Giro-E Enel 2026 – Stage 6 Sasso Marconi – Corno alle Scale

“We met a girl in Sasso Marconi / Who lived lying on the edge of the square / We told her, ‘Come, the road will be sweet’ / She browsed the flower and told us ‘No’.” This is where stage six of the Giro-E Enel 2026 began. But unlike in the lyrics of that song by Antonello Venditti, she didn’t arrive in Rome. Starting from Sasso Marconi, our e-cyclists stopped in Corno alle Scale, definitely exhausted after 67 kilometres straight uphill, with 1,600 metres of elevation gain on their legs and motors, which were very battery-hungry today.

We’re back in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, with their high mountains, a place for true professionals, top cyclists, bike lovers or – and hopefully this won’t upset anyone – cyclists on pedal-assisted bikes.
Nothing new, in a municipality within the Metropolitan city of Bologna, where the future always plays a key role. It was in Sasso Marconi, in the mansion dating back to the 1600s in the hamlet of Pontecchio that today is home to the museum dedicated to him, that Guglielmo Marconi carried out the first radiotelegraphic experiments. By doing so, he laid the foundations of modern communication.

During his memorable Giro d’Italia in 2004, Damiano Cunego, the current captain of the Team Continental of the Giro d’Italia, arrived second behind Gilberto Simoni in the third stage which, just like today, ended on Corno alle Scale (back then with starting point in Pontremoli), a result that helped him secure the coveted pink jersey in Milan.

The Sasso Marconi-Corno alle Scale stage

Sasso Marconi was for the very first time the starting point of the Giro-E, but it has already been a part of the Giro d’Italia and of some editions of the Giro dell’Emilia. Its closest relationship with cycling dates back to almost a pioneering era, thanks to Adriano Vignoli, a local of Sasso Marconi born in 1907 (who passed away in 1996), who in 1934 won the first stage of the Giro-d’Italia (the 339-kilometre Naples-Bari stage) and then the Tour de France (Ax-les-Thermes – Luchon, which was “only” 165 kilometres long).

Today our e-cyclists rode across the entire Giro route. And the effect was apparent: it is one of the toughest stages of the 2026 Giro-E. Apart from a short section after Querciola, the cyclists always rode uphill, and faced a huge cycling challenge: the uphill section of Corno alle Scale, with the stage finish at 1,471 metres of altitude, over ten kilometres of twists and turns at an average gradient of 6.1%, featuring spikes of 15% and a final three-kilometre stretch that is a true ordeal, constantly exceeding 10%.

Corno alle Scale is the most important ski resort in the Bologna province: here, Alberto Tomba began his extraordinary career. However, the participants of the Giro-E – tired yet happy – did not have time to enjoy their surroundings. It is a beautiful setting even in this season, when the dense network of trails, the magnificent views from the Apennine ridge, the remains of the Gothic Line, and the evocative Lake Scaffaiolo are attractions that should be fully enjoyed.

Personality of the day – Marco Canola

Now in his third Giro-E, once again as the captain of Team Virgin Active, Marco Canola was featured today in a nice article in the Corriere della Sera dedicated to his team. A rouleur-climber and a professional cyclist for 11 seasons with ten victories – including a stage win at the 2014 Giro d’Italia – Canola is the founder of Hubbici, where he handles bike fitting and athletic preparation for his clients. He also organises bike rides and trips.
“The Giro-E brings people closer to cycling – not racing, but rather slow tourism,” Marco said. “You discover remarkably beautiful places. It’s something that I enjoy today too, even though I used to only experience the bike at full speed. With Hubbici, which deals with bike fitting, training preparation, and bike experiences, we organise rides and tours, providing participants with an expert guide, much like what happens at the Giro-E. Cycling isn’t the end goal; it’s the means to live experiences, discover places, cultures, and Italy’s immense food and wine heritage, as well as to meet other people.

We call them Hubventures because they are meant to be adventures. The goal is to be together. But if the guests are enthusiastic, highly trained cyclists, we bring along a nutritionist, a mechanic, and a massage therapist. This latter option is a new form of racing tourism, a bit more elite in nature.” Just like the Giro-E Enel.