Granfondo La Fausto Coppi

Granfondo La Fausto Coppi is a cyclosportive that starts and finishes in Piazza Galimberti in Cuneo, Piedmont, Italy. The 38th edition is scheduled for Sunday 27 June 2027, according to the organiser’s website. It is a mass-start event with electronic timing checkpoints along the course, and the organiser states that the roads are temporarily closed under a Prefectural decree. Its signature is the Colle Fauniera, a 2,481 m pass in the Maritime Alps that the Mediofondo and Granfondo both climb.

Routes and distances

The organiser’s tagline is “three routes, one road”; two are competitive and one is non-competitive.

The Granfondo covers 172 km with more than 4,300 m of climbing, over the Colletta di Rossana, Colle di Sampeyre, Colle d’Esischie, Colle Fauniera and Madonna del Colletto.

The Mediofondo covers 111 km with more than 2,550 m of climbing, over the Colle Fauniera and Madonna del Colletto.

The Fauniera Classic covers 101 km with 2,187 m of climbing, per the 2027 regulations. It is non-competitive and unclassified, runs from Cuneo to the Castelmagno sanctuary and the Colle Fauniera and back, and is the only route where e-bikes are allowed.

The Granfondo is the full Alpine day out. It leaves Cuneo with the Mediofondo, then splits from it about 1.5 km after the start, turning right towards Busca. The Colle di Sampeyre follows, about 16 km of steady climbing with an 8% average, and then the Colle d’Esischie, 21.4 km at 7.2% on average, where the Granfondo rejoins the Mediofondo route.

The Colle Fauniera is the long one: 22.3 km at an 8% average, 14% at its steepest, finishing at 2,481 m. From the summit the Granfondo descends for about 25 km to Demonte, where the last climb waits: the Madonna del Colletto, 7.3 km at an 8% average with sections up to 13%. From there the Granfondo follows the Mediofondo back to Cuneo.

The Mediofondo heads for the Grana valley through Caraglio and, according to the organiser, the main climb begins about 20 km from the start. After the Fauniera it drops to Demonte, climbs the Madonna del Colletto, then descends into the Gesso valley before the finish in Cuneo.

Practical notes: the 2027 regulations list the start at 07:00, with the bib and race-pack desk open from 05:45 and the starting grids from 06:15 (red wristband required). Riders must reach Cuneo within 10 hours of the start; those arriving after 17:00 are not classified. Cut-offs are the Colle di Sampeyre (km 65) by 10:45 and Festiona (km 138) by 15:00; riders passing Festiona later are invited to switch to the Fauniera Classic route. The Granfondo has seven feed stations, the Mediofondo five and the Fauniera Classic four. A rigid, certified helmet and the commemorative 2027 jersey must be worn for the whole race. The organiser’s site offers zipped GPX files for the Granfondo and Mediofondo on the route pages, but the file names refer to 2025 editions, so check them against the 2027 route.

Registration

Entry is through the ENDU platform only. Registration for the 2027 edition opened on 26 September 2026 and the regulations cap the field at 2,800 riders. Prices rise in tiers as the date approaches; check the current price on the official site.

A registration counts only once the rider has uploaded the required competitive-cycling medical certificate (and membership card where applicable) to ENDU and the platform shows the green confirmation. Bibs are collected in Piazza Galimberti on Friday 25 June (16:00–20:00), Saturday 26 June (10:00–19:00) or Sunday morning (05:45–06:30), after a check of the documents.

Full details are on the official website.

Why ride it

The route links several high Maritime Alps passes in one day: the Granfondo climbs the Sampeyre, the Esischie and the Fauniera, each finishing above 2,200 m. The organiser says few Italian gran fondos are this hard, with more than 4,300 m of climbing. All three routes start and finish in the central square of Cuneo.

Where to stay

We do not yet have certified cycling-friendly hotels listed near Cuneo. The organiser’s website has a Tour operators section, which is the place to look for official travel packages. With bibs available on the Friday afternoon and Saturday, and a 07:00 start in the centre of Cuneo, most riders will want to arrive the day before. Book early and browse more cycling-friendly accommodation.