Colle delle Finestre, Italy July 5, 2026
Source: https://www.granfondosestriere.it/index.php/en/
The Granfondo Sestriere Colle delle Finestre is one of the most legendary amateur cycling events in the Italian Alps, famous for taking riders over the iconic, partly unpaved Colle delle Finestre.
The upcoming 11th edition features a multi-discipline weekend. The key program, schedule, and route details for the event weekend include:
Weekend Event Schedule
The event spans a full weekend, giving cyclists multiple ways to tackle the Olympic mountains of Turin:
- Saturday, July 4
- The Assietta Legend: A historic and demanding mountain bike (MTB) marathon.
- The Sestriere Gravel Race: A dedicated event tailored for gravel bikes.
- Sestriere Baby Cup: A youth cycling event for younger riders.
- Exhibition & Registration: Race pack pickup, expo village opening, and last-minute registrations (subject to availability) usually take place throughout the afternoon.
- Sunday, July 5 (The Main Event)
- 07:00 – 08:00: Opening of the starting grids.
- 08:30: Official race start for both the Granfondo and Mediofondo.
- 13:30: Time gate check. Participants passing through Sestriere after this time will be diverted to the finish regardless of their chosen route.
- 15:00: Official closing of the finish line (maximum race time limit of 7 hours).
The Routes
For the main road event on Sunday, riders start in Cesana Torinese and finish at the mountain resort of Sestriere. Cyclists can choose between two primary routes depending on their conditioning:
1. The Granfondo Route
- Distance: ~103.6 km (some trackers approximate 104 km to 121 km depending on neutral starts)
- Elevation Gain: 3,170 meters ($3{,}170\text{ m}$)
- The Course: Starts in Cesana, loops through Oulx, Salbertrand, Exilles, and Susa before confronting the brutal slopes of the Colle delle Finestre (featuring its famous final 8 kilometers of gravel). After descending to Balboutet and rolling through Pragelato, riders pass Sestriere, loop down to Sauze di Cesana, and make a final grueling climb back up to the Sestriere finish line.
2. The Mediofondo Route
- Distance: 79.0 km
- Elevation Gain: 2,370 meters ($2{,}370\text{ m}$)
- The Course: Follows the exact same trajectory as the Granfondo—including the legendary ascent of the Colle delle Finestre—but concludes directly upon the riders’ first arrival at the finish line in Sestriere, bypassing the extra loop down to Sauze di Cesana.
Essential Race Logistics & Rules
⚠️ Important Notice: For the main climbs, the road up to the Colle delle Finestre is typically closed to motorized traffic for a 3-hour window during the event to ensure rider safety.
- Feed Zones: Fully stocked refreshment points are positioned along the course at Meana di Susa, Colle delle Finestre, Sestriere (GPM), and Sestriere (Arrival).
- Eco Zones: The event strictly enforces environmental rules. Littering outside of designated Eco Zones will result in immediate disqualification by the race director.
- Mandatory Requirements: As this is a competitive cycling event held under ACSI Ciclismo / FCI regulations, all participants are required to present a valid sports medical certificate during registration.
