Giro-E Enel 2025 – Stage 17 Susa – Sestriere (Vialattea)

The day of the Giro-E Enel 2025 we had all been waiting for. The toughest stage, a wonderful day for the participants, above all thanks to the motors – the pedal-assisted bikes that have made such an event possible. Suffice it to say that the starting point was in Susa and the stage finish in Sestriere, the municipality at the highest altitude in Italy.

The village is located at the centre of the Susa Valley, 50 kilometres away from Turin, where the plains and the mountains meet. It is also known as the Gateway to Italy, owing to its strategic position between the roads leading to the Moncenisio and Monginevro passes. It was originally a Celtic settlement; today it is a vibrant town with many tourists and events. One of these is the start of the penultimate stage of the Giro-E 2025.

The town has many interesting landmarks: Piazza San Giusto, the town’s square, with a Romanesque-Gothic cathedral that was built in the year 1000 AD and a large, 55-metre bell tower; the Arch of Augustus along the ancient Via Cozia, known today as Via delle Gallie; the Medieval castle of Countess Adelaide, wife of Otto, Count of Savoy, home to the Civic Museum; the Roman amphitheatre the Town Hall; Casa de’ Bartolomei.

The Avanà and Bequet mountain vineyards, at 800 metres of altitude, are where the Valsusa DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) and Ice Wine are produced. Another famous local product is génépy, a liqueur made by infusing Artemisia plants grown at altitudes of over 1,500 metres. It must be drunk responsibly, especially if you have to drive afterwards.

This is the town’s first time as a Giro-E starting point, but it has been a part of the Giro d’Italia three times over the years; the only stage finish here was in 1959, when Jacques Anquetil won the individual time trial with Turin as the start city.

The Susa-Sestriere (Vialattea) Stage

A five-star stage, both for the Giro and the Giro-E, which immediately entered the route of the Giro d’Italia, with a climb up the hill called Colle delle Finestre; this can only be defined as an uphill start, with a total of 47.7 kilometres and 2,400 metres of elevation gain: not bad.

The Colle delle Finestre, the Cima Coppi (highest peak) of the Giro 108, is this year’s toughest climb. The Giro took on this challenge for the fifth time in its history; the first time was in 2005. This was a key moment for the cyclists on their e-bikes, as well as the last great challenge of this 2025 edition.

It’s 18.5 kilometres long, the first nine of which paved, while the rest are dirt roads, with a constant 9.2% gradient from beginning to end, except for the short, steep Meana di Susa climb, with its 14% gradient. There are 45 hairpin turns to reach the top, but 29 in less than four kilometres in the first part of the climb: yet another challenge for the cyclists. Here in 2018 Chris Froome won the Giro d’Italia and made history with a huge achievement, with nothing coming close to his feat since, as modern cycling is mainly about moderation.

The same thing happened, with all due distinctions, with the cyclists of the Giro-E Enel. Once they reached the top, they weren’t done: right after that, they took on a tough downhill section and a final climb, which ended at the finish line in Sestriere: 16.2 kilometres at a 3.8% average gradient with peaks of 9%: this, in fact, was nothing compared to the Colle delle Finestre. Another prize in Sestriere was seeing the Frecce Tricolore aerobatic demonstration team flying over the Vialattea skiing area. A true triumph.

Personality of the day – Patrizia Spadaccini

A former member of the Italian national cycling team, Paralympic champion at Atlanta 1996 and double gold medallist in tandem with Claudio Costa, Patrizia Spadaccini is now a life coach and guide in para-cycling. She took part in the Giro-E as part of the team representing the event’s Title Sponsor, Enel.

“What I love most about cycling is the sense of freedom. The people who ride tandem with me, from those with autism to those who are blind, all say they feel free when the wind hits their face. What is a limit? It’s something we impose on ourselves. Right now I’m working with a girl who rides tandem on the road with me. She has two prosthetic eyes, yet she also works as a bicycle mechanic. Just last week she went diving in Egypt. She doesn’t miss out on anything, which is proof that limits are something we create in our own minds. Cycling means freedom, friendship, travelling, challenging yourself, and constant self-improvement. How important is competition in life? I believe all human beings seek competition, perhaps with themselves or with a parent. It doesn’t have to be in a race, but it’s something innate. If we know how to manage it well and help it evolve in the right way, it can give us that extra edge.”

“This has been my first time at the Giro-E. I got emotional when I was invited and I can honestly say it’s been a truly wonderful experience.”

ANCI talks at the Giro-E: building ecosystems that foster youth inclusion

Along the route of the Giro-E, ANCI has promoted six Stakeholder Forums in collaboration with the host municipalities at the start of each stage, with the aim of highlighting the generational impact of major sporting events.

Through dialogue between local administrators, public and private sector professionals, community associations and young people playing an active role in their local areas, the forums – held in the Green Fun Village hospitality area after the stage starts – explored how sport can act as a driver of sustainable local development, skills growth and the creation of new employment opportunities for young people.

The ANCI talks held in Ostuni, Ginosa, Camerino, Reggio Emilia, Tirano and Biassono form a series of events that, as the journey nears its end, has brought to light practical and replicable experiences. The overarching aim is to build local ecosystems that support youth participation and inclusion.

Organised as part of the initiatives funded by the National Fund for Youth Policies, alongside ANCI’s broader programme at the Giro-E, these forums were designed to promote sports culture, sustainable mobility and youth empowerment in public policy-making, regional development and community growth.

ANCI will continue its commitment to youth engagement with a new series of talks at the Giro Next Gen, Italy’s most prestigious stage race for under-23s. In collaboration with ANCI Lombardia and ANCI Piemonte, the upcoming stops will include Rho Milano Fiera (16 June), Ovada (20 June) and Pinerolo (22 June).

Click here to see the Giro-E rankings.