My Enogo - Foza Ride
by Bart Delfiner
The approach to Valstagna on the Brenta River.
 

The day was much anticipated. I had been hearing about the beauty of the Enego-Foza ride for nearly a year and it was time to “go for it”. After a typical day awakening at 6:15 AM to make the 7:00 AM breakfast time, I quickly realized that the air was crisp and fresh and the temperature was bound to be very comfortable for riding. The sky was a super-deep blue and not a cloud was in evidence. I was psyched for this ride to explore an area of the Asiago Plateau, and it delivered!

As I was riding with only one companion, the coordinating and timeline for the ride was eased. Leaving camp afforded us several miles of both downhill and flat to moderately rolling terrain. We were heading down towards the Brenta River Valley. The approach is nothing short of spectacular. Lush green mountainsides and undulating steep cliff faces. What makes this particularly captivating is the journey from town to town along the valley floor: the clear, fresh and fast moving Brenta on one side and the intermittent towns and vertical rockface on the other. These towns seem to cling to this narrow piece of real estate.

This part of the ride got particularly interesting when a large group from one of the hundreds of local cycling clubs came “screaming” by, all in their matching team kits. It was only natural that we jumped on the back and became part of the peloton. There was a loud and festive atmosphere in the group and although we didn’t understand Italian it was nonetheless a spirit that we got caught up in as we rode further up the valley. Finally the moment came when we had to split off from our new-found friends and start the climb upwards to Enego.

What is particularly nice about this route is the lack of traffic, a challenging gradient but one that does not put you into the “pain zone” for any length of time. The lower ranges of the climb are principally under tree cover and the scenery is dense, hardwood forest. As is the case with all major climbs in the region, the road ramps up through a series of switchbacks, or tornantes, as they are referred to. As we continued to ascend, the air was crisp and clear and the moderate temperatures allowed amble cooling to the body core. Finally, after nearly an hour and a half of climbing, we began to see evidence of the tree line and high mountain pastures. The road had a more sweeping curvature at this point and afforded us a prime vista of the new Foza bridge. This span connects two points of a large gorge and is sleek and modern in appearance. Before the crossing, however, there are a few kilometers of decent that give you time to catch your breath and observe the concrete structure and marvel at the engineering feat.
The bridge to Foza
 
Traversing of the span was interesting but as we approached the far side we came to the realization that there was yet more climbing to arrive at the town of Foza. These gradients did spike up but we “slogged it out” knowing that our goal was eminent. That goal, naturally, was enjoying a fine macchiato and pastry at a local café. As we were not looking to set any records for time on these rides, this seemed to always be the main objective. Nevertheless, with the mission accomplished we remounted and headed towards our descent point just outside of town. The road split and began a steep and rather technical descent. The views were breathtaking but caution needed to be exercised while negotiating the numerous tornantes.
Having successfully and joyfully negotiated this pedal-free section of the ride we came back to the valley floor in the town of Valstagna. What a special place!! The elements of color from the mountainside, the earth tones of the buildings and the rushing water of the Brenta which makes a sweeping turn there and affords several spectacular views of the town.

The final phase of the ride was again enjoying the undulating riverside road and eventually the gradual climb back to the hotel. After several hours on the bike and plenty of rewarding exercise we were rewarded with the typical great food and wine as well as the company of the other cyclists as we ate and chatted for the better part of two hours. Mission Accomplished!!
The author at the clock tower in Valstagna
 
 

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