Magically poised between the sea and the mountains, Liguria is one of the most popular destinations for mountain bike enthusiasts, both national and international. You’ll have to pull out all the stops if you want to cycle here and enjoy the region’s trail flows or mule tracks, strewn with rocks and roots within thick woodlands or surrounded by Mediterranean scrub. It’s not by chance that the SuperEnduro – the circuit dedicated to Enduro competitions along a circular route, in which the long and technical timed descents are preceded by pedalled uphill transfers – took a foothold in Liguria and partly in nearby Piedmont.
With the right approach, Ligurian off-road itineraries offer an experience that you will continue to dream about for a long time, and which is accessible all year long thanks to the truly mild climate.
This is why cyclists only need one word to describe it… Super.
Super as in SuperStar
We are undoubtedly talking about Finale Ligure. The area leaves nothing to be desired, making bikers like you, and negative slope and enduro enthusiasts, happy. The variety and splendour of Finale has no limits; it’s no coincidence that every year the organisers of the Enduro World Series change the trails chosen for the special stages of the EWS: DH Men, San Michele, Cravarezza, Guardia, Roller Coaster, Ruggetta, Dolmen, to name a few. Here the terrain ranges from flows to pure downhill tracts, and then to mule tracks dotted with narrow switchbacks.
Super as in the 24 hours of Finale
It is the most prestigious 24-hour mountain bike circuit, which has been attracting thousands of cyclists to the Manie plateau in Finale Ligure since 1999. Two aspects comprise the life and soul of the event: the competitive side and the festive side. The trails can therefore vary according to the chosen approach, but what remains unchanged are the rules: one team member at a time cycles for 24 hours.
Super as in Sanremo
Close to the French border we find Sanremo and, more specifically, San Romolo, located at the foot of Monte Bignone. Numerous world-class athletes and teams come here for technique-training or to test equipment and setups. Some of the most entertaining trails are rendered both adrenaline-pumping and breathtaking by way of nosedives towards the city of flowers, Sanremo; we recommend: Tubo di San Lorenzo, Scogli Rossi, Due Muri, Bruciato.
Super as in Golfo Dianese
With the municipalities of Cervo, San Bartolomeo al Mare and Diano Marina, even the Dianese gulf proffers an alluring wink to mountain bike enthusiasts. The must-do trails are Maiali, also known as jump paradise; Molini, steep and tortuous; San Rocco, a perfect mix of flow and technique; Antenne di Cervo, a super classic where knowing when to let go, and when to control the bike in the right way, is key.
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