“Punta Veleno” climb to debut at 2012 Giro del Trentino
The third stage of 36th edition will be the first professional cycling race to reach the "poisoning sting", after a 10 km climb with a gradient constantly over 14%
Almost 30 years ago, in 1972, Giro d’Italia director Vincenzo Torriani was invited to the Garda Lake to make an inspection of a terrible and unknown climb. Torriani, a man with a passion for new routes to discover and for coupes de teatre, didn’t hesitate and immediately accepted the proposal. After a inch-by-inch inspection, here is what his verdict was: “We can’t do this – it’s too… poisonous.”
That word didn’t leave cycling fans’ minds, and turned out to give a new name to this “forbidden” peak: over the years, “Punta Veleno” (poisonous sting) managed to become a must-go for the most extreme climbers. A 10 km “Extreme Race” is held there every year, to be ridden either on a race bike or a MTB, and is considered to be a litmus test for real climbers. But no professional cycling race has ever reached that top - yet.
The third stage of the 36th Giro del Trentino (April 17-20, 2012) will be the first one to do that: on April 19th, the riders will leave from the “Cooperativa Piccoli Frutti” in Pergine, out to reach Brenzone. It is going to be the only time the route will trespass Trentino’s border, but it will be a really significant one: in Assenza, a 10 km climb will start, heading to Punta Veleno (1156 mt), through 20 hairpin bends and a gradient constantly over 14%, but peaking at 18%, just to flatten out before reaching the “Hors Categorie” King of the Mountain line. The stage will actually end in Prada, but 2,7 km on descent after the top will not be enough to bridge some significant gaps.
The Italian Federation’s Technical Commission already inspected the route, together with Giro del Trentino’s organizers, and approved it. It will be a very spectacular stage, and a really demanding test for those heading to the Giro d’Italia with ambitions. “With a route like this, the Giro del Trentino will live a memorable day – said Stefano Ballardini, chief of the stage committee –, and will bring a great number of fans on the road. This is not an ordinary climb, and those who faced it know that very well…” A project made true by the enthusiasm of Brenzone’s municipality, led by Mayor Rinaldo Sartori. On the final day of the Giro del Trentino, the fourth stage will start on the lake promenade, in Castelletto di Brenzone.
It’s a brave and unconventional choice, for sure. But that’s what made Giro del Trentino a first-class race over its 30-year history.
