The 2023 road cycling season is approaching its end, but there are still opportunities to enjoy the exciting Italian autumn classics. After an unforgettable Giro dell’Emilia, the 102nd Tre Valli Varesine is up next on Tuesday, October 3rd. Tadej Pogačar will be back to defend his title in this mountain classic.
The rivalry continues with the Jumbo-Visma team, which will now be led by the duo of Primož Roglič and Wout Van Aert.
Tre Valli Varesine – History
Tre Valli Varesine, like other Italian autumn races such as Giro dell’Emilia, Il Lombardia, and Gran Piemonte, is very old. The competition has had more than a hundred editions. Whoever wins will put their name alongside Gino Bartali, Fausto Coppi, Gianni Motta, Francesco Moser, and Giuseppe Saronni, who have all triumphed in the race.
Challenging Route
The Tre Valli Varesine route has a total length of 196.7 kilometers and features 24 climbs with an elevation gain of nearly 3,500 meters. The race takes place within the province of Varese, where after about forty kilometers, the riders reach the finish line for the first time. What follows is a local circuit of 12.9 kilometers that must be completed eight times.
This circuit includes a series of ascents like the Montello (2 km at 5.2%, with peaks up to 10%), and the Casbeno (2.5 km at 4.9%). This takes the riders back to the finish line near Piazza Monte Grappa. After this circuit has been completed eight times, there are still over 50 kilometers to go to the finish line.
Different Final Circuit
The final circuit of 25 kilometers doesn’t differ much from the previous stage and should be completed twice. The Montello is included again, but this time the Morosolo (1.6 km at 7.8%) is climbed after the long descent, followed by the ascent to Casciago (1.8 km at 5%). The descent from Casciago then leads back to Casbeno and the finish line.
Great Start List
In addition to the top favorites, Tadej Pogačar and Primoz Roglic, along with their teammates (Adam Yates and Jay Vine for UAE and Wout Van Aert for Jumbo-Visma), the race will feature a strong start list. Confirmed riders include Lorenzo Rota (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), Jai Hindley, Lennard Kämna (BORA-hansgrohe), Benoît Cosnefroy, Ben O’Connor (AG2R Citroën), Jesús Herrada (Cofidis), Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Quick-Step), Clément Champoussin, Warren Barguil (Arkéa-Samsic), Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ), Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek), Romain Bardet (DSM-Firmenich) and more.