Sezzadio→Acqui Terme

Description of the route

The third half-stage connects Sezzadio to Acqui Terme in 30.6 kilometers and 294 meters of climb. It is a balanced day, built to calmly cross some of the most characteristic places of the Acquese. The route leaves the plain, returns to seek out the vineyard hills and reaches the spa town after approximately two and a half hours of pedaling, without counting the stops in the villages and panoramic points.

Cassine is the first important step. The historic center introduces the climb that leads to Ricaldone, a regular ascent of about three kilometers reported in the official description. Ricaldone links the wine landscape to the memory of Luigi Tenco; a little further on, the openings towards Alice Bel Colle show a mosaic of vineyards and ridges. It is the stretch where it is best to slow down, both to manage the slope and to grasp the more intimate identity of the hills.

The road continues towards Strevi Alto, a village nestled in a panoramic position, and then gradually descends towards Acqui. The source classifies the route as easy and mainly road, with short naturalistic passages: the variety of the surface is limited, but sufficient to suggest attention in the less regular sections and after the rain. The short length of the half-stage leaves room for a stop without turning the journey into a race against time.

Acqui Terme ends the day with a strong change of scale. After the small hill towns, you enter a city with Roman history and spa tradition, where the center deserves a dedicated visit. Stopping here allows you to clearly separate the two souls of the second sporting stage: first the Acquese hills, then the Bormida valley. The next day the journey will resume right along the river, in the direction of Monastero Bormida and Spigno Monferrato.