Pistoia beautifully blends medieval charm with a Renaissance flair. The city’s medieval roots are evident in its well-preserved architecture, from the Romanesque Cathedral of San Zeno with its striking bell tower to the Piazza del Duomo, a central square that hosts some of Pistoia’s most iconic landmarks. The city is best explored on foot, with narrow medieval streets, hidden alleys, and charming local shops that invite exploration. Enjoy the traditional Tuscan fare with a Pistoiese twist; think hearty dishes like ribollita, crostini, and artisanal cheeses paired with local wines.

Pistoia is situated in the Ombrone River Valley, with mountains and hills surrounding the city to the north and south. Higher distant peaks combined with hills dotted with spectacular tree-lined roads, olive groves, vineyards, provide breathtaking views and spectacular pre- and post-race bike rides and tourism adventures.

Just a short drive away, you’ll also find Montecatini Terme, a famed spa town where you can unwind in mineral-rich thermal waters, adding a layer of relaxation to your GFNY trip. If you’re looking to add more stops to your Tuscan travel itinerary, Florence, Lucca and Pisa are all within an hour drive and add more unforgettable experiences, sights and fun to your GFNY Pistoia trip.

The 117km long race with 2,000m of climbing starts in the historic city center of Pistoia, at the Piazza del Duomo. From there, it heads south towards what is arguably the heart of road cycling in the world: The Montalbano hills. This inauspicious, 500m tall hill with vineyards and olive groves is home to some of the greatest professional riders, past and present, as well as numerous races from junior level all the way to World Tour. The area is not just famous for its cycling heritage; at km 90, the course traverses Vinci, the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci, the artist-scientist genius.

After the opening 21 flat kilometers, the south eastern end of Montalbano offers four back-to-back climbs where you gain and drop about 200m at each one. At the most southern point of the course, a climb leads up to the small town of Montespertoli in the Chianti hills from where you can catch a glimpse of Florence, just 20km away.

Heading back north, the Castro climb on the western side leads to the highest point of the race at 420m. It is followed by a twisty-fun descent down to Vinci. From there, the 12km-long gradual climb to the San Baronto village at an altitude of 365m begins. It’s rarely steeper than 3% and a feast for your senses and why Toscana is considered a cycling paradise: it winds its way through vineyards and olive groves, offering spectacular views of the Lucca valley and the Apuan Alps.

From San Baronto at 102km, the course leads you back to Pistoia by first descending San Baronto via Casalguidi and from there, cruise along the final flat 10km stretch to the finish line at “La Cattedrale”, a historic industrial building now hosting GFNY’s packet pickup and post race festivities.

The medium route riders ride the same course as the long route riders until km 23.5, and cut 51km of the long route by splitting off at Carmignano. You will take on the challenging climb of Pinone, then descend down to Vinci, and rejoin the long route from Vinci to the finish line.

LONG COURSE IS A COMPETITION: Only the finishers of the long course are eligible for category rankings and Overall and Podium awards. If you want to race and be ranked in your category, you must complete the long course. Top 10% of finishers in each age group earn a spot in the Qualifier Corral at every GFNY World event.

MEDIUM COURSE IS NOT A COMPETITION: The riders of the medium course will be provided their start-to-finish time, but will not be ranked by finish time. All finish times will be listed in alphabetical order.