The Salita Generale Giardino, the legendary climb from Bassano to Cima Grappa, is a route brimming with charm and breathtaking views that is every bit as impressive as the great Alpine ascents. Bassano del Grappa has hosted the Giro d’Italia on numerous occasions and boasts a long sporting tradition.
The route follows an old military road whose technical characteristics make it ideal for training, sporting competitions and the time trial stages of the Giro d’Italia. The climb begins gently, but by the first hairpin bend, cyclists must adjust to gradients ranging between 8 and 10 per cent.
After ten kilometres of continuous hairpin bends and steep climbs, you reach Campo Croce, where a short descent and a stretch of false flat offer a brief respite before tackling the second part of the climb, which remains challenging, with gradients reaching up to 14%. Once you’ve passed the 1,500-metre mark, the vegetation becomes sparser and the mountain landscape increasingly captivating.
Just a few more pedal strokes and you finally begin to catch a glimpse of the Monte Grappa Military Memorial, one of the main military ossuaries from the First World War and the finishing point of this legendary route.
Once at the summit of Monte Grappa, all the effort will be rewarded by the unrivalled view over the Veneto plain and the peaks of Belluno.
For the return journey, a long descent awaits us, with hairpin bends and counter-curves, a cyclist’s delight.
