Gran Monferrato
Gravel
1st edition - 2025
8 months
8 routes
8 guided events
+450 km
This year we have great news for all Gravel enthusiasts!
8 events with a certified cycling tour guide with group departure:
Gran Monferrato Gravel RIDES
A certified cycling tour guide will accompany you on each route of the Gran Monferrato Gravel BREVETTI (the routes will be shortened to facilitate the participation of everybody). Every month a Gran Monferrato Gravel RIDE will be organised on one of the 8 routes, covering them all during the 8 months of the event.
Hop on your bike and take on all the RIDES!
Guided events are included in the Gran Monferrato Gravel BREVETTI fee, but it will be possible to enroll in each (and every) event individually even for those who do not participate in the BREVETTI.
Gravel
concluded
MEETING PLACE:
Montechiaro d’Asti Town Hall
This route is dedicated to Giovanni Cuniolo, known as Manina, born in 1884.
The route, starting and finishing in Montechiaro d’Asti, spans approximately 40 km through the hills of Monferrato, featuring a short trail but with a demanding elevation gain, characterized by continuous scenic ups and downs.
The itinerary touches upon some of the most picturesque Romanesque churches of the Asti area: the Church of San Secondo in Cortazzone, the Church of San Martino in Montafia, the Basilica of Don Bosco in Castelnuovo Don Bosco, and the Pieve of Saints Nazario and Celso in Montechiaro d’Asti, true masterpieces of medieval architecture set in the hilly landscape.
The lunch stop is planned upon returning to Montechiaro d’Asti, where it will be possible to enjoy dishes offered by the Pro Loco during the National Fair of the White Truffle of Monferrato. The event also represents an ideal opportunity for those accompanying the cyclists: while cycling, those who stay in town can participate in a guided tourist tour or freely visit the fair stalls, later reuniting for lunch.
MEETING PLACE:
Stadio Comunale Natale Palli
If the previous route was dedicated to Luigi Malabrocca, the legendary “Black Jersey” of the Giro d’Italia, it would be impossible to close the Monferrato Gravel Ride without honoring the athlete who inspired the black jersey: Giuseppe Ticozzelli, known as “Tico.” Born in 1894, he was the only Italian professional footballer to play in Serie A while also competing in the Giro d’Italia, becoming a true Italian icon.
“Tico,” his nickname, played for Casale Calcio (in 1924, ten years after their championship victory), alongside Caligaris and Monzeglio. He had joined Casale Calcio after playing for the Italian national football team and winning against France (1920, with a score of 9-4).
But Tico also had a passion for cycling, and in 1926 he participated in his first Giro d’Italia, riding without a team, wearing Casale Calcio’s black shirt.
The 1926 Giro d’Italia was a tough race, spanning 3,429 km over 12 grueling stages, from Milan to Milan, crossing the entire Peninsula. The longest stage, between Terni and Bologna, was 357 km. On May 19, 1926, during the third stage, from Genoa to Florence, a 312 km challenge, Ticozzelli attacked early and broke away. He was so strong that he gained a one-hour lead over the group. But his status as an independent rider soon became his undoing.
Without a team to support him, he lacked assistance or supplies, and was forced to stop for lunch at a tavern along the route. Sitting outside, he kept an eye on the race’s progress. As the group neared, he got back on his bike, but by then he had already lost much of his earlier strength. Eventually, he was caught, and the stage he nearly won was claimed by Alfredo Binda.
In the subsequent stage, Tico had no chance for a fresh attack, and following a bad fall caused by contact with a motorcycle, his professional cycling career ended in disappointment, unfairly.
Despite the bitter end, his heroic attempt during the third stage remains unforgettable for many fans. In the post-war 1946 edition of the Giro d’Italia, a special jersey was introduced for the last-place finisher, not as an insult, but as a tribute to those who, despite struggling to the fullest, find themselves beaten by misfortune.
The final Gravel Ride, dedicated to Tico, will start in front of the Casale Calcio Stadium (via Matteotti, with a meeting point at Piazza Castello), where the memory of the legendary footballer-cyclist Ticozzelli will be honored.
There will be a lunch stop in the village of Cereseto, with its fairy-tale castle.
The visits will include: the Eco Museum of Pietra da Cantoni in Cella Monte, the “Infernot” in Rosignano Monferrato, the Big Bench in Grignolino, and the Mondine Museum at Grangia di Pobietto.
MEETING PLACE:
Tortona (AL) Train Station
An easy and family-friendly route, dedicated to Luigi Malabrocca (1920–2006), known as Il Cinese (The Chinese).
A contemporary of Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali, Malabrocca realized he could not compete with their dominance, so he embraced a different strategy: aiming to be the last rider in the Giro d’Italia. He became the most famous Maglia Nera (Black Jersey), a now-defunct prize awarded to the last finisher, which—ironically—brought him fame and financial opportunities.
