The story of the Gran Fondo

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THE STORY

Pantani Summit/Montevecchio: almost 300 metres in height difference, 4 km in length and a maximum gradient of 14%.

A tough climb in honour of our beloved 'Pirate'.

The legendary Marco used to climb Montevecchio practically every day, starting from his town, Cesenatico. 4 km of pure fatigue, among cherry and beech trees, passing a monument dedicated to the Pirate, a portrait of him set in a rock.

To reconfirm the Grand Prize of the Mountain, dedicated to the fastest climber of Cima Pantani, you can download the certificate from our site with your name and time achieved.
Take a breath and start the ascent of Cima Pantani, point straight at your goal, just look ahead.

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However, this is not all!
Pantani Summit becomes the setting for a unique challenge that has to be experienced, designed for those who enjoy challenging themselves and the time.
You have only 17 minutes to make it and you cannot go below the time of 16 minutes.
Can you do it?

Special classification and certificate for those who can accomplish the feat of the Challenge in 60 seconds, downloadable from the website on the Thursday following the competition.

THE ROUTES

Of course, the salt workers left from Cervia and rode through the hills, but we have to do it by bike... "from Cervia to the hills of Cesena and Forlì there are beautiful routes", says Smeraldo Balzani, a talented amateur cyclist and two-wheel enthusiast. Thus, the first route of the Gran Fondo Via del Sale was set up. Departure from Cervia, in front of the Salt Warehouse at 8 am. 165 kilometres for the long route, 130 for the medium one and 70 kilometres for the shorter one.
750 participants for the first edition of what was already called "the salt race". The date was April 6, 1997.