A Great Start that promises to be spectacular
The 106th edition of the Giro d’Italia, one of the world’s most important and iconic cycling events, will kick off on Saturday, May 6, 2023, from the Costa dei Trabocchi, one of Italy’s most beautiful and fascinating coastal stretches. For the second time in its history, the pink race will start from the Abruzzo region, 22 years after the only previous one. The first and second stages of the prestigious bicycle race will take place completely on Abruzzo territory, while the third will start from Vasto heading south and the seventh will end on the Gran Sasso d’Italia (Campo Imperatore).
Opening the dances will be an individual time trial starting in Fossacesia Marina, a small town just a few kilometers from our vacation homes. The stage will take place almost entirely on the Costa dei Trabocchi bike path, the most beautiful sea-view greenway in Italy. Near the start is the abbey complex of San Giovanni in Venere, one of the region’s most striking monuments. Along the 18.4-kilometer route, views sweep over the sea and the trabocchi, the spectacular and curious “fishing machines” that give the coast its name. After years of neglect, some of them have been turned into restaurants where you can enjoy delicious fresh seafood dishes. Before arriving in Ortona, the enchanting city that perfectly combines beach and cultural tourism, we pass through the Marina of San Vito and the Port of Ortona.
Along the Costa dei Trabocchi, and specifically under the Aragonese Castle in Ortona, the first pink jersey of the Giro d’Italia 2023 will thus be awarded.
The second stage of the Giro d’Italia, scheduled for Sunday, May 7, 2023, measures 204 kilometers and connects Teramo to San Salvo Marina, where there will be the first sprint. The route travels along the Adriatic coast with a few forays inland. Localities it touches include Alba Adriatica, Tortoreto Lido, Giulianova, Roseto degli Abruzzi, Silvi (the center of which it passes through), Pescara, Chieti, Francavilla al Mare, Ortona and Fossacesia Marina.
On Monday, May 8, 2023, the Giro will say goodbye to Abruzzo with a stage that will start in Vasto and then return to Abruzzo territory with the seventh stage, scheduled for Friday, May 12, which will end on the imposing Gran Sasso massif, in the heart of the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park. It enters Abruzzo from Roccaraso and then passes Sulmona, Bussi, Calascio and Santo Stefano di Sessanio before tackling the finish in Campo Imperatore, over 2,000 meters above sea level. Fun fact: In the last two editions, the winner of the Abruzzo mountain stage eventually won the Giro d’Italia as well.
Appointment then for May 2023, when Abruzzo and the Trabocchi Coast will be tinged with pink.
Main photo © Giro d’Italia
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