Despite this, Malabrocca was far from an average cyclist, winning 138 races, including the 1947 Paris-Nantes, the 1948 Coppa Agostoni, and the 1949 Tour of Croatia and Slovenia. He also became a two-time Italian cyclocross champion (1951 and 1953).
A lunch stop is available in Volpedo, the hometown of the renowned Divisionist painter Giuseppe Pellizza (1868 – 1907). The short, accessible route also passes through Castelnuovo Scrivia, Pontecurone, and Viguzzolo.
MEETING PLACE:
Fubine (AL) Sports Area
The Gravel Ride of Fubine, dedicated to the Campionissimi, follows the roads where competitors in the UCI Gravel World Series battled for a spot in the World Gravel Bike Championship. Riders will depart from the same starting banner where hundreds of professional athletes from around the world competed on Saturday, August 23.
The pace will be different, obviously more touristy, and the guides will take us to discover and appreciate the route south of the Tanaro, where, among forests and dirt roads immersed in thick vegetation, the great adventure will be celebrated.
David Pastore di Marzo will be our guide.
Special guest: adventurer Lorenzo Barone, awarded by Red Bull for his legendary and extreme cycling adventures around the world.
The route is not particularly difficult, and the landscape is ideal for gravel bikes. The first part is flat, while the second, in the Rocchetta Tanaro Natural Park, is hilly, with woods and easy dirt roads.
Lunch will be provided on the way back, for those who wish, by the Monferrato Street Food food truck, where you can taste Pinsa monferrina or other delicious local specialities in the shade of the woods along the route.
On the way back to Fubine, there will be a visit to the fascinating and cool “Infernot”, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
MEETING PLACE:
Castello del Monferrato, Casale Monferrato, Viale Lungo Po
GUIDES:
Claudio Trombin
Valter Dian
Dedicated to Amleto Giarola, Class of 1908, this is an easy, non-demanding route.
Starting and ending in Casale Monferrato (AL), the route partly follows the Ven.To Ciclovia del Po cycle path before entering the gentle hills of Monferrato, passing through the birthplace of the “unfortunate cyclist.” Amleto Giarola was a skilled professional sprinter, a loyal domestique of Fausto Coppi, and an active competitor in the Giro d’Italia and Milan-Sanremo between the late 1920s and early 1930s. His promising career was tragically cut short during the 1932 Milan-Sanremo, when a serious crash on the Turchino descent led to the amputation of his left leg.
A lunch stop is available at “Antico Bistrot” Trattoria Restaurant, run by Giarola’s relatives. The itinerary includes a visit to the beautiful gardens of Villa Genova in Fosseto di San Salvatore Monferrato and a FAI-listed monument in Casale Monferrato.
MEETING PLACE:
Campionissimi Museum, Novi Ligure (AL)
A route through the hills where the Coppi brothers began their cycling careers, starting and ending in Novi Ligure, in the parking lot of the Campionissimi Museum.
Fausto Coppi (1919–1960), known as Il Campionissimo (The Champion of Champions) or The Heron, was the most celebrated and victorious cyclist of the golden age of cycling and is regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time. His younger brother Serse (1923–1951) was his devoted domestique. On June 29, 1951, during a sprint in Turin, Serse crashed after getting his wheel stuck in a tram track. He never recovered and passed away on June 20, leaving Fausto devastated by the loss.
Gino Paoli paid tribute to Fausto Coppi with the song:”A little man with wheels, against the whole world, a little man with wheels, against the Izoard.”
A lunch stop is available in Cassano Spinola, the village where the legendary Costante Girardengo is buried. The route includes a visit to the Coppi House Museum in Castellania Coppi, which houses a rich collection of photographs, films, newspapers, memorabilia, and curiosities. The tour concludes at the Campionissimi Museum in Novi Ligure, the largest cycling museum in Europe, covering 3,000 m².
MEETING PLACE:
Asti Train Station
Dedicated to Giovanni Gerbi, known as Il Diavolo Rosso (The Red Devil), born in 1885, this route winds through the hills north of Asti.
Legend has it that he earned his nickname when, during a race, he accidentally rode through a religious procession. The priest, seeing a cyclist in a red jersey speeding past, exclaimed in Piedmontese: “Chi a l’é col lì? Ël Diav?” (“Who’s that? The Devil?”).
Gerbi won numerous prestigious races, including the Giro di Lombardia, three editions of Roma-Napoli-Roma, three Giro del Piemonte titles, and one Milan-Sanremo. In 1905, he triumphed in the National King’s Race, a grueling 340 km event replacing the former 600 km Gran Fondo, and achieved strong placements in the Giro d’Italia and Milan-Sanremo.
