TOUR DE POLOGNE
Two stages on the roads of Trentino
along the legendary climbs of the Dolomites
A meeting ground between the North and South of Europe that is close to the Alps and has a valley floor that is easily accessible, thanks to the powerful presence of glaciers, and is complemented by the river Adige. Moreover, in the East and West, there is a series of secondary valleys, recognised by UNESCO as World Natural Heritage sites, leading to the foot of the Dolomites. There are roads and routes that cycling fans of Giro d’Italia have known for decades. In 2013 the Giro d’Italia is returning to Trentino with the Mori-Polsa uphill time trial and the Dolomites stage that is the 20th and penultimate stage (gazzetta.it/Speciali/Giroditalia/2013/it/).
The tourist side of Trentino, which is at the top of what Italy has to offer, can be discovered in many ways: sports and outdoors activities that are closely related to its diverse natural beauties, and the quality of the organisers and the infrastructure; history, art and traditions with a religious and public architectural heritage that is marked by buildings, church-castles, and villages that reveal deep and varied cultural roots: from the Rhaetian people to the Romans, from the Lombards to Charlemagne and to the Germanic Holy Roman Empire. Later the prestigious bishop-led principality of the Council of Trento was formed, and then there was the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the integration with Italy at the end of the First World War, of which the remains of about eighty abandoned fortifications are the evidence. On the occasion of the centenary, which is scheduled for 2014, there will be events, visits and tourist opportunities of historical and natural interest.
Trentino is also a land rich in fruit, is cultivated with a centuries-old, and often heroic, passion by its inhabitants, and provides excellent wine and food that are recognised by tourists also after they have returned home. In Trento there are authentic great wines and prestigious sparkling wines for everyone.
The Poles, who follow the Tour de Pologne with an interest and passion that are similar to those of the Italians for the "Corsa Rosa", will find a new interpretation of Trentino, thanks to the team of patron Lang that chose to set the first two stages of the 2013 race outside the limits – as it has become customary for major cycling events.
The first stage, from Rovereto to Madonna di Campiglio, will reveal the “city of peace” and the lake of Garda that looks a little bit like a Nordic fjord and a little bit like the Mediterranean, and that was also a favourite spot of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century romantic tourism. There are ski lifts in the Val Rendena and a finish line at the foot of the Dolomites of Brenta where mountaineers earned an international reputation and where today there is a ski resort with over 160 kilometres of tracks and modern lifts (www.skirama.it).
Madonna di Campiglio, which boasts a tradition in hospitality of the Austro-Hungarian type, is today the mountain capital of the elite and sports jet set. The highlight in its book of events in the Alpine Skiing World Cup slaloms, the “3-Tre” and the “Wrooom”, is the winter meeting of the Formuna1 circus and the MotoGP championship.
The second stage of the Tour de Pologne will kick off in Marilleva, in the Val di Sole where in 2013, after the MTB and Trial 2008 World Championships and the 2011 World Cup finals, Commezzadura will host a stage of the MTB World Cup for the second year in a row (valdisoleevents.it).
Going down the river Noce the orchards of Val di Non can be seen, which are known to experts for the Melinda Trophy and as the birthplace of Maurizio Fondriest; then going back up through the Val di Cembra - the land of the Moser family - to Val di Fiemme that has just hosted its third Nordic Skiing World Championship.
Here the bond of skiing and cycling is tight, with the Marcialonga path that has turned into the grounds of the cycling path that goes as far as the valley floor in Val di Fassa. This is where, once Canazei has been reached, the legendary climb of Passo Pordoi will be tackled during the second stage of the Tour de Pologne (tourdepologne.pl).
TRENTINO ON A BICYCLE
“Natural” emotions and healthy competition
For cycling fans, Trentino offers eleven cycling tracks that are categorised by difficulty and run through all the valleys, with a total length of more than 400 km. Moreover, there are food and restaurant services that also act as information points and service stations.
This is the backbone of what Trento has to offer to cyclists. There is always more organisation with signposted and mapped routes, integrated opportunities such as train-and-bicycle services, and innovations such as electric bicycle rental with service points, bicycle and MTB rental, safety kits, an open system of vehicle collection / delivery and traffic information. All of that on this site: ciclabili.provincia.tn.it.
For mountain bike fans, there are thousands of kilometres of selected forest roads and dirt tracks, inspired by purely mountainous territory themes, with the use of ski lifts, the qualified assistance of schools and MTB instructors, and an important calendar of sporting events of all levels (trentinomtb.com).