Coppi and Bartali International Week 2024 unveiled

The 2024 edition of the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali, which will be staged between March 19 and 23, was presented this morning at the Palazzo del Turismo in Riccione.The presentation of the race organized by the Gruppo Sportivo Emilia was attended by the administrators of the localities that will be touched by the five stages, the President of APT Emilia Romagna, representatives of sports and non-sporting institutions in addition to the partners of the race.THE ROUTE.FIRST STAGE: Tuesday, March 19 PESARO-PESARO Km 109.7 It will be the city of Pesaro, Italian Capital of Culture for the year 2024, to host the first stage of the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali, which for the first time in its history, will see the start from the Marche Region. After the start from the central Piazza del Popolo, the route then heads inland, and after about 23 km the first bumps begin until it touches the charming city of Urbino. Soon after, the climb will begin, leading up to Monte della Cesana and then touching Tavullia and then Gradara. The race will then reach Gabicce Mare to tackle the scenic Adriatic road and the Gabicce Monte climb. At about 2 km from the finish, the descent ends and the race will return to the city of Pesaro towards the finish line in Viale Trieste, where among other things the first special jersey dedicated to the stage city will be awarded, which will go to the winners of the day.SECOND STAGE: Wednesday, March 20 RICCIONE-SOGLIANO AL RUBICONE Km 140.0 The second stage unfolds on a route that has now become a classic for the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali, with its 140 km and about 2900m of elevation gain.The first 20km winds through the very first hills of the Rimini hinterland, alternating flat stretches with short climbs and equally short descents. Then begins a more continuous ascent, but still with mild gradients, until reaching the beautiful village of Verucchio. It then descends to the valley floor of the Marecchia River and in Secchiano begins the climb that will lead to Passo delle Siepi, which precedes the first ascent to Ville di Monte Tiffi. The subsequent descent will lead toward Sogliano al Rubicone, where, after about 73 km of racing, the first crossing of the finish line will take place and where the final three laps of the now classic 22.2 km. circuit will begin, with the ascent of Ville di Monte Tiffi. The finale offers a series of ups and downs with a descent that finally ends at about 800 m from the finish line, from here, it is about 500 m flat to finally take the very steep ramp to Via Giovanni Pascoli, whose central section has a maximum gradient close to 18 percent. The climb eases in the last 100 m to the prestigious finish line in Piazza della Repubblica, where we will discover the successor of Jonas Vingegaard, last triumphant in Sogliano al Rubicone, in the 2021 edition.THIRD STAGE: Thursday, March 21 RICCIONE-RICCIONE Km 134.5 The Riccione finish line also represents a great classic in the editions of the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali, being present for the 5th consecutive year. But if the finish traces that of last year, the remaining part of the stage looks almost completely different. The very first kilometers after the start are slightly uphill to San Clemente; then it will enter the provincial territory of Pesaro and Urbino. Just before Monte Cerignone the road begins to climb more convincingly until it re-enters Emilia-Romagna territory at Serra Nanni. Here the final segment of the Passo San Marco climb begins. The pass, at 1006 m above sea level, represents the roof of the race. It will then reach the valley floor of the Marecchia River to tackle the climbs of San Leo and Montemaggio and enter the territory of the Republic of San Marino. Immediately after returning to Italy, the challenging climb of Albereto will begin. At 18 km from the finish, there is one last asperity: the ascent of Via Ca’ di Bacchino and then the approach to Riccione toward the finish line, positioned, as last year, on Viale Milano, just a few steps from the very central Viale Ceccarini.FOURTH STAGEFriday, March 22 BRISIGHELLA-BRISIGHELLA Km 150.7 The route of the fourth stage of the Settimana Coppi e Bartali is divided into two circuits. The first, which will be tackled three times, measures 36.9 km and is characterized by the Monticino climb, which will be tackled immediately after crossing the finish line located in the central Piazza Marconi in Brisighella. At the end of the third lap, when there will be 41.2 km to the finish line, two laps of the shortest circuit will have to be covered, which always features the same Monticino climb, but also another roughness not to be underestimated: the Rio Chiè pass. This is a climb that is nonetheless short, but its most challenging part, just before the top of the hill, features a segment of about 500 meters at 10 percent gradient. Even the finale is by no means trivial, presenting in the last 400 meters a series of curves in rapid succession, all uphill.FIFTH STAGE: Saturday, March 23 FORLI’-FORLI’ Km 157.9 As in the last edition, this year’s arrival in Forlì will take place inside the Glauco Servadei velodrome. Although there are no gravel segments, the route nevertheless promises to be selective and very intriguing. The road begins to climb from the first kilometers towards Rocca delle Caminate, with subsequent nice and fast descent towards Meldola. Shortly after, at Fratta terme, we enter a circuit, 24.9 kilometers in length, characterized by two main climbs: Polenta and Via Gualdo, reminiscent of the “walls” of Belgium. Both climbs will be ridden a total of five times. Five will also be the passages through the center of Bertinoro, a characteristic village defined as “The Balcony of Romagna”; at the first of these passages, a very special flying finish line will be awarded, dedicated to Arnaldo Pambianco, positioned exactly in front of the champion’s house. The last 10 km are entirely flat, and at about 600 meters from the finish line, they will enter the perimeter of the Servadei velodrome; the entrance to the velodrome proper will take place in the straight stretch opposite the finish line, when there will be about 250 meters to go before the finish, which will be sanctioned at the first passage on the line and which will crown the winner of the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 2024 who will definitely wear the Sidermec jersey. In the evocative setting of the Forli velodrome, the Selle SMP jersey will also be awarded, as at the end of each stage, to the winner of the points classification, the Città di Forlì jersey to the best climber and the Felsineo jersey to the winner of the youth classification.The Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali 2024 will also award at the end of each stage a special prize for the first rider from the Continental formations.CLICK HERE FOR THE OFFICIAL RACE GUIDE