Giro-E Enel 2025 – Stage 12 Fonzaso-Asiago

Today marks the end of the second week of the Giro-E Enel 2025, with growing challenges leading to the third and final extremely tough week. From Fonzaso to Asiago, 60 kilometres and 1,400 metres of positive gain, to conquer one at a time. Thanks to the motors, it was easy, though intense.

The stage started from Fonzaso, a small municipality in the province of Belluno, in the middle of the Cismon Valley and surrounded by the Avena, Aurin, Roncòn and Vallorca mountains. In the Middle Ages its history was intertwined with that of Feltre and it eventually became part of the Republic of Venice. Today visitors here can find a very rich cultural and historical heritage, which includes mansions, churches and archaeological sites. Fonzaso is also invested in sustainable mobility and the artistic promotion of its local area. The great swordmakers of the 1500s came from this town: their high-quality products were famous throughout the entire western world at the time. One of them, Andrea Ferrara, became so popular that up until the 1700s, in England, to say sword the locals would use his name. Fonzaso is also famous for its Bonèl bean, which is white and tasty.

The Fonzaso-Asiago stage

A bit of Grappa- the mountain, not the drink – would have been good. However, unlike the professionals’ stage, the Giro-E was clever and avoided that part, entering the route at kilometre 158(!) of the Giro d’Italia, for the final section, with a single, yet challenging climb. After the Scale di Primolano section (downhill), the Giro-E today took on what is known as the “Enego climb”, which leads to the King of the Mountains of Dori, 20 kilometres away from the finish line. More than half of the 1,400 metres of positive gain today were in this uphill section. It’s a 16.4 kilometre climb with a 5.2% average gradient with two peaks at 9% and it gets especially tough in the final part. It’s not as long as that of Mount Grappa (which is very hard with its 25 kilometres at a 5.7% average gradient) – not as tough, but still a test for the participants’ muscles, stamina and motors, or rather, batteries; definitely something to remember for the participants.

Tomorrow they will get a chance to rest, which couldn’t come at a better time, since on Tuesday there will be countless climbs, much more than the ones in today’s stage.

Personality of the day – Alberto Ongarato

His face reminds you of bygone times and shows the marks of hard work. He is still in shape, like a cyclist who was born to be one. Alberto Ongarato started cycling when he was nine and quit when he was 37. For 14 years, from 1998 to 2011, he competed as a professional. He participated in nine Giri d’Italia, one Tour de France, five Vueltas a España, pretty much all the classic competitions, from the Roubaix to the Sanremo. He boasts eight victories as a professional. He was a sprinter but, though not very gregarious, in the latter part of his career he became a lead-out man, meaning he was one of the riders who opened the way for the team’s top sprinter. “I started with Daniele Bennati, then Mario Cipollini and finally Alessandro Petacchi. I did six years with Alessandro. Everyone thinks that opening the way for a sprint is a matter of speed, of being able to cycle at 60-65 kilometres per hour, but it’s actually about being able to handle a situation, to stay focused, because when there are 500, 250 metres left and you’re preparing the final sprint, you’re really going at top speed and at your limit, and not everyone can stay focused. Your mind is what makes the difference, not your legs. For the first two years after I retired, I stayed away from cycling. It was a sort of detox. Then I gradually started cycling again. Today I cycle for fun and do 4000-5000 kilometres per year; I cycle with my friends and still enjoy it. Those who cycled for many years can quit, stay away from the sport, but sooner or later they’re bound to come back to it. Today I go cycling once a week, and there’s no way I’m going to skip that day. It’s not my first time on a pedal-assisted bike at the Giro-E. At home I have an electric mountain bike and I often ride it. Cycling requires training – there’s no avoiding that. In cycling nothing is free; with e-bikes, on the other hand, you can enjoy days out cycling that would be impossible on a traditional bike. I am completely in favour of e-bikes.”

ANCI at the Giro-E: second week comes to an end, two final Talks in Lombardy

Today marked the end of the second week of ANCI at the Giro-E, with great satisfaction for what the young local administrators have thus far achieved on their bikes with the ANCI Team, promoting sustainability and sport every day. The Giro Express initiatives, whose purpose is to promote local areas, have also been very successful. As has been ‘Reporter for a day’, an education and youth engagement project that involves secondary school pupils from the towns and cities included in the stage.

All these activities are part of the programme of activities promoted by ANCI, the National Association of Italian Municipalities, and funded by the National Fund for Youth Policies, whose purpose is to support public youth policies and policies that help local communities grow through sport, sustainable mobility and active citizenship.

The final week of the ANCI Stakeholder Forums is also about to begin, which are a way for local bodies, sporting organisations, institutions and representatives of associations to engage in dialogue, so as to enhance the generational impact that a great sporting event can have in terms of social inclusion, participation and local development.

The two final meetings scheduled in Lombardy are on: