Pian dei Resinelli: an ascent rediscovered by the Giro d’Italia

The stage of the 2012 Giro d’Italia to be run entirely within Lombardia returns to a technically interesting climb known as Pian dei Resinelli, a 1200 m a.s.l.m. hill outside Lecco at the foot of the Grignetta massif.
Starting from Busto Arsizio, this stage has been strategically scheduled to capture Sunday May 20’s prime time audience and enrich the rankings with another touch of character, courtesy of this pre-Alps ascent Group on Giro D’Italia

First included in the nation’s most prestigious stage race exactly 50 years ago, Pian dei Resinelli provided the prologue to the next day’s surprise on the way to the finish line in Casale Monferrato, Piemonte, when Franco Balmamion came out first from a long line of challengers and won the pink jersey, the first of various successes that carried him to the top of the rankings in 1962 and 1963.

Riders in search of the perfect two-wheel vacation at Bellagio’s Hotel Perlo-Panorama can now pedal up to the Resinelli Plains guided by precious information from the staff, as yet another history-making cycling climb offered by the lakeside from Como to Lecco and yet another unforgettable moment in their reinvigorating vacation.

With the maximum attention to both technical value and the most moments in road racing history Hotel Perlo is developing new itineraries that help give its own international riding clientele the satisfaction of putting themselves to the test on the same roads they see faced by the world’s greatest racers on tv.

The final 80 kilometers of the Giro di Lombardia, which from 2004 to 2010 ended here at Como’s Trento e Trieste Lungolago lakeside promenade, have by now become one of the cyclist’s favorites among all the excursions proposed.

From Colle Ghisallo, scaled from the steeper Bellagio side towards Magreglio and its Sanctuary dedicated to Mary, the Patron Saint of Cyclists, the asphalt ribbon winds upward in the expression of a perfect theorem of difficulty along both the Civiglio and San Fermo della Battaglia inclines with challenging descents in between.

Along the way, riders will certainly recall the exploits of Philippe Gilbert and Damiano Cunego as they summon up that healthy drive to push themselves further with only their own physical and mental resources – perhaps with other traveling companions met just the other day – in the direction of health-giving emotions and a word or two in regard to specific materials and training, without ever forgetting that these are the things that give the force to face with renewed enthusiasm the various difficulties of daily life after leaving the Perlo’s doors.