - the Merella circuit. Turn right at 7.6km towards Villalvernia and then at 10.6 km, left to Tortona. At km 10.9, at the second traffic light, continue right in the direction of Castellania Coppi (a challenging climb of 400 meters). At km 12.9 turn left in the direction of Paderna; from here you will face a moderately demanding climb of 1.2 km. There is a fountain in the square of the town hall. At km 15, turn left in the direction of Spineto (600 metre climb of medium difficulty). Arrived in Spineto, at km 18, watch out for two dangerous bends. At km 18.4, turn right in the direction of Carbonara, then right again in the direction of Villaromagnano (km 19.2): at this point, there are a number of dangerous bends. At km 19.6 a cycle path begins next to a rest area.  We point out that from right here a detour takes to La Rampina climb, to the right, immediately after the start of the cycle path, after passing Villaromagnano. It is an alternative (mythical), to the cycle path of the valley bottom. You reach the same point, namely the entrance to Montale Celli and then continue along the route for Costa Vescovato. This section of white road characterises the historical cycle race La Mitica (www.lamitica.it) which starts and arrives in Castellania Coppi every year.  At km 20.8 keep right in the direction of Costa Vescovado and at km 22.8 turn right again. Keep to the right at km 25.4; there is a demanding climb close to the hamlet of Montale Celli. At km 27 turn right in the direction of Castellania Coppi (600 m of demanding climb); at km 28.8 continue left to reach the birthplace of Fausto Coppi: here everything speaks of the champion from Piemonte, even the walls, frescoed with vintage blow-ups and photos, the memorabilia that can be seen at Casa Coppi or in the small museum dedicated to him. There is also the mausoleum of the great Fausto Coppi; the Monument in honour of the Coppi brothers is the destination of continuous pilgrimages. For a wine stop, we recommend a visit (by appointment) to the Winery of Marina Coppi, the eldest daughter of the great Champion. At this point, we continue towards Carezzano Superiore. At km 33.8, there is a dangerous bend. At km 35.4 turn left towards Sant'Agata Fossili (3.5 km of average climb), where you will find a fountain, a swimming pool, and the unusual presence of a lavender field. At km 43.5, you reach Gavazzana, a small village where you can admire the surrounding valley from the church. At km 46 keep left in the direction of Cassano. There is a fountain in the village. At km 47.9, turn right in the direction of Novi Ligure. Continue along Via Verdi, at the traffic light turn right onto via Cavallotti, at the next set of traffic lights, turn right onto via Manzoni. Turn left onto viale della Rimembranza, left onto via Crispi, and then continue along Via Acquistapace in the direction of the Museum of Champions (km 55) in front of which you will find a large parking lot.

Points of interest

For further information: Sito del Comune di Novi Ligure Sito sul Museo dei Campionissimi Sito del comune di Castellania LaMitica Ciclostorica con Bici d'Epoca sulle strade di Coppi Please note - Uphill climbs are demanding; less expert cyclists should use an e-bike   Signage  No signage present, at the crossroads it is necessary to follow the directions for places indicated in the descritption of the route, Furthermore, it is always advisable to entrust yourself to a guide to be updated on any changes in the conditions of the routes that may vary compared to the time in which Piemontebike.eu carried out its investigation and update.  Recommendations:  Always use the helmet, even when it is not compulsory. Before departure, always advise someone of your route choice; if you can, take a GPS and a mobile phone, a water bottle always full of water and if the distance is demanding take an extra snack/bar. Dress adequately. Better in layers and with windproof rain cape to keep in your jersey pocket. Always use padded shorts. Comfort is essential to have fun and enjoy the best of what a journey has to offer.  

Departure, arrival and municipalities crossed

Note