Those of the sprinters who were unable to leave their mark the day before in Borgomanero will immediately have the opportunity to make up for it in the Bergamo-Cremona Of 138km. From an altimetric point of view, the stage is even simpler, given that it is a real billiard table, except for the small slope of the Belfuggito climb, halfway through the route.
Departure will take place from Red Kilometer, one of the main European innovation districts, a meeting place between research and business that operates as an agent of technology transfer. Today the campus is home to around 80 Resident Partners – companies, laboratories and research centers – for a total of over 2,500 employees and researchers. Bergamo, for its part, does not need much introduction, given that it is one of the pillar cities of Lombardy, as well as a fascinating combination of history and modernity, between the Upper city and the Lower city. If you are in the city, however, we recommend you try traditional dishes such as casoncelli (stuffed pasta) and the polenta.
Cremona, for its part, is famous for its rich musical history, in particular for the violin-making tradition, or the art of building stringed instruments such as violins. The city was the cradle of famous luthiers such as Antonio Stradivari, Andrea Amati and Giuseppe Guarneri. Gourmets can have fun here too, with typical dishes such as nougat and marubini (a sort of ravioli).
Bergamo is obviously a city of great cycling, not only because it hosts the Lombardia every year, as a start or finish, but also because it has often been the stage location for the Giro d’Italia and was the birthplace of Felice Gimondi, one of the biggest ever. In Cremona, however, one of the most important classics at U23/Elite level is organized every year, the Circuito del Porto, while the last time the Giro arrived there was 2006, with a team time trial that started from Piacenza.
