Dirt Roads of Romagna

Route

The route starts in the Romagna countryside near Sant’Andrea in Casale. The first three kilometres of downward sloping road are immediately followed by the first climb up to the Malatesta village of San Clemente. After repeatedly losing and regaining altitude among the green hills of the Conca Valley, we return to the rural landscapes of Morciano di Romagna and San Giovanni in Marignano. In the vicinity of the Marche region, a circuit begins that will be covered twice: we gain altitude and then continue with a series of ups and downs between Montegridolfo and Saludecio, before returning to the Conca valley. After crossing the Marche boundary for the third time, the climb starts up to Tavullia. From here, we ride across the hills again to reach the finishing point: Gradara Castle, an imposing medieval fortress and the scene of the forbidden love affair between Paolo and Francesca, as narrated in Dante’s Inferno.