Slopes, profiles, mileage, as well as panoramic viewpoints, cultural landmarks, inns and restaurants. There is an app that satisfies everyone, biking maniacs and indefatigable travellers. Its name is komoot. It was launched in 2010 as a platform for planning outdoor itineraries and has now become a 30-million-users community where technical advice, eating tips, and warnings about roads and gravel tracks are exchanged. It was therefore inevitable that there would be a spark between this platform and the Giro d’Italia, a showcase of Italy’s beauty for over a century. Indeed, on komoot you will find a collection of all the stages, from the picturesque Costa dei Trabocchi in Abruzzo to the grand finish in Rome. The itineraries are just the same as the Corsa Rosa route, complete with sprint finishes and the high-mountain stages in the Dolomites. Consulting them will help you immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the Giro and better interpret the exploits of the riders. But after doing so, you already know what’s going to happen: you will feel the urge to get back on your bike and ride the same roads that the champions rode. Well, you’re in the right place.

Once again this year, komoot and the Giro d’Italia have designed a series of 25 cycling routes running in the different regions where the cycling event takes place. They are of varying difficulty and length and, above all, are conceived to get you cycling safely. Don’t forget that Remco Evenepoel & Co. ride on roads closed to traffic, often in the opposite direction to the traffic flow; however, riding commoners like us do not. So, you need scrupulously thought-out routes And whether you prefer the comfort of a city bike or the slower pace of a walk to a racing bike, with komoot you can plan the route in your own way. First, because it is designed for all outdoor activities (including mountain biking or hiking). Second, because its motto is: get inspired! That is to say, close your eyes and think Pink, imagine big cities alternating with remote villages, cultivated plains with mountain switchbacks, flowery meadows with the scent of taverns, but then adapt the route to your needs, whoever you are.

So did I, who belong to the category of easygoing bikers. A few kilometres on the bike and then a coffee break, another half hour in the saddle and then a break to take a few photos. I decided to treat myself to a weekend following the Pink Race Caravan on the first stage, the one that winds along the Costa dei Trabocchi. I enjoy the race start and the next day I turn into a cyclist. This is the chronicle of my planning. Once the home page is open, the magic button is called Explore. By typing the name of my destination in the search window, no less than 14 smart tours appear, i.e. routes designed by a special algorithm that exploits the suggestions of the komoot community. I am referring to those 30 million users who, with their comments, contribute to building an ever more detailed set of itineraries, both in terms of difficulty levels and services available along the route and any tourist tips.

I choose a looping itinerary that takes me from Fossacesia to Torino di Sangro. The app provides me with all the information I need to make a decision: mileage, time, elevation gain, difficulty. But the great added value are the highlights – posts from users who have already ridden there and left their recommendation. There are those who warn you about a slightly bumpy road surface, those who suggest you bring sunscreen or take a more scenic diversion. I save the tour on my profile and share it with the community. I will return to it more calmly in the following days and maybe edit it according to the comments of other users. Before leaving, I send it to my smartphone which will act as a GPS during the ride. Once I am back, I will report my highlights, everything I need to know to retrace my route. How do I feel? Half-way between a cyclist and a travel influencer. And it is wonderful that way.