Stage 1 (4 July 2019): Vicenza - Carstelvecchio - Recoaro

This year again, the tour started with a train ride: from Zurich to Vicenza without having to change train. I was able to start the bicycle ride at 3. In the middle of the afternoon, it was quite hot, but nothing compared to the heat of the previous week.
Soon after leaving the city of Vicenza, i came into a hilly landscape. The first pass on my road was not high at all, Bocchetta, at 155 m asl, but it had à least one feature of winding mountain roads: there was a small trafic jam because a bus and a lorry had difficulties to cross. Then i crossed the Valdagno valley and climbed on its opposite slope. Once again, i was glad to have short gears on my touring bicycle because some parts were very steep, especially close to the Sette Roccoli. After this pass, my road followed more or less the crest to the north. It went always again up and down and brought me to two other passes, Santa Caterina and Zovo di Marana. Then i went back to the Valdagno valley and followed it up to the town of Recoaro Terme, located in the circular upper part of the valley, surrounded by the Little Dolomites mountains. It is easy to forget that it is actually not far from the flat Po plain.

 

Stage 2 (5 July 2019): Recoaro - Xomo - Folgaria

I had decided to climb first to the Xon pass, but without continuing to the other side. Instead, i came just à little bit back and took a small road along the mountain side. The poor quality of this road did not make it easy, neither the ups and downs, but it was still better than going all the way back down to Recoaro. This way, i joined the road climbing to Campogrosso. This climb was not so easy, but very nice, with very few cars. On the other side of the pass, the descent brought me to Pian dei Fugazze and further to a bifurcation for climbing to the Xomo pass. There was a sign indicating that the road was closed, but this was pure nonsense! From this pass, i climbed to the Bocchetta Campiglia, from where it would be possible to walk an old military road (world war 1) with many tunnels. With my bicycle, i rode back the same (quite bad) road, just touching another pass (Xetele) on the way down.
From the Xomo pass, i went down towards Arsiero, but turned left just before reaching this town, now climbing along the steep slope of the Astico valley. It was a long climb, partly in the shade of the woods, until i reached Sella and finally the upper Vena pass. From there, i went forth and back to the lower Vena pass, which was no big deal but just one pass more. Then i continued westwards to reach the Alpini pass, where there is actually a very short tunnel under the pass. Now again on the southern slope, i rode up to the rifugio Rumor, where i made a short break. The rest of the climb was not long and there was a short ride over a flat gravel road to reach the Forcella Molon. Coming back the same way, i reached the highest pass of the day, Valico di Valbona. The next pass, Passo Coe, still to the west, was a very short and easy climb. Just after it, i took a short gravel road towards the Cagadore pass, from where ther was a nice view over the Terragnolo valley. After returning to the main road, i rode down to Folgaria where i wanted to finish this stage. The place is very touristical and it was no problem to find an hotel.

 

Stage 3 (6 July 2019): Folgaria - Redebus - Nave

The third day started right away with a nice little climb: to the Sommo pass. I came so in the uppermost part of the Astico valley. Next it went downhill to Nosellari, then gently uphill again to the Cost pass. In the descent, i tried to take a short-cut over the resort of Malga Laghetto. This was not the best idea as i had to take a relatively steep gravel road to join the paved road again. Nevertheless, i was then riding south to Lusern and then agian north, up to Monte Cucco. From there, it was only riding down to reach Passo di Vézzena. This pass was nothing for the eyes: many cars and a big construction site. The descent to the north, on the contrary, offered a very nice view over the valley of the Brenta river. I crossed this river near Levico Terme and continued along the lake of Levico. This road brought me to a very gentle pass, Sella di Vignola, then to the Fersina valley. I followed the main road of this valley up to Canezza, took then the cycling route along the stream. At some point, however, i had to climb to Sant'Orsola, and then it was very steep. I continued on this sun-exposed slope almost up to the last village in the valley, Palù, turned then left to the Redebus pass. After the descent to Centrale, i took right to Brusago and further north until i reached the Cembra valley. This valley has a road on each side and i wanted to go to the other side. To go down, i took an extremely steep road in the vineyards to Piazzo. On the other side of the bridge over the Avisio stream, it went up to Faver and further to Cembra and Verla. After riding through this town, i took the road up to Passo Croce and then down to the Adige valley. The ride of the day ended there in Nave.

 

Stage 4 (7 July 2019): Nave - Bréz - Lana

The roads were dry again after a thunderstorn the previous evening. First thing, i had to cross the railway and the river. No problem, there was an underway for the first and a bridge for the second right in the vicinity. I joined a large road, but with not too much traffic on this Sunday morning. As soon as i left the valley to climb towards the Paganella high plain, however, there were more cars on the way. I climbed to Fai and then it was no longer far until i reached the first pass of the day, Passo Santèl. The descent from there brought me close to the starting point of the climb: almost closing the loop. The crossing near the river was so special that many drivers did not know where to go. At least, with my bicycle i had the freedom to stop at the road side to study the signs. And i took the right way: on the left side of the river, i.e. on the right side from my point of view. There was not much traffic there, and between Sabino and Dermulo there was a good bicycle way, well designed in the topography between road and narrow-track railway. In that region, there are indeed engineers knowing something about cycling. The main speciality of the region, however, is another: apples. Apple trees all around!
In Dermulo, i had to stop because of a strong thunderstorm. Strong but not long: after a quarter of an hour, i could hit the road again. My next goal was Cloz, but this was on the other side of the valley. I went thus down from Dambel and up again to Cloz. Both parts were steep. I was then on a larger road, but not for long because i turned left already before Brez, to climb to the Forcella di Brez. This was also quite steep, full in the sun for the first part, then in a forest. The descent brought me to Laurein and then to the Pescara stream, which i followed uphill. The weather was now cloudy and it almost looked like it would rain as i finally reached then tunnel leading north to the Ultimo valley. The normal way with a road bicycle would be to take this tunnel, but i decided to go over the Castrin pass, which meant first pushing the bicycle along a path, then riding on a gravel road. After joinng again the paved road, i went down to Lana, where stopped i for the night.

 

Stage 5 (8 July 2019): Lana - Santa Maria - Zernez

The last day of this tour was planned entirely on known roads. Neverthelssm there was a place, near the brewery of Forst, where the sign posts for the cycling road were either absent of well hidden and i found no other solution than going down to the Etsch river and then up on the other side. Apart of this point, i enjoyed the nice cycling route up the Vinschgau valley. With a tiny exception, at Göflan, where there were construction works and a deviation. My little pride is that on all the way up to Mals i was not passed by a single electrical bicycle. Then near the Swiss border, there were also construction works and a deviation, but it wasn't really a detour. I made a short break in Santa Maria, then continued to the Fuorn pass. By then it was really chilly and at the pass, for the first time of this tour i put on my wind jacket... which i removed again as i had to climb again to go over Ova Spin. After this last pass, the last descent and i reached Zernez, from where i could take a train to return home. I was in the train when it started raining. Lucky i had been.

PS / 28.8.2019