Asti-born singer-songwriter Paolo Conte honored Giovanni Gerbi with the song “Diavolo Rosso”.
A lunch stop is available in Montechiaro d’Asti, with visits to stunning Romanesque churches in the area, including the Church of Saints Nazarius and Celsus. The final stop is at Asti’s Paleontological Museum, home to one of Europe’s most important collections of cetacean fossils, including Italy’s best-preserved prehistoric Mediterranean whale.
MEETING PLACE:
Nizza Monferrato (AT) Train Station
Dedicated to Costante Girardengo (1893–1978), another great champion from Monferrato.
A professional cyclist from 1912 to 1936, Girardengo was the first Campionissimo in Italian cycling history, winning the Giro d’Italia twice, Milan-Sanremo six times, the Giro di Lombardia three times, the Giro del Piemonte three times, Milan-Turin five times, and the Giro dell’Emilia nine times, along with multiple Italian road championships.
Costante, originally named Costantino, trained as a young rider in the hills of Asti, often traveling between there and his hometown of Novi Ligure. One of the most legendary stages of early cycling was the 430 km Lucca-Rome stage of the 1914 Giro d’Italia, which he won in a sprint.
Beyond his achievements, Girardengo was also famous for his friendship with the notorious Italian bandit Sante Pollastri, a story immortalized in Francesco De Gregori’s folk ballad “Il Bandito e il Campione” (The Bandit and the Champion).
A lunch stop is available in Canelli, with a visit to one of the magnificent Underground Cathedrals, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
What should I bring?
Here’s what you should take with you when tackling the routes, to fully enjoy your adventure in complete safety:
- Repair kit (inner tube, tyre levers, pump/CO2 cartridge, multitool)
- Helmet, gloves, sports glasses, and technical clothing
- Windproof or waterproof jacket
- Antiseptic wipes and bandages
- Water bottles with water or electrolyte supplements
- Energy bars/snacks
- Phone power bank
What if I don't have a Gravel bike?
What kind of bike can I use? Gravel, MTB, E-Bike, or Trekking bikes are all suitable. Off-road tires are essential. If you don’t have a bike, you can rent one!
Rules RIDE 2025
New for 2025 is the introduction of 8 guided group “Gravel Rides”, open to everyone. For those who are NOT registered for the Brevetti GMG 2025, the cost to participate is €10, while for GMG 2025 Members participation is free (you will receive the “Gravel Ride” route map).
Every month, starting in March, a “Gravel Ride” dedicated to the legendary cyclists of Monferrato will take place, starting and finishing at the locations of the 8 Routes of the “Brevetti GMG” with shortened routes to be conveniently covered in a day (maximum 70 km).
The “Gravel Rides”, like the “GMG Brevetti”, are open to Gravel Bikes or Mtbs and everyone is welcome, even those who are not members of ASD or Sports Associations, without a medical certificate but whose declaration of good health and absence of clinical signs or symptoms of diseases or pathologies preventing or incompatible with community life is strongly recommended.
Such acceptance document will be signed at the start of each event.
The “Gravel Rides”, as the “Brevetti GMG”, run through white roads, agricultural roads, paths and roads with low vehicular traffic. In any case, we remind you that the Highway Code is always in force. The Guide is not responsible for irregularities or behaviours that disrupt group harmony and, in extreme cases, may ask the offender to leave the group. The Guide is also able to assess the need to call for the organization’s van if a participant is in need.
Helmet, adequate clothing, water supply with supplements and any snacks, as well as the minimum mechanical kit for the bike (inner tube and in the case of return in the evening even of your own lights) are compulsory.
Registration, for each “Gravel Ride”, is to be made, within the scheduled time, exclusively through Gran Monferrato website, both for those registered for the Brevetti and for those who are not registered and want to participate in the single event. The event may be postponed due to extreme weather conditions, severe natural disasters, or other unforeseen circumstances. The minimum number is 15 participants while the maximum is 50.
Each “Gravel Ride” event is daily (morning departure and afternoon arrival), with possible short visits or lunch stops in affiliated places (or packed lunch). Costs will be communicated after enrollment via email. You must confirm whether or not you agree to the additional costs.
Each “Gravel Ride” event includes daily RC+ Accidents insurance coverage from Fiab Italia, provided by UnipolSai.
Finally, the processing of personal data is authorised pursuant to Legislative Decree 196 of 30 June 2003 and art. 13 GDPR.
I tracciatori
Qui vi presentiamo coloro che non solo hanno percorso e mappato i 4 percorsi della Gran Monferrato Gravel, ma che per tutta la durata dell’evento verificheranno. attraverso le loro escursioni programmate, le condizioni o le possibili mutazioni del terreno, per offrirvi sempre il massimo dell’affidabilità delle tracce.
Any questions?
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