Giro 2024 Stage 9: Avezzano to Napoli

Where are we? Heading from Abruzzo to Campagna.

Avezzano: Italia.it tells me that: If you are looking for a trip that combines culture and nature, Avezzano is the answer you are looking for. Millennia of history have passed through its center: the area has been inhabited since the Paleolithic. During the Roman domination, it attracted the attention of the emperor Claudius who in 41 AD ordered to build here an impressive hydraulic work. Even today you can walk, with guided tours, the Tunnels of Emperor Claudius, built to protect the houses from the floods of Lake Fucino.
Reach Piazza Risorgimento, the heart of the village, to admire the Marsi Cathedral and its splendid mosaics. Do not miss the opportunity to also visit the Orsini-Colonna Castle or Avezzano Castle, today home to the Pinacoteca di Arte Moderna, the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Pietraquaria and the Orthodox Church of San Giuseppe. In the garden of Villa Torlonia are exhibited traditional agricultural tools. Avezzano is located in a strategic position that will allow you to easily reach some of the most beautiful trekking routes of Abruzzo, within the Sirente Velino Regional Natural Park and the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park. Walk or bike through the Ring of the Lake. The most reckless can be launched by paragliding in the guided nature reserve Monte Salviano. 
Giro specialties:  None listed

Napoli: The Italian Tourist site has a feature with several 10,000 step walking tours of the city, which look like fun.  Their overview? Naples not only welcomes, but literally embraces all who visit: it is well-known for its warmth, not only in terms of the weather. Overlooking the sea and with Vesuvius in the background, Campania's capital city has a colorful centuries-old history, with countless monuments to admire. There is even plenty to explore underground, with organized tours of the labyrinth of tunnels that lie below the city. The gastronomic tourism here is unrivaled: ready to try the best pizza in the world?

Giro specialties: If any food should be associated with Naples, it would definitely be pizza: the classic and most famous “pizza Margherita”, topped with mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and a leaf of basil, has been joined by many new and refined “gourmet” recipes, recently in vogue and able to suit all tastes. Pizza, in Naples, is a “serious matter” and the job of “making it” is considered as pure art: that is why nothing is improvised, and its preparation is made of precise gestures and procedures, wisely handed down from one artisan to another. In fact, in 2017 the “art of Neapolitan pizza-makers” was declared “Intangible Heritage of Humanity” by UNESCO, thereby recognising pizza’s cultural relevance and identity value as a “Neapolitan (quality) brand”.

However, visitors willing to enjoy the flavors of traditional Neapolitan cuisine must prepare to be spoilt for choice! Among other typical products, a very tasty one is “casatiello”, a sort of “rustic pie”, made of a dough mixed with pepper and lard and filled with eggs, salami and cheese, traditionally prepared for Easter.

Actually, even Neapolitan pastry offers plenty of delights; sweet lovers can not miss a stop in a traditional pastry-shop to taste one of the local delicacies: the famous “Babà”, offered by every café and restaurants, either in its classic rum-flavored recipe, or covered in custard, cream or chocolate; still, the traditional “Sfogliatella”, a pastry with a delicious filling of semolina, ricotta cheese, eggs, sugar, candied fruit cut into small pieces, either wrapped in a shell-shaped crunchy puff pastry (the so called “riccia”) or surrounded by a round-shape thick shortbread (“frolla”) Babà and Sfogliatella flavoured ice cream definitely deserves tasting too.

The stage: What should be a sprint stage into Napoli. One senses that many riders are very much looking forward to the rest day tomorrow. A two man break of Petroban and Maestri was up the road, in what everyone assumed would be a doomed effort. 

Under 50 kilometers to go and their gap was near a minute.

Eventually, we would have another group off the front, with Alaphilippe and others. He would keep trying, surging forward from that group as well with Costiou for company. Their gap was not large, but he would stick with it for a good distance. Under 10 kilometers to go and he had around 10 seconds. 

Their was the catch and an attack by Narvaez. 

After all that, a great and unexpected win for Olav Kooij.

The wine: From 2022 Marisa Cuomo Rosato

Back to Dig for this pink delight. They say: Cuomo’s tasty rosato blends 50% each Piedirosso and Aglianico, After a 10-12 hours maceration it ferments in controlled temperature stainless steel tanks and is aged four months in stainless steel. Pure red fruit scents, some herbaceous notes, crisp, mineral, savory. 

The food: Stage 9, the rest day is tomorrow. Time for a pizza! If you are motivated, this is our go-to dough recipe.