The Valley of Tesino in an itinerary for everyone. Just over 80 kilometers on low-traffic roads. Never climb challenging, breathtaking views of the hills and the Sibillini Mountains and crossing beautiful medieval villages typical of the Marche region.

 

 

 

 

Departure from Grottammare, at the toll booth. We are on a busy road, but after a few hundred meters, at the first roundabout, we immediately take a secondary road where we can relax. We pass a bridge over the Tesino river and we find ourselves in an industrial area that soon leaves room for the garden centers, with the river flowing immediately under the road, which overall is pleasant and silent. Another narrow bridge takes us back to the SP92 Val Tesino in San Salvatore. We stay on this road for 5 kilometers. This is the only part of the route not really silent, but the road is wide and the speed cameras make sure that the cars do not reach dangerous speeds.

We turn left and, crossing the umpteenth bridge on the Tesino river, we face the first effort of the day, the ascent to San Savino, which leads us to the right ridge of the valley. We will not return to the valley floor today. The ascent is on the whole pedalable, with no really challenging sections, given that the slope never exceeds 10%. In just over 3 kilometers we rise about 200 meters and our view begins to expand on the surrounding hills.

After the small village of San Savino a long stretch of ridge begins, with the typical up and down road, which accompanies us to the gates of Offida. Traveling to Borgo Miriam we must look to right, where the view on the valley and on the hill of Ripatransone, on the opposite side, becomes more and more magnificent. Offida is wonderful and a small detour from the path to visit its historic center pedaling is practically obligatory. A stop in the square for a coffee or an ice cream highly recommended.

We take the way to Cossignano and the climb to the Church of San Barnaba allows us to admire Offida from above. The view also includes the famous Santa Maria della Rocca, absolutely to visit, maybe on another occasion. Climb to Colle Rovecciano, then go down (pay attention to the uneven ground), to start again to climb in Contrada Castiglioni. The up and down roads will be a constant in this itinerary by ridges, but the slopes will always be very sweet.

So we arrive in Castignano, another wonderful village, famous for its festival Templaria, during which the village reconquered all its medieval character, transmitting to the traveler the image of how these villages had to appear almost 1000 years ago. Leaving Castignano behind us, we can not help but notice the beautiful Church of San Martino, after which we begin to descend towards the Dicth Torbidello.

A mixed segment of about 3 kilometers, with a small ramp at 10%, leads us to Rotella. The village, probably founded by the Romans, today shows its wounds related to the earthquakes of 2016, but it remains beautiful. Its territory includes most of the Ascension Mountain, which separates it from Ascoli. We will certainly face the beautiful climb on this mountain in another itinerary. Today we leave Rotella to return to the coast along the left ridge of the Tesino River.

The climb towards Montedinove through the locality of Croce Rossa is spectacular and pleasant, practically within everyone’s reach. Very pedalable, with gradients almost always 3-4%, panoramic, with the village always above us, to watch our ascent.

If there is a place that deserves the name of “the most beautiful village in Italy”, that, in my opinion, can only be Montedinove. Its historic center is perfectly preserved and certainly lends itself to a ride through the cobbled streets. I can not help but recommend a detour to discover the wonders of the village and its balconies with stunning views of the Valley of Tesino and the Sibillini mountains. Being here in Autumn you can not miss the Feast of the Pink Apple of the Sibillini, a tasty product typical of this area.

We leave Montedinove and in just a couple of kilometers we are already at another beautiful village: Montalto delle Marche. A stop at the fountain to fill the bottle, one at the bar to regain energy and quickly descend to the next village.

The descent is truly restful and peaceful. The slopes are never high and the bends are round. A small climb leads us to the beautiful village of Cossignano, called “Ombelico del Piceno” (belly button of Piceno), both for the shape of its historical center, with an ovoid plan, and for its central position, equidistant between Ancona and Atri.

It comes down again. Then a mixed segment, through the locality Trivio, with which we arrive in view of Ripatransone. The ascent measures a total of 5 kilometers, with an average gradient of just over 4%. The final stretch is the most challenging, but the slopes always remain below 10%. The ancient walls welcome us and present us this marvelous village. Absolutely recommended a ride in the historic center before returning to the starting point.

Now a long, very pleasant descent begins, interrupted only by a few isolated ramps, which will lead us back to Grottammare, near the beautiful Church of San Pio V, where we will find a fountain well known by cyclists in the area. The view along the descent, on our right, is undoubtedly spectacular, because the hill of Ripatransone has steep walls on the valley of Tesino, which flows almost 500 meters below.

Of course, even the view of the blue sea will be extremely rewarding after a day in the hills. If it has not been spectacular enough, you can easily deviate to Grottammare Alta and, before returning to the starting point, you will certainly have observed really interesting views on the Adriatic, a worthy conclusion of a ride that will remain in the heart.

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