STAGE 5: San Piero a Sieve – Florence (35 km)

The fifth and final stage starts immediately with a challenging, if rideable, climb to Trebbio Castle. After that there are alternating single track climbs in the woods and challenging sections until the Convent of Monte Senario, where the smoother part begins. The section is fascinating both for the route and for the views and points of interest, thus closing the Way of the Gods in beauty.

The stage is very varied. The first part begins with a challenging climb on a dirt road to Trebbio Castle, then alternating climbs and descents to Tagliaferro. From there you enter the forest and ride technical and sometimes unrideable climbs to the Sanctuary of Monte Senario, climbing and descending several times on single track and dirt roads (often muddy). After Monte Senario begins a stretch of gentle descents in the Mugello hills, then once you reach Vetta le Croci you can decide whether to tackle the section of ‘Il Pratone,’ which, however, has very technical climbs and equally challenging descents. Therecommended alternative follows the road to Florence, which we supplemented with a small dirt road variant. This stage, traveled with the variants we inserted, involves an uphill elevation gain of 1043 meters, with some technical and often muddy passages so fatigue sets in. So good training is still necessary. It is about 35 km, but a good part of it is downhill on the road, so having a day to spare anyone can travel it, albeit making some stops.

Length: 35 km
Uphill elevation gain: 1043 m
Downhill elevation gain: 1206 m
Highest point: 803 m
Lowest point: 48 m
Type of surface: mixed

Technical tips:
There are some quite steep uphill passages, so it is best to tackle them slowly, especially if you are not very trained. In hot weather it is necessary to bring a good supply of water, because there are several areas in the middle of the forest without access to water.

Municipality of departure: San Piero a Sieve
Place of departure: San Piero a Sieve
Municipality of arrival: Florence
Arrival Location: Florence

Recommended period:
For temperatures, May and June. In case of bad weather, however-even prior to departure-you may encounter a lot of sections in the mud.

Useful links:
http://www.viadeglidei.it

The Via degli Dei is a very fascinating route, retracing long stretches of the ancient Roman Via Flaminia Militare, connecting the cities of Bologna and Florence along the Apennines.

It has become one of the main tourist attractions of theTuscan-Emilian Apennines: numerous trekking and mountain biking enthusiasts retrace this piece of history while fully enjoying the unspoiled beauty of these places. The name is most likely derived from some localities encountered along the way, such as Monte Adone, Monzuno (
Mons Iovis
, Mount of Jupiter), Mount Venus, Mount Luario (Lua was the Roman goddess of atonement).

There are many possible variants: this is the one that in Mtb travels the Way in the standard way, tested by our editorial staff.

In general, the entire itinerary is challenging. Even the version proposed here, which divides it into 5 stages (as per the official route), is recommended for trained bikers with good technical and athletic training.