This route takes the same roads as the first stage of the 2019 Giro d’Italia Rosa – the Italian women's bicycle race – which started in Cassano Spinola on 5 July with the traditional team time trial, customary with every big race.
The first pink jersey was awarded to the Pole Katarzyna Niewiadoma, leader of the Canyon-SRAM Racing team, who won the stage in 31 minutes, 41 seconds and 15 centiseconds. The Giro Rosa ended on 14 July in San Vito al Tagliamento near Udine. The final victory went to the multiple winner Annemiek van Vleuten, nicknamed the Cannibal. The Dutchwoman, from the Australian Mitchelton-Scott team, was the undisputed queen of the Giro Rosa 2019.
Cassano Spinola is the resting place of two legends of cycling, Costante Girardengo and Sandrino Carrea. The stage of the race stopped in Castellania in homage to brothers Fausto and Serse Coppi on the hundredth anniversary of Fausto's birth. Here, besides the Coppi family house and museum, there is a mausoleum dedicated to the man known as the Campionissimo – the Champion of Champions – and his younger brother.
Just like the first stage of the 2019 Gira Rosa, our route begins in Cassano Spinola, beside the town hall in the town square, Piazza XXVI Aprile. If you want to salute the great local champions Costante Girardengo and Andrea 'Sandrino' Carrea, go down Via Arzani and then Via Sardigliano on your right. The cemetery here hosts their earthly remains. Go back to the town square, where you can refill your water bottle, and head out onto the route on your right. From here on, you'll be following the official route of the first stage of the Giro Rosa.
Take the SS 35 and turn right 90 degrees towards Gavazzana. The first 700 m of the route are flat, then you climb about 2 km on an average slope of just over 4%, reaching 10% at some points, until you get to the marvellous village of Gavazzana. Turn right and after going slightly uphill for about 2 km, the last stretch of which is on a slope of 10% again, you'll reach Sant’Agata, known for its fossils. Once you're out of the village, go downhill for about 4 km on a well-tarmacked and fairly wide road with some tricky sections. At the bottom there is a little bridge on your right that you should take care on. Carry on up to Carezzano Maggiore on your right, go on for 800 m and take a sharp left at the crossroads. Go on for another 700 m and turn right for the village of Paderna, which you'll reach after a climb of 1.5 km that, with an average slope of 2%, reaching 8–10% at points, is not too challenging. Once you're out of Paderna, carry on slightly uphill for another 1,500 m to Carezzano Superiore, where you'll start to feel the spirit of the Campionissimo at the junction for Castellania. Another 1.5 km on and a little downhill, and you'll pass by the Passo Coppi, the gap in the hills named after the champion, and start to make out your destination.
From the gap, you'll pass by a splendid mural depicting the story of the Campionissimo. After 1,200 m of level ground and slight downhill, you'll come to the last 200 m, an uphill stretch whose last 50 m are challenging. After the last bend, by another mural depicting Coppi, you'll see the banner for your target of Castellania at last.
If you're doing this route, you definitely shouldn't try and compete with the professional teams' times, as this would of course be dangerous. But try and imagine yourself among the great women cyclists in the aura that surrounded that first stage of the 2019 Giro Rosa, part of the UCI Women’s World Tour. Given the short length of the route, you can try and go back the same way. The climb is significantly shorter.