Gran Piemonte 2023

The autumn Classics block heads to Piedmont for the final test before Il Lombardia, where a less hilly race gives a big mix of riders the opportunity to win

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Gran Piemonte

Dates 5 Oct
Race Length 152 kms
Start Borgofranco d'Ivrea
Finish Favria
Race Category Elite Men

Published: October 4, 2023

Gran Piemonte 2023 overview

The Gran Piemonte, taking place on October 5 this year, is the final big test ahead of Il Lombardia, and the lead-in to the focal point of the Italian Classics block. This race is a different kind of challenge to some of its fellow autumn Classics, featuring four longer climbs rather than repeated shorter climbs, and then a flatter finale that can suit a lot of different types of riders.

This race has been won by all sorts of different riders in its 107-year history, from sprinters and Classics specialists to Grand Tour winners and climbers. Recent winners have included Egan Bernal and Sonny Colbrelli, whilst Iván García Cortina won in 2022. The older editions of the race read like an Italian cycling hall of fame, with Alfredo Binda, Gino Bartali and Felice Gimondi all victorious here, although Fausto Coppi never managed to win it.

Despite their proximity, it’s proved relatively rare in recent years for a rider to win both Gran Piemonte and Il Lombardia, so expect to see the big favourites holding something back here, whilst the less strong climbers go all-out in one of their final one-day chances of the year. This year, Wout van Aert lines up as a big favourite, alongside the likes of Matteo Jorgenson, Marc Hirschi and Mikel Landa.

Gran Piemonte 2023 route

Starting in Borgofranco d’Ivrea, the route for Gran Piemonte heads south towards Favria where the peloton will cross the finish line once before heading back into the countryside for a hilly loop in Piedmont. The first half of the race towards Favria is almost totally flat, but the climbing kicks in as soon as the lap starts, with the peloton first hitting the gentle but long Colleretto Castelnuovo climb (7.1km at 3.5%). From there a short descent follows and it’s straight into the Faiallo, which is 5.2km at 5.5%.

The third climb, which starts with 36km to go, is the hardest - the Alpette is 5km in length with an average gradient of 8.8%, and often forms a decisive part of the race. There’s a steep descent of the Alpette, then just the smaller Prascorsano climb to deal with (4.4km at 3.5%) and then it’s downhill and flat to the finish. The climbs do make the race hard, and give a chance for things to break up, but the long run-in means something of a group sprint can be expected at the finish, made up of the riders who survived the climbs with the freshest legs.