BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ROUTE
This route traces the Giro, but along a sector that the Giro d’Italia has included only once in 1967 when a very young Eddy Merckx beated Italo Zilioli and, for the first time, drew some attention as he raced in the mountains where he would dominate for the next eight years.It is a very testing route suitable for experienced and well-trained cyclists, both in terms of endurance and the ability to ride on sharp climbs.The start is set in Scafa where the road begins to climb immediately however gently. Past San Valentino in Abruzzo Citeriore, a short descent leads to Roccamorice, where the route negotiates the hardest side of Blockhaus.
Technical info
Past Roccamorice, the course narrows and climbs along a succession of hairpin bends without ever flattening out up to Majelletta Pass (one-hundred metres before entering the sp. 220 in Mamma Rosa). This is the hardest section featuring the maximum gradient and approx. 9 kilometres at about 10%. Once you clear Majelletta Pass, the route turns right, and the gradient settles at about 7% up to Rifugio Pomilio, where the closed-to-traffic road begins.
From the Rifugio up to Blockhaus there are a bit over 2km uphill on a narrow road.
After a rightful pause, ride downhill to Mamma Rosa on the same road and then take the deviation leading to Passo Lanciano. Then, the route takes in a fast-rolling descent to just after Lettomanoppello. Mind any animals on the road in the off-season and the metal grids at the bottom of the descent in Lettomanoppello.
NOTES:
Blockhaus is the name used by the Giro d’Italia since it first arrived on the Majella. It is associated with the Bourbon fort (Blockhaus in German) that stands above 2,000 metres above sea level at the top of the climb and is indicated as such in the Italian Touring Club Atlas.
On a clear day the view from Rifugio Pomilio (or even from the summit) is stunning. In the afternoon, with the sun behind you, you can see the whole of the Adriatic coast from before the Conero to beyond the Gargano.
ROUTE CHAGES DURING YOUR RIDE:
If you want, once you get to Majelletta Pass (Mamma Rosa) you can turn directly toward Lettomanoppello and reach the start point. It is possible to get to Lettomanoppello even from Roccamorice by shortcutting the route and bypassing the climb, but you must be very careful because it is an extremely narrow road, and (at the time we inspected it) the roadway was in bad conditions.
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