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Fueled by a quick espresso in the company of three Genoese cyclists, we roll out for the second stage of the Corsica Cyclo GT20. On the menu today: two climbs, sweeping descents, and a 25-kilometer individual time trial.

Moments after leaving San Fiurenzu, the peloton — more than 150 riders — hits the first ascent: a steady 10-kilometer climb that transitions into another 10 kilometers of undulating uphill terrain, topping out at 365 meters. Escort motorbikes hover alongside, keeping the pack in check as we find a comfortable rhythm.

Then comes the first test of the day — the 🏔️COL DE SAN COLOMBANO, a classic Corsican climb rising to 693 meters. It’s a 20-kilometer effort to the summit, with a brief dip mid-way, winding through the island’s rugged interior. The road twists from one secluded valley to the next.  The Corsican flag may be stark — white, bearing a black Moor’s Head — but the island’s flag could just as easily be draped in blue, white, yellow, purple, and green. The blue of the sea, the white and yellow and purple of wildflowers, and the deep green of the trees that cloak the mountains in every direction.

At 693 meters, the mountain pass delivers a “putain, c’est splendide” kind of view — a sweeping panorama over a vast, inky-blue sea, flecked with white caps, waves whipped up by the wind.

From there, the descent begins — a 7-kilometer plunge into the valley below. Palasca soon comes into view: old stone houses tucked into a sea of green, backed by that ever-present deep blue horizon. And just beyond, Belgodere reveals itself — another timeless village clinging to the mountainside.  “On est en plein course cycliste,” murmur tourists basking in the sun at a café terrace beside the village church. And honestly, that terrace looks tempting. We give in — a crêpe and a moment to soak in the buzz. The square is alive with energy as riders gear up for the time trial.

From here, the 25-kilometer chrono begins. Five, four, three, two, one — allez, allez! It’s remarkable to find a stretch of flat road in this mountainous land, or at least gently rising — from 295 to 350 meters over the full distance. But there’s a strong southwestern wind, straight in the face.

Time trial position. Head down. I hold heart rate 155 to 160 bpm for the first 20 kilometers, then ramp up to 160–170 in the final stretch. I still struggle with knowing my own limits — maybe I could’ve pushed 160+ from the start (my threshold sits at 165), and emptied the tank in the last five kilometers, nudging into 170–180.  In the time trial, I finish 82nd out of 168 riders. In the general classification, I’m in 99th place — 22nd in my age category.

Gunther Aerts : 97th (tomorrow I’m challenging him!) Philip Posen is out of reach obviously, at 23rd place.

Today’s finish line is in Lìsula — or L’Île-Rousse, as it’s known in French. A stunning little port town on Corsica’s north coast. We get pasta at the finish — a thoughtful daily treat by the organizers to refuel every rider with a meal.

Then, an ice bath: the cold, crystal-clear, azure sea just steps away. Later, a walk out to the lighthouse on the island on the very island rock that gave the town its name.

Each morning, as part of the stage briefing, local dignitaries offer a quick history lesson. And while many riders are laser-focused on the GC standings, I find these insights genuinely fascinating. Some of us, myself included, are here as much for the nature, culture and story of Corsica as for the ride.  Lìsula is the result of Corsican anti-Italian nationalism. In 1759, the Corsican nationalist leader Pasquale Paoli decided to equip Corsica with a port in the northwest of the island to try to cut the sea traffic between Genoa and another port town. He persuaded the local government to authorize him to create a fort protecting the port on 10 December 1765.  Corsica was under the rule of Genoa for five centuries. In 1769, Genoa called on France for help to suppress a nationalist Corsican uprising. Eventually, Genoa sold Corsica to France to settle a debt. The “true” Corsicans view both Italians and French as occupiers. However, over the course of history, there has been so much intermingling between native Corsicans, Italians, and French that it’s difficult to speak of “true” Corsicans anymore. The current-day Corsican separatists Fronte di Liberazione Naziunale di a Corsica (FLNC) call this intermingling ‘settler colonialism’. That term reminds of what Israel is doing in Palestine. Over the course of centuries, everything here has been Frenchified. It makes you think… A colonizer has to persist long enough to eventually dominate and largely erase the indigenous identity. That’s something we read about in history books, but it’s still happening today in Palestine. It’s no coincide the FLNC expressed solidarity with Palestine amid the ongoing Israeli invasion of Gaza.

FLNC considers the French state’s management of Corsican agriculture, issues of land ownership and infrastructure develoent and other issues of social, economic injustice as a matter of French colonialism.

But tomorrow, back to racing!

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Pieter Stockmans

Corsica 🇫🇷 Cyclo GT20 2️⃣ San Fiurenzu-Lìsula

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