A historic cycling classic* revived for the new generation by Sexy Cycling Ltd., the Giro di Roma 2017 route can now be announced. Much shorter than the slogs of old, it's still a very tough ask as one of the longest races on the CT calendar at 286km. Centered on the historic city and the empirical Appian Way with visits into the Alban Hills and the lower Apennines, it's a race for a strongman, good over the rough cobbles of the Strada Appia Antica and the toughest climbs, which come in three distinct groups. *let's pretend ;)
The route in ASO style
Upon leaving the Vatican City where the race begins, the riders greet one of the more interesting climbs of the day within the first few kilometres. It may have no bearing on the result, but Le Terraze is a tough cobbled climb which is a staple of the Giro di Roma, in its many forms. 20km later comes the back half of the Strada Appia Antica: the full thing is saved for later.
The riders take on the inconsistently sized, shaped and sorted cobbles of the Strada Appia Antica
After the first traversal of that famed road, the riders hit 7 climbs in 50km in the Alban Hills, southeast of Rome. The fans live and at home will enjoy the picteuresque views of the Castelli Romani - Roman Castles - but the riders won't really get the chance with some very tough early climbing to do in the first 100km of the day.
The stunning Lake Nemi
On the descent back towards Rome the riders take in the same section of cobbles as they did 70km earlier, but this time downhill. They then traverse the Roman Campagna across to the Lazian sub-Apennines, where the fun really begins if it didn't on the Appian Way.
Five climbs in the Apennines, the hardest is certainly the climb up to Rocca di Cave (pictured above), which is 7.6km long and averages 7.3%. These climbs add a lot of spice to a cobbled classic, and ensures the race stays wide open and requires guts, technical skill and that slice of luck to win - like the best classics.
After those climbs there's around 20km of flat-to-undulating roads back across the to Castelli Romani - this time the Eastern side, before the riders take in 13km of next-to-nonstop cobbled roads along the Appian Way. The Queen of the Roman Roads could cast her favour on a daring escape, a brave cobbler to catch the climbers, or give some 50kg Colombian sudden cobbled abilities to hold off the Belgians.
The Via Sacra
Back into Rome for the sacred finish: around the Colosseum and up the Via Sacra - the most important street in Ancient Rome. A historic race finishing in one of the most beautiful slices of Ancient times available. The slight cobbles shouldn't pose too much of a challenge, but a slight uphill finish and the long circle rode around the Colosseum inside the final kilometre could make for a glorious solo win or a cagey sprint.
trekbmc wrote:
So just generally on the route submissions, all I need is a link to the map of the race and if you have any extra details you can tell me them. The map can be made on any route plotting site (plotaroute & La Flamme Rouge are best imo, but others like Strava, etc. are perfectly fine).
As for DEM files, they are region files that are require for you to make routes in certain areas, PCM only has files for certain regions, which you can see in the map on this post in Le Gruppetto:
Every race made so far are in supported regions so that should be fine, only for hillis certain parts of Norway don't have files.
P
Not to forget Cronoescalada. Though I use Flamme Rouge.
Also, I want to design a race and thus participate but I don't have the time for the managerial things so probably not gonna participate.
I like the Turul Romanien route.
Haven't actually used Cronoescalada, looks like a good site though.
Fair enough about participation, it's not a very time consuming game (the route creation will be the longest step by far imo). Otherwise the seasons should move fast, so there'll be plenty of chances to join later if you find the time and interest.
@Selwink & Jaxika: Awesome! Sponsor PMs should be in soonish.
Great presentation both fjhoekie and jandal. Fjhokie's stage race has everything to be really exciting, without an easy day and that mountain TT
Giro di Roma looks to be an epic classic, although with the monster climbs, the little cobbles part won't be much important, as it will be climbers fighting for the win
One thing trek, in the RCS Costs spreadsheet, in the Race Fees sheet, you have put twice .2 & .1 race fees for classic, with different prices/popularity. Should I assume that the latter is meant to be for stage races?
