← All eventsGranfondo Nove Colli
~200km Italian gran fondo from Cesenatico over the nine hills of Romagna. ~3,800m of punchy repeated climbing incl. the Barbotto wall (18%). Capped ~12,000 — one of Italy's biggest and oldest. Next edition ~23 May 2027 (approximate).
One of Italy's oldest and biggest gran fondos. Around 12,000 riders roll out of Cesenatico on the Adriatic coast, over the nine hills of Romagna and back, on a Sunday in late May.
It is no Alpine monster. Nine short steep hills stack up around 3,800m over roughly 200km, and mid-route the Barbotto wall ramps to a brutal 18%.
The hills are short but relentless. Fatigue is cumulative and spiky, and the back-half walls near 17% decide who is still riding strong at the finish.
Is Granfondo Nove Colli for you?
- Riders who climb well repeatedly, not just once. Nine hills in a day reward durability across efforts far more than a single big push.
- Punchy climbers comfortable on steep pitches. Barbotto's 18% and the roughly 17% back-half walls need low-cadence strength, not just a big engine.
- Durable riders who can pace a long day. At around 200km, the back half is where the event is won or survived.
- Anyone drawn to a huge, iconic mass start. With about 12,000 on the road, sitting in the bunch on the connectors saves real time.
Training plan for Granfondo Nove Colli
A training plan for Granfondo Nove Colli isn't a generic base build. Beina reads the event's exact demands, looks at your specific profile and the time you actually have, and maps a highly adapted plan to the start line.
- Around 200km and 3,800m of climbing across nine short steep hills, with fatigue stacking all day
- The Barbotto wall arrives mid-route: 5.5km rising to an 18% pitch
- Monte Pugliano and Gorolo peak near 17% late on, when the legs are already deep
- Romagna hills bake by midday, so heat tolerance and steady fuelling over 6 to 9 hours matter
- Over-unders: 3-4x (2min at 105% / 2min at 90% FTP) to handle the spiky terrain
- Short climb repeats: 6-8x 4-6min at 100-108% FTP for nine-hill repeatability
- Steep-gradient reps: 4-6x 3-5min on a 12-18% pitch, low cadence, for Barbotto strength
- A nine-hill simulation: 5-6hr with 8-10 hard hill efforts, fuelling as on race day
- Built from your current fitness and the time you actually have
- Adapts every week as Beina learns how you respond
- Syncs your sessions straight to Garmin and Wahoo
- One clear next session, never a wall of spreadsheet
