The Nove Colli: A Story of Great Cycling Passion

It wasn’t four, but eight friends sitting at the Bar del Corso in Cesenatico who, in 1965, founded the cycling club “Fausto Coppi", in honor of the great athlete who had passed away a few years earlier.

United by a single great passion — cycling — Gaetano Freschi, Tarcisio Pedulli, Vito Pagan, Gianfranco Casali, Guerrino Ciani, Giovanni Berlati, Domenico Razzani, and Gianpietro Stignani — perhaps unknowingly — laid the foundations for what would become the event we now know as the Nove Colli, today recognized worldwide as one of the most important cycling events in Europe.

And so, after the club’s official affiliation in 1966, on May 20, 1971, at 5 a.m., seventeen pioneers set off on the very first Nove Colli. Naturally, the starting point was the Bar del Corso. It was there — and at that moment — that the story of the Nove Colli began.

Now approaching its 55th edition in 2026, the Nove Colli has evolved and modernized with the advent of digitalization, endured the pandemic, but has never given up. It has always preserved its competitive and sporting spirit.

Stretching from the sea to the hills, the Nove Colli route is a mix of stunning landscapes, a love for cycling, and, of course, sweat and effort.

Participants in the Nove Colli can choose from three types of routes:

• Long Route
• Medium Route
• Gravel Route

Long Route

Get ready and train well, because the Long Route challenges any athlete. Yet the thrill of tackling the Barbotto climb, with its 18% gradient, will make every effort worthwhile.

Long Route Details:

• Distance: 200 km
• Maximum altitude: 791 m
• Total ascent: 3,814 m
• Maximum gradient: 18%

Medium Route

A shorter route, but still challenging, always able to offer unforgettable experiences.

Medium Route Details:

• Distance: 137 km
• Maximum altitude: 507 m
• Total ascent: 1,872 m
• Maximum gradient: 18%

Gravel Route

Designed for gravel enthusiasts who want to experience the Nove Colli in a unique way, combining sport and nature while riding through breathtaking landscapes.

Gravel Route Details:

• Distance: 103 km
• Maximum altitude: 450 m
• Total ascent: 1,798 m
• Maximum gradient: 16%

For all routes, the Nove Colli meeting point, start, and finish are at Colonia Agip, Viale Carducci seafront, no. 181, Cesenatico.

Hotel delle Nazioni is located close to Colonia Agip, about 1 km from both the start and finish of the Nove Colli.

During the Nove Colli, Hotel delle Nazioni offers special stay packages designed for athletes participating in the event.

Additionally, the hotel provides the option to purchase a “Race number + Hotel” package, which guarantees a spot in the Bike Hotel starting grid.