Giro-E Enel 2026 – Stage 7 Forte dei Marmi

Giro-E Enel 2026 – Stage 7 Forte dei Marmi – Massa

After a day off, our Giro-E Enel cyclists resumed their race. Stage seven started in Forte dei Marmi and probably felt like a light muscle activation for the participants, a warm-up ahead of Wednesday’s and Thursday’s stages, which are among the most demanding in the entire competition.

On the day of the Giro d’Italia’s individual time trial, the Giro-E made some adjustments, shortening the route and bringing forward the start and finish times. This meant that today’s stage was just 30 kilometres long, entirely flat and along the seaside, ending in Massa.

So it makes total sense to go for a walk, or rather a ride, around Forte, because Forte dei Marmi is a very bike-friendly place, and not only for road bikes. There is a lot to see, beyond the typical image of a place centred on elite tourism, luxury beach clubs and extremely lively nights. Forte dei Marmi features mansions designed by Gio Ponti and Giuseppe Pagano at Villa Agnelli – which has been turned into a hotel – immortalised in the pages written by Susanna Agnelli in her book Vestivano alla marinara; the Lorenese Fort is another key landmark, with its museum of satire and caricatures on the first floor, as well as Arturo Dazzi’s marble sculptures of sailors on watch. If you have time, it would be a shame not to visit the nearby town of Pietrasanta.

The Forte dei Marmi-Massa stage

29.6 kilometres and 50 metres of elevation gain. Calm and flat at the Giro-E Enel. Ten kilometres into the stage, the e-cyclists immediately joined the Giro d’Italia route and were in the middle of the Versilia region. A quick look at the sea, another one at their captain, during the regularity trials to secure points for the jerseys. In terms of cycling, that’s all there is to say. But don’t worry, cyclists: the days ahead will be full of long routes and uphill sections.

Personality of the day – Marco Elefanti

Marco Elefanti is a full professor of business economics at the Università Cattolica in Milan and was the General Director of the Agostino Gemelli University Hospital in Rome for eight years. He is also a long-time fan of the Giro-E Enel: the first time he competed in the race was five years ago!

“Since then, I’ve participated in every edition, except for last year because I underwent surgery to get two implants in my knees. There’s a fantastic environment at the Giro-E; it truly is a wonderful initiative. I have a house here in Forte dei Marmi. I have a deep bond with this area and I believe it’s the ideal place to go cycling, because you’ve got both the sea and the mountains, such as the Apuan Alps, where you can go on amazing rides. Cycling is the ideal sport for people like me who are no longer very young – I’m 63 years old – but still have a lot of energy, which is how I feel. It’s a good sport because you don’t put pressure on your joints but you still engage in physical activity, and you also get to do that surrounded by amazing landscapes. E-bikes are great. They’ve become very light and can easily be used in the no assist mode; I’m thinking about getting one myself.”