LE FALDE DELL’AMIATA GROSSETANO
Roccalbegna - Triana - Località Aiole - Arcidosso - Monticello Amiata - Castiglioncello Bandini - Stribugliano - Santa Caterina - Roccalbegna

22. The Slopes of the Amiata Mountain in the Grosseto Province - 54 km

Roccalbegna - km 0 Triana - km 6.2 Località Aiole - km 16.8 Arcidosso - km 20 Monticello Amiata - km 29.8 Castiglioncello Bandini - km 34.5 Stribugliano - km 38 Santa Caterina - km 50.6 Roccalbegna - km 54

Starting point and arrival: Roccalbegna
Distance in kilometres: 54 km
Difference in altitude: 1.100 m
Type of road: tarred road
Bicycle: roadster and all-terrain
Difficulty: average - demanding

NOTES: It is not a lengthy itinerary but the altitude profile foresees continual gradient changes. One cycles on sparsely busy roads and the views are the most lovely among those offered by the mountain.

 

One leaves Roccalbegna and immediately after having left the bridge over the waters of the Albegna one cycles uphill towards Triana where the slope gets steeper. One cycles in the direction of Arcidosso negotiating the hairpin bends leading to the pass (900 metres above sea level) before cycling without any difficulty as far as the locality Aiole (16.8). Here the descent to Arcidosso starts, marked by a few technical bends (20).

From here one follows the road signs to Cinigiano. Near a supermarket one keeps to the left cycling on a gentle and smooth slope uphill on the provincial road S.P. 7. After about 2 kilometres the road slopes decidedly downhill as far as the bridge over the stream Zancona to then continue uphill to the crossroads to Salaiola. One cycles on in the direction of Grosseto for 2.5 kilometres as far as Monticello Amiata (29.8). From the town, in a panoramic position overlooking the Amiata and the Val d’Orcia, one cycles on following the road signs to Cinigiano and Paganico on the S.P. 7. After exactly 3 kilometres downhill one leaves the S.P. 7 turning left onto the S.P. 55 in the direction of Vallerona and Stribugliano. Cycling for 1.6 kilometres on a level road one reaches the little village of Castiglioncello Bandini (34.5) where the 3.5 kilometres climb to Stribugliano starts (38).

One cycles through the village and then downhill for about 1 kilometre and uphill for 1 kilometre plunging then down the 6 kilometres, mostly descent, as far as the S.P. 24 T-crossing: here one turns left towards Vallerona and Roccalbegna negotiating the climb as far as Santa Caterina (50.6). At the T-crossing one turns left onto the S.P. 160 in the direction of Arcidosso.

Here the pleasant descent to Roccalbegna begins (54)