In the footsteps of the Maglia Rosa: the Mercatello Aero racing bike is named after the Passo Mercatello, which was part of the Giro d’Italia in 1989. On June 9, two-time Tour de France winner Laurent Fignon, the “cycling professor” with nickel glasses, won the 20th stage of the Giro from Voghera to La Spezia in 6 hours, 10 minutes and 50 seconds and later became the overall winner. This makes him the last Frenchman to win the Tour of Italy to date (as of 2024). Among other things, the Passo Mercatello should therefore have remained a fond memory for Fignon.
The Mercatello Pass lies at an altitude of over 1000 meters and connects the Val Nure with the Val d’Aveto. If you ride the Passo Mercatello from Marsaglia, the 15.8-kilometre route takes you through 12 hairpin bends and covers 737 vertical meters with an average gradient of 4.7 percent. At the steepest points, however, the gradient can reach 9 percent. True to the motto “First the work, then the pleasure”, the first five kilometers are more challenging before the route becomes a little more comfortable and offers fantastic views of the Val Trebbia and the Val D’Aveto. Whether you’re wearing the pink jersey or not – the main thing is that your Mercatello is with you.