72km The Pasta Run — Where my wheels go

The Pasta run

Riding this route is akin to looking through a variable photo lens at the Maiella massif - one moment you are looking through the wide angled lens at the whole massif, the next you are staring through a telephoto at the minutiae of wayside flowers growing in the road-side verges at the foot of a thousand metre rock wall. In fact, there are so many varied views and terrains on this ride - olive groves, wheat fields, re-wilded lands and of course the village of Fara San Martino which is the heart of the De Cecco pasta empire, that although the ride is not so long, it could take all day if you were to keep pausing to admire what surrounds you - it is that lovely a ride.
This is my ‘go to’ ride as its suitable and beautiful in any season. Follow the links to read the article about riding the route in autumn and the other to learn more about De Cecco and the story of pasta.

Ride details
START/FINISH: Guardiagrele. DISTANCE: 72KM. TOTAL ASCENT: 1363m TERRAIN AND SURFACES: Very hilly and good road surfaces. FOOD: Guardiagrele: Pattabom, via Roma - coffee and cakes, La Delizia, Via Occidentale. Pizzeria "La Sorgente", Via Antonio Gramsci, Casoli: Caffè del Piano, via Umberto, Bocca di Valle: Albergo Bocca di Valle, Osteria Elisa, both good for lunch.

Route details

Being a loop there are any number of starting points, all of which are easily accessible, and all of which have post ride restaurants - serving De Cecco pasta. Guardiagrele, Casoli, Fara San Martino and Bocca di Valle are the principle places along the way. This description takes Guardiagrele as the starting point.

From the town, ride down towards the SS81,
which is followed until the junction with SP215 signed to Lanciano and Orsogna. After 4km, take the country road to the right and follow the signs to Ascigno and onto Casoli. The road undulates and the surface can be broken or mixed with loose gravel on corners so be cautious on the descents! The views across to the Maiella are stupendous. On re-joining the SS81, turn left and at the roundabout take the road up to Casoli. Ride up through the town and then down to the Lago di Casoli. This is glorious riding on smooth (for Abruzzo) roads through various landscapes ranging from Mediterranean scrub to olive groves and of course, the ever changing views of the mountain.

Where the road meets the SS263 at Corpi Santi,
turn right and follow the undulating road down to Fara San Martino. It’s a pretty ride through the Centro Storico. Follow the sign for Palumbaro and the De Cecco factory. If you wish to explore the factory complex, with the old mills nestled in amongst the giant silos as well as the extraordinarily clear waters which pool in a deliciously small lake, turn left at the junction when you arrive in front of the De Cecco factory. To continue, return to the junction and follow the twisting road to Palumbaro and onto Pennapiedemonte. From the road, you’ll pass gorges and olive fields, you’ll see the sea and you’ll see the magnificent cliffs of the mountains. Once you arrive at Bocca di Valle, turn right and whizz downhill back into Guardiagrele.