Brianza and Adda - Gravel Ride

I return to the places of last week, but on mostly unpaved surfaces. The tour was created along the lines of the one in Alvento https://www.komoot.com/it-it/collection/2430056/cicloombra-a-milano-lungo-le-sue-vie-dacqua. After making a brief digression into the Monza park, which already today seems to announce the spring season, we take the Lambro cycle path, which never disappoints in terms of mud. This very wild cycle route offers decidedly interesting views: you go from the various villages that look down on the Lambro valley, to the now abandoned factories, legacies to the industrial archeology of a past that no longer exists. From a cycling point of view it is a continuous up and down. One point that certainly leaves an indelible memory is the Albiate wall, built after time immemorial. Once you get back on the cycle path, you travel a few more km and then leave it at Calò and return to the road to climb the station - done last week with road bikes and the comparison with two different bikes is interesting. From Calò onwards the mixed asphalt-off-road section begins, with well-known (asphalt) and new (off-road) roads. However, passages that were new to me on the road, especially in the stretch from Casatenovo to Missaglia and Missagliola. From here, getting to the foot of Montevecchia is a snap. Compared to last week, I choose to do another climb from the rectory - since I have a gravel bike - that is, the legendary climb to the gate, all on gravel. This climb rejoins the gravel road that leads from Tetto Brianzolo to the end of Lissolo to Montevecchia. Meanwhile, the spring heat is making itself felt and the doubt arises that perhaps the thermals and winter jacket were a bit too much, but the forecast said that the maximum should have been 14 °C, dropping by at least 7 degrees. Eventually the long-awaited gate makes its appearance and, with a little more breathing room, we undertake the last part of the decidedly less tense climb. You finally arrive at the second gate where the asphalt section begins. This part of the road is very beautiful, because on the south side it allows you to glimpse the Po Valley and, on nicer days, also the Emilian Apennines, while on the north side you can see a beautiful panorama where Grigne, Resegone and Corni di Canzo frame; at the end of the road, in perspective, is the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of Carmelo di Montevecchia which seems to be waiting for us for the ritual visit. You then arrive at the entrance to the cobbled road that leads to the terrace on the plain that precedes the steps to the Sanctuary. Obviously a ritual portage to get to the Sanctuary and at the top you can finally observe the two views to the south and north, more or less the same as a few km further up. On the best days, if you look west between two cypresses, Monte Rosa also appears. Descent down the steps to return to pedaling and enter the Montevecchia park and the Curone valley. Even though I hang out in these parts often, this is a park that I have never visited and it's a shame, because it is very beautiful. All in all, the downhill road on concrete is technically not demanding - certainly the descent to the gate is decidedly more demanding and even dangerous, if you don't have adequately "fat" and knobby wheels. You arrive at Bagaggera, where the part that leads from the Molgora valley, so to speak, to the Adda begins, crossing mostly on the road and here and there on short off-road stretches. Finally, passing through Olgiate Molgora, Merate and Verderio you arrive at the Paderno bridge from where you can decide whether to descend to the Adda from the Tuscan wall (named after the restaurant of the same name) or descend via the beautiful and picturesque Padernmuur, one of my favorite climbs . I decide for the Tuscan, so as to be able to see the arch of the bridge from the best perspective for me, i.e. from the north. Thus you take the Adda cycle route and the Martesana, which today is particularly beautiful in the almost spring light. A little hungry from having finished the bars, I have a coffee and a slice of cake at the Pirotta bar in Inzago, a usual and ideal place for a quick stop before the last km home. Nice challenging ride, but definitely satisfying.

Great ride with Ste and Roby, rips in Brianza, fantastic gravel in the stretch along the Lambro and along the Adda in a day that is sometimes cold but beautiful.