Aquarius97 wrote:
Great presentation both fjhoekie and jandal. Fjhokie's stage race has everything to be really exciting, without an easy day and that mountain TT
Giro di Roma looks to be an epic classic, although with the monster climbs, the little cobbles part won't be much important, as it will be climbers fighting for the win
One thing trek, in the RCS Costs spreadsheet, in the Race Fees sheet, you have put twice .2 & .1 race fees for classic, with different prices/popularity. Should I assume that the latter is meant to be for stage races?
Ah, race fees are the same for stage races and classics, the second table was for .HC & WT (this has been fixed now).
And does the race fee affect the number of teams that are present in the race, or that's just up to what PCM decides?
And can you be in negative popularity? Or 0 is the minimum?
Well race fee kind of dictates number of teams I guess via popularity, but the exact number is down to PCM afaik.
@Aquarius - Yes will be interesting to see how it plays out, I hope you're wrong but I guess the MO influence will be higher than cob now. Will adjust the route based on results probably - I hope the fact the hardest climbs are 100km out will keep it open and epic.
@Shonak - Haha, doubt his backups would have let him compete All about Pozzato if Willier Trestina decide to give us a shot imo
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant." [ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
Aquarius97 wrote:
And does the race fee affect the number of teams that are present in the race, or that's just up to what PCM decides?
And can you be in negative popularity? Or 0 is the minimum?
It's just what PCM decides, race fee affects popularity which influences the number of teams that sign up.
Wow Jandal that looks sick! Really scenic but at the same time really hard, seems like a very open race and an absolute marathon for the rough men just like the old Italian races.
I must say I'm very inspired in creating a race in one of the most beautiful regions in the world (imo) and I'm loving every minute.
Race Company Name: Associação Desportiva do Douro Race Region: Douro Race Division: .2
We present to you the new pro race in the Portuguese calendar, one that fills a big hole in a beautiful region. The Volta ao Douro (Tour of the Douro Region).
It hosts both the Douro Granfondo and the Porto Grandondo that every year not only attracts thousands of amateur cyclists, but cycling legends, former monument winners, former Grand-Tour winners, etc. There is a reason for this to be, the Douro region (both the interior of the country and the more urban areas) is a very beautiful place, the Interior Douro Valley wine region is an Unesco World Heritage place, where the wine planations give birth to the Port wine, and the urban Porto and Gaia area is where it is made and aged.
The interior is Geologically fascinating, endless mountains and hills alongside the rivers wich turn to ravines in the Porto area, here is very little purely flat terrain around.
Stage 1
Stage: Miranda do Douro - Vila Real Distance: 244.5Km Elevation Gain: 4075m
Very close to the border of Spain, the stage begins in Miranda do Douro. The riders will face a marathon day with about 7 hours expected on the bike. They will face maybe the easiest Kilometers of the race in these opening 100Km, bumpy but mainly flat and with a long descent where they will for the first time be next to the river.
Miranda do Douro
They will then climb the Vale do Coa (Valley of the Coa river, named by a nearby river) wich is 5.9Km long at 8.6% average gradient. They will then followed rugged and technical roads until they go over a bridge that connect the Douro and Coa rivers, where they will imediately start climbing the Alto de Cabeças de Mouro, wich features 8.6Km at 7.1% average gradient.
Starts the 4th climb of the day
A constant up-and-down until an intermediate sprint in a local village, right next to the Fonte das Sereias (fountain of the mermaids).
The sprint will be placed nearby
A very technical descent down to the river will be followed by the last two climbs of the day. They aren't the hardest, but with over 200Km harsh Kilometers in the legs they'll hurt a lot. The Alijó climb is 14.7Kn at 3.7% average gradient. It will be followed by a small plaeteau and a very technical and steep descent that may prove a tougher challenge than the actual climbs to some. They immediately start climbing after the descent where they'll face the climb to Sabrosa, wich is 9Km at 4.5%, but with the first 4Km at an average of 8%.
