CYCLING LOOP OF MONTELLO

Cycling loop of Montello

The territory of the Treviso province, acknowledged as the most bikable of Italy, offers a series of paths that vary in length and challenge. Set amidst the Treviso countryside, foothills and surrounded by the Piave Valley, the Montello offers ideal bike training conditions. The path is easily-travelled for its entire perimeter, to so-called “Periplo” (orbital road), while its crests house the “Dorsale” (ridge road). This last area is full of numerous interconnecting paths called “Prese” (routes), which are numbered progressively. This grid of routes offers a multitude of excursion possibilities, reason why the cycling loop of Montello can suit any training need. Among the most difficult tracks is Presa V, circa three kilometers long and with an average slope steepness of 6.6%, but with an initial section at 15-18%. All cycling buffs must face the acclaimed “Salita dei Mondiali” (World Championship Climb), the road cycling track used in the 1985 World Cycling Championships, held at Treviso. Setting aside the agonistic component for a moment, some of the naturalistic beauties encountered along the journey must be cited. The first of these is the lush oak forest that blankets the upper area of Montello, which leads to some of the most hard-fought battlegrounds of WW I.

Montello, in fact, was the stronghold against the major Austrian attack unleashed on June 18, 1918 during the Battle of the Solstice, today held in memorial at Santa Croce. Instead, Nervesa della Battaglia houses the massive Monument Ossuary of the Fallen that contains the remains of 12,000 Italian and Austro-Hungarian soldiers that fell in war.

In more detail
From the traffic lights of the San Marco’s cathedral take the old provincial road to the north which immediately leads in the open countryside around the low hill of the Mercato Vecchio. There are some crossings leading to the new large state road, which runs parallel a few hundred meters to the left, to continue straight along a large artificial irrigation channel. You cross the highway to Crocetta del Montello going direct to Ciano where, cycling along an artificial channel, you begin to see the wide rocky and bleak river of the Piave, while going to the south, the wooded ‘hump’ of the Montello will keep us company for many kilometers. The stretch up to the city of Nervesa della Battaglia is always pleasant or even exciting, the road is not frequented and the slight ups and downs a good diversion.

A short descent, with great visions on the Treviso plain, the wide riverbed of the Piave and the hills of susegana with the unmistakable shape of the tower of the Castle of San Salvatore that rises up and later conegliano, announces that we are nearby Nervesa. After the obligatory visit ofthe square, to grab a proper snack, you resume the race to face the ridge of our beautiful hill.

You go up immediately with a nice ramp towards the large square tower of the Ossuary of the fallen of the First World War, then again climb up to a junction with the indication ‘Monument to F.Baracca’, The hero of aviation that crashed around here. After the avisit to the ‘Baracca’ you can take the road of the ridge that continues constantly to climb alternating stretches with easy climbs. At the end the whole climb up to the peak of the ridge is a path very easy and pleasant, with alternating stretches in the forest up to beautiful meadows with some farm and various trattorias.

From the peak of the ridge you go down, with more or less steep stretches, some hairpin bends and some slope, towards the city of Biadene.
Once at the junction of the highway between the city of Montebelluna and Crocetta, you go for a few hundred meters south towards Montebelluna until a big fork, now turn north, direction Cornuda, for a few more hundred meters, until on the left, between rows of vineyards, there is a nice little road that heads towards the dark bulk of the ‘Mercato Vecchio’.

Faced the climb, very steep but long (so to speech…) go a few hundred meters down to the ‘Old Market.

A beautiful paved road in the middle of the fields, and moreover constantly on a slight descent, it’ll take you in a few kilometers to close our ring in Caerano San Marco.

Fonte: http://www.veneto.eu/home
https://www.magicoveneto.it/