The Tour of the Lombardy Valleys, traditionally planned for the month of April, this year we decided to bring it forward to March to open the 2024 Special Stages season.
Will this maneuver have allowed us to escape the usual weather conditions which always see rain for this event? Unexpectedly yes!
In fact, after 2 weeks of rain, the weekend of March 17th is the first to see a partial return of the sun and acceptable temperatures, almost spring-like.

THE TOUR

The meeting point for this edition is in Zogno (BG), at the Caffè Roma. A bar from which we have already found a practical support for departures or arrivals of our tours thanks to the large and practical adjacent car park.
The event is a success! 60 cars, almost 100 people arriving as always from various areas of northern Italy.
After a small breakfast, included in the price, and the delivery of the gadgets to the participants we are ready to leave!

From Bergamo we go up the Val Brembana until the junction for the SP27 towards Serina. The road is fast and with little traffic, the asphalt is in good condition and we follow the stretch up to the town of Serina, to then turn onto the SP31. This stretch is much more tortuous, with continuous ups and downs and at times even a little bumpy but still free of potholes. Much more rallyistic for sure, and offers absolute fun.

We reach the town of Aviatico and immediately after Nembro and we are about to travel the famous Nembro Selvino in reverse, downhill for the first time.
The asphalt is as always a spectacle but as always it is also very easy to find traffic on this road.
Having reached Nembro we begin a transfer stretch northwards, along the Val Seriana up to Mele where we make a stop to group all the cars before leaving again for the lunch break.
In fact, we take the SP46 to go up towards the Zambla Pass. A beautiful road, often traveled downhill in previous Tours, but which on this occasion we wanted to reverse.
Excellent asphalt and little traffic accompany us to the pass where we stop at the New Trapper restaurant to have lunch together.

We are only halfway through the Tour and after lunch we set off again for the second driving part of the day. We descend on the western side of the pass, towards Oltre Il Colle and Valpiana along the SP27, then turning onto the SP26 passing through Dossena. Here the road is a little narrower but in good condition. We continue to descend towards the valley until San Giovanni Bianco, where we find ourselves blocked.
Unfortunately we chose the day on which a celebration takes place in the town center with an accompanying procession and closed roads.
We can't do anything else other than wait a good half hour for the procession to end and then the streets to reopen.

We cross the town center to then take the SP25 going up the Val Taleggio. This stretch was the one that worried us a little because of the road surface, in fact the intense rains of the previous weeks certainly had repercussions on the road surface which, fortunately, is in excellent condition. The road is always suggestive, narrow, winding and carved into the rock between the ravines of this valley and then climbs up to the small town of Olda.

Here we make a stop in the small car park that we find on the way out of the town, and once all the cars have been grouped together we set off again for the last intense part of the Tour.

We take the SP24. Road full of curves and the surface a little dirty, but in fair condition. No traffic and pure enjoyment.

We go down the road to Val Brembilla from where we take the SP32 to reach Ponte Giurino and then go up the SP21 to Valsecca. Here begins what was the Special Stage of the World Rally Championship. The first stretch is quite slow, with hairpin bends and consecutive curves until we reach Costa Valle Imagna where we turn towards the Valcava Pass. A final very fast stretch with new asphalt, interrupted by a few hairpin bends that lead us to arrive at the pass with the sun setting.

This first event of the 2024 season ends here, an event that saw an excellent turnout with many participants we already knew but also many with their first experience.
We thank everyone and look forward to seeing you at the next Special Stages Tours.

#DriveClimbFun
#SpecialStages

Click HERE to see all the photos from the event!

Click HERE to see photos from past events.