Here they'll start to climb to Alijó
They will then have a little less than 20Km to the finish, mostly downhill with a few small ramps in the middle, then to finish in the city of Vila Real, situated at the foot of one of the biggest mountain ranges in the country, that luckily they won't have to climb. The last 1.5Km have a slight uphill drag but it's not enough in any way to favour the climbers.
Vila Real
Background: This is the longest stage, also the hardest to make as I wasn't so familiar with the roads, but it is indeed a stage made for the long display of the region, running alongside the river for most of the stage, and running through more than half of it's distance in the country. Opinion: The harsh profile with long climbs should suit the climbers better but they'll have to make an agressive race because the last 20Km allow for alliances. The marathon distance can suit some puncheurs, but obviously they have to climb well to say the least.
They descend all the way to the city of Amarante and will slowly climb towards Freixo de Cima, adding 11.9Km at 3.2%. Once again they will come back down to the river, this time the Tâmega where they will slowly grind up to the Casa do Almocreve. The somewhat easy part of the stage finishes and they will have a nasty technical descent back to the Douro river where they will then climb up to Resende where the gradients will bite, 2.5Km at 7.7%
Resende
Then a sketchy approach to the next climb, the Oasis do Douro, it's perhaps the last real dificulty to the "easiest" stage of the race, 2.7Km at 6.7%. Lots of up-and-down terrain follows, until they reach the city of Entre-os-Rios where the Tâmega river unites with the Douro river. Tey pass through an intermediate sprint over a bridge, and will follow the riverside until the last Kilometers of the stage.
Entre-Os-Rios
A draining uphill drag to Sernada will take the riders to an intermediate sprint just 7.5Km to the finish line, the favourites should be seen on the move here as there is favourable terrain and seconds at their disposal. A very technical descent will lead the riders into the final 2Km that will tilt at 4% and should make for a hard sprint where the remaining energies will be vital. The stage ends next to the Senhora do Salto site, one of the most iconic cycling destinations of the area.
Senhora do Salto natural park
Background: The intention here was to design an enigmatic stage, the roads are very twitchy, the climbs are steep and the roads are very hard to race in, extremely demanding to ride on them. Opinion: This is an absolutely open stage, there are plenty of plausible scenarios to come, a group of climbers attacking right early in the day, splits and explosive racing on the short and steep climbs/descents, or it can be a slow stage with a rather plentiful sprint between the favourites. The intermediate sprint in the end will mean some riders may sacrifice their chances at the finish, it will be very interesting how that sprint will be played, as it's in a climb it likely will trigger some riders into making a move before the final stretch of climbing.
Stage 3
Stage: Melres - Vila Nova de Gaia Distance: 134.2Km Elevation Gain: 2561m
The day starts off with a nasty little hill in the opening kilometers. They will start the day in the Melres camping park. Then they'll follow some of yesterday's road but on the opposite direction. They'll climb the Serra da Boneca (mountain of the doll) that features 7.8Km at 5.7%, but the last 4Km have 8.3% average gradient, with the opening Kilometer having a slight cobble section.
The race starts in what looks like a peninsula, in the town of Melres
The Serra da Boneca places us on one of the best vieweing spots of the Douro river
They go down to the river to go over it for the first time of the day, into Castelo de Paiva where they'll slightly ascend, in preparation of the Monte de S.Domingos. This is set to be one of the most iconic moments of the race, the climb is 2.7Km long at 10.1% of average gradient and is fully in a gentle cobbled surface, leaving the riders only phisically a few Kilometers of the Boneca, with more breathtaking views.
The Serra de S.Domingos is a brute but absolutely worth it
A very bumpy and curvy road follows, an intermediate sprint in Canedo may shake things a bit up in the meanwhile, and the climb to Olival will break the rider's legs down even more, it's 3.9Km and 5% average gradient but features zones up to 10%, it is the final categorized climb of the race. A very steep descent and a nasty brutal "shark-tooth" follow, going over the river over a dam.
