![Campioni del Ciclismo Ibleo](https://granfondocittadiragusa.it/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Campioni-del-Ciclismo-Ibleo.png)
The Ragusa area is a land with a great cycling tradition. Professional riders such as Vincenzo Cupperi, Angelo Canzonieri, Danilo Napolitano, Salvatore Criscione and last, but not least Damiano Caruso and Francesco Romano have grown up and matured on the Iblei Mountains roads. An area that has hosted and hosts cycling clubs and races rich in history, a springboard for young talents, something that is greatly needed in the current moment of Italian cycling. It was precisely in Ragusa in 2020 that the Team Nuova Avir project took shape, strongly supported by Gianni Licitra, an entrepreneur who has made cycling his passion, with the aim of relaunching the organization of races in the Iblean capital. In fact, in 2022 two very successful events were held, the Easter Cup and the Nuova Avir Grand Prix, the latter valid as the Acsi Regional Road Championship, which saw the participation of hundreds of cyclists. For 2023 Gianni Licitra wants to raise the bar to bring a Granfondo back to the Iblean territory with departure and arrival right in Ragusa. The date will be April 30th and the race will be included in the Sicily Cup calendar. The route will pass through the most beautiful things the Ragusa territory can offer. The route starts from Ragusa and descend at a controlled pace to the sea, in Marina di Ragusa. From there the competition starts to immediately head towards one of the symbolic places of Montalbano, town of Scicli, with its sparkling Baroque architecture. Immediately afterwards the race face the panoramic climb of Piano Ceci, which touches Modica at the top of the hill. From here the raders will continue to climb towards the hilly area of San Giacomo, a town beyond which there is the crossroads of the Mediofondo route, which heads towards Giarratana, and then returns in the direction of Ragusa. The Granfondo route instead goes in the direction of Mandrevecchie, joins the Palazzolo Acreide-Giarratana road and takes the climb towards Monte Lauro, which with its almost 1000 meters of altitude is the highest peak in the Iblei.
At the top of the hill the race will descend towards Monterosso Almo, pass through Giarratana and return to Ragusa after passing artificial lake Santa Rosalia. The final of the route is just wonderful. From Ragusa Ibla race goes up, following the last kilometers of the stage of the Giro di Sicilia 2019 won by Brandon McNulty, up to Piazza Libertà, in the upper part of the city, with the arrival banner placed in Viale del Fante, for a total of 124 kilometers and 1880 meters of altitude difference. The short route instead will be 95 kilometers and 1350 meters of altitude difference. The show is guaranteed.
by Valerio Capsoni
photo by Fabio Sgarioto