Nove Colli: the nine climbs of Romagna from Cesenatico
- Distance
- 197 km
- Climbing
- 3,650 m
- Highest point
- 790 m
- Categorised climbs
- 20 · up to 15 %
- Shape
- Loop
Measured on the course you ride in Cycloscape. The organiser's own figures are below.
Elevation profile
0–790 m · 20 categorised climbsThe 6 biggest of 20 categorised climbs, in the order you ride them.
Nove Colli is the gran fondo of Cesenatico, on the Adriatic coast of Romagna, and its name is its course: nine climbs (colli) in the hills inland. The long route is 200 km with 3,814 m of climbing and a steepest ramp of 18 %, on the Barbotto. The 56th edition is on 23 May 2027, and registration opens on 5 December 2026 at 12:00 through the organiser's site. This page sets out what the course asks of you and how to prepare for it.
Nove Colli at a glance
- Where
- Cesenatico, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
- Official website
- novecolli.it ↗
- Next edition
- 23 May 2027
- Routes
- Long (Il Lungo): 200 km, 3,814 m climbing · Medium (Il Medio): 137 km, 1,872 m climbing
- Terrain
- Hilly — repeated climbs
- Facts checked
- 4 November 2026, against the sources below
Full preparation and course training require Event Coach Pro.
Ride the real course on your trainer. The route of Nove Colli, 197 km, as a 3D world, with your trainer following its gradients — any day, and as part of your Event Coach plan. Part of Cycloscape Pro.
The routes
Nove Colli starts at sunrise from the seafront of Cesenatico. Three routes share the morning: the long route over all nine climbs, a medium route, and a gravel route that starts and finishes at the Colonia Agip.
| Route | Distance | Climbing |
|---|---|---|
| Long (Il Lungo) | 200 km | 3,814 m |
| Medium (Il Medio) | 137 km | 1,872 m |
| Gravel | 107 km | 1,798 m |
The nine climbs, in order
None of the nine climbs is a high mountain: the highest point of the long route is 791 m. What makes Nove Colli hard is how many there are and how steep their worst ramps get, with the hardest of them coming in the second half.
| # | Climb | At km | Length | Average | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Polenta | 37 | 8 km | 3% | 13% |
| 2 | Pieve di Rivoschio | 65 | 8 km | 4.7% | 9% |
| 3 | Ciola | 77 | 6 km | 5.5% | 11% |
| 4 | Barbotto | 91 | 5.5 km | 6.9% | 18% |
| 5 | Montetiffi | 102 | 3 km | 5.8% | 16% |
| 6 | Perticara | 111 | — | 4.1% | 12% |
| 7 | Monte Pugliano | 130 | 9 km | 5.6% | 12% |
| 8 | Passo delle Siepi | 144 | 4 km | 5.8% | 7% |
| 9 | Gorolo | 162 | 4 km | 6% | 17% |
What the course asks of you
Repetition, more than any single effort. The first three climbs are long and mostly gentle, and they come after a fast, flat start along the coast. Then the character changes: the Barbotto at km 91, which the organiser calls probably the most challenging ascent of the day, with its 18 % pitch, then Montetiffi at 16 % and Perticara. Monte Pugliano, at km 130, gains the most height of all (511 m), and Gorolo, the last climb at km 162, still has a 17 % ramp when your legs have done 160 km.
So the day rewards two things: the endurance to keep climbing well after five or six hours, and the strength to turn the pedals on short steep ramps without blowing up. Check that your lowest gear lets you keep turning on 15–18 % gradients.
How to prepare
The general shape of a good preparation, which Event Coach turns into a plan for your own fitness, time and date:
- Build the long ride. In the last two months, regular rides of five to six hours with climbing, so that the last 50 km of the event are not the first time you have ridden that long.
- Train repeated climbs. Sessions of several efforts of 8 to 15 minutes close to your threshold, with short recoveries, copy the rhythm of a day with nine climbs.
- Practise steep, slow pedalling. A few short efforts at low cadence on a steep gradient (or held by your trainer in ERG) prepare you for the Barbotto and Gorolo.
- Eat and drink on a schedule from the first hour. A long route of this length is a long day, and fuel you skip early is fuel you miss on the last climbs.
Pacing mistakes to avoid
The classic Nove Colli mistakes are about where the effort goes, not how much you have:
- Riding the flat coastal start and the Polenta at the pace of the group around you. It feels easy and costs more than it looks.
- Emptying yourself on the Barbotto. It is the famous climb, but at km 91 more than half of the day is still ahead, including the biggest climb of all.
- Arriving at Gorolo with nothing left. Its 17 % ramp is the last thing between you and the finish: keep something for it.
Prepare Nove Colli with Cycloscape
Tell Event Coach you are doing Nove Colli, your route and what you want from the day, and it builds your preparation towards 23 May 2027: structured workouts held by your trainer in ERG, Race Pacing for a power target and a cap on every climb, and Performance Lab to see whether the work is landing. Full preparation and course training require Event Coach Pro.
Frequently asked
When is Nove Colli 2027?
On Sunday 23 May 2027, the 56th edition, from Cesenatico. Registration opens on 5 December 2026 at 12:00 through the organiser's official site.
How hard is the Nove Colli long route?
It is 200 km with 3,814 m of climbing over nine climbs, as published for 2026. None is very high (the top of the route is at 791 m), but several have steep pitches: 18 % on the Barbotto, 17 % on Gorolo and 16 % on Montetiffi.
Which is the hardest climb of Nove Colli?
The organiser calls the Barbotto, at km 91, probably the most challenging ascent: 5.5 km at 6.9 % with an 18 % pitch. Monte Pugliano, at km 130, gains the most height, 511 m.
How many riders take part?
Il Resto del Carlino reported more than 6,000 entries for the 2025 edition. The organiser's own history mentions editions with more than 10,000 participants.
Can I ride the Nove Colli course in Cycloscape?
Not yet: our reconstruction of the course is being reviewed before anyone can ride it. When it is approved, it can be trained inside Event Coach with Cycloscape Pro, as part of your preparation for the event.