The Crestuma dam
Then the riders will follow a flatish 15Km riverside until they finally get to one of the most iconic places in portugal, the D.Luis bridge, the place that unites the cities of V.N.Gaia and Porto, the site of the famous Port wine caves, one of the seven wonders of the country.
The last river crossing of the race will be in the D.Luis bridge
The race will go up the center of Vila Nova de Gaia through an uphill avenue, the Avenida da República, the climb is 3Km at 5% but in the top there is an intermediate sprint, the perfect bait for attacks after a slight resting period.
The center of V.N.Gaia features on this final stage, but the riders will be gritting their teeth through it
Then a bumpy terrain and the big question of the race, just how hard and damaging will the cobbles be.. A slight 1Km sector will be hard but just an appetizer for the moment chosen by the organization as the most likely to have an impact on the race, the Calçada Romana, the road rises up and later, 500 meters of a road that was built by the roman empire, and to today those rocks remain in there, making for an extremely hard sector, the problem is that after the road flattens there is still 1.3Km of brutal cobbles to go that can make or break the race.
Calçada Romana
Follows a relieving (for some) descent, a slight uphill and a fast run-into the riverside, a very fast descent, and once the riders are in the riverside, the Cais de Gaia they will face some cobbles once again.
Cais de Gaia, 3Km to the finish
The riders will turn left into the final climb of the race. They will climb the 600 meters at 9%, the Calçada das Freiras, through the middle of world heritage, the Port wine caves.
The Calçada das Freiras is an intimidating place, it's ramps reach 14%
They turn right into 400 meters of flat, and left onto the final 900 meters of the race, at 5%, to finish in front of the Holiday Inn, but some might even finish with a smile on their face after 3 brutal days of racing.
If they're lucky, the riders may have this view in the night after the race as the hotel is placed right here
Background: I gave a fine little personal touch with this one, i know almost all of the roads like the palm of my hand, and I truly wanted it to finish in Gaia as it's my home city. The day starts very hard, and the finish is as punchy as it can get, but none of it compromises the beauty that these roads have to offer.. It's a perfect mix for a race. Opinion: A short and hard stage, every race has one of those currently right.. But this one just has that little something different that makes it special. There's no rider that will dominate this, the long climbs, the short climbs, the cobbles, there is so much going on it's hard even to predict what type of rider will win a stage like this. And after 2 intense days it's gonna be up to who has the legs in the end. Little things like the intermediate sprints can be decisive when it comes to the final GC.
Edited by Yellow Jersey on 15-04-2018 12:05
Wow three very interesting profiles and beautiful scenery too... can't wait for the Volta ao Douro, Yellow Jersey! Chapeau Love the presentation too!
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant." [ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
Stopping by to praise the concept for a very interesting Story Game. Great idea Trek
I know next to nothing about route-making, DEM files and am not very good finding races and routes, so I won't be in this game as a participant but I am and will be following everyone's exploits with interests.
Impressive presentations so far, has definitely piqued my interest even further.
Firstly I'd just like to say Thank you to everybody for a really awesome response so far! Already loving the routes and ideas that I'm seeing and the route presentations are particularly awesome!
Had a much larger response then I originally expected, which is really great, though now with 15 companies I'm thinking it'll be a good time to limit sign-ups, mostly so that we can get stuck into the season as soon as possible, but also so I'm not overwhelmed by having to make too many stages in the first season. So sign-ups will close at the end of Monday the 16th Daily Time (tomorrow) or when 20 companies have signed-up, whichever happens first.
Still no deadlines or need to rush with anything else yet though.
@Roman: Cool! I'll try to think up some interesting nations for the sponsors for your any region.
Thanks everybody! I plan on doing big things, and after studying my budget a bit i've come to realize that there is no issue in keeping up the races.. sign me up for a second one
Company Name: Associação Desportiva do Douro Company Nationality: Portugal Race Region: Portuguese Coast
All about Pozzato if Willier Trestina decide to give us a shot imo 
