Grit! Kempense Heuvelrug Herentals-Leuven

Tielt-Winge

Vlierbeekriders 2️⃣2️⃣ (wervelende woensdag)

Lorraine 🇫🇷 Saint-Mihiel Virton

Lorraine 🇫🇷 Épinal Nancy Saint-Mihiel

‘U babbu di a patria’, reads the T-shirt of a presenter at the start in Lìsula—a tribute to Pasquale Paoli, the founding father of Corsican independence in the 18th century. 

Paoli’s patria truly is paradise.

Today's highlights: Col de Marsolino and Col de Palmarella in La Balagna, a splendid region known as “the garden of Corsica.” Olive groves, vineyards, picturesque coastal towns, charming hilltop villages and the absolutely breathtaking Calanche di Piana coastline.

‘Is that really a village?’, I ask a fellow rider in disbelief during the 17km-long climb opening the stage. A jagged rock juts out from the mountain—and perched right on that rock lies a village. Astonishing.

‘That’s Corsica!’, he replies. It turns out the man is Corsican and knows a thing or two about the island's culture. ‘The fertile land on the slopes was reserved for agriculture—especially olives, vines, and chestnuts—so people built their homes on the hilltops to preserve the fields. Over time, the men stayed to work the land, while the women ran tourist businesses along the coast. That’s why women in Corsica became wealthier: the coast is now the place to be.’

The entire peloton refills their water bottles at a little fountain in Montemaggiore. 

The climb to 🏔️COL DE MARSOLINO (436 m), 7 km in total, is a riot of Corsican spring colors. Behind the green hills, jagged peaks rise to over 2,000 meters. At the summit, the descent unfolds like a giant “S” through a vast valley.   After 12 km of Formula 1-style racing downhill, the real race begins: the timed segment is the 15 km climb to 🏔️COL DE PALMERELLA (404 m), with an average gradient of 4% and sections up to 9%.

In the general classification, I’m 2 spots behind Gunther Aerts, so I look for his wheel.

**BAM!** The peloton explodes. On the flat road leading up to the climb, the pace is relentless. Gunther has already vanished—there's no keeping up with the bombs in his calves. I manage to latch onto a group and push hard in a heavy gear.

As soon as the road tilts upward, I give it everything to avoid getting dropped. I hang on for 5 kilometers before switching to my own pace. My heart rate stays constantly above 165. I spot a few riders who’ve been dropped from the group ahead. I dig deep, push harder, and reel them in. A woman breaks away on a massive gear. I jump on her wheel and manage to hang on for several kilometers, all the way to the final sprint at the summit.

At the top, I ride straight to the panorama—vast, forested mountain slopes stretching all the way to the deep blue sea. There, I let my heart rate come down. After snapping a quick selfie with the woman whose wheel became my lifeline, we start the descent.

Soon, the CALANCHE DE PIANA appears—and we’re left speechless. Red granite cliffs, sculpted over millions of years by wind and water into surreal, almost dreamlike shapes. These were once valleys carved by ancient rivers, later partially submerged as sea levels rose. The mountains you see rising from the sea extend even deeper beneath it.

This mountainous coastal region and the famous Golfu di Ghjrolata are a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. The scale of the landscape is immense. The narrow D81 snaking through it, with dizzying cliffs plunging into the sea to our right, is considered one of the most scenic drives in Europe.  The D81 connects the Gulf of Girolata to the larger Gulf of Porto, and together they form the shape of a giant number 3 when viewed from above.

After a short climb over the 🏔️COL DE LA CROIX, we blast down a spectacular section of the D81 all the way down to Porto Ota, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. The village sits by the sea in a wild, hidden bay—no boats in sight, just raw, untouched nature. It’s here, with this dramatic backdrop, that the podium is set. 

By the sea, I lay myself down in the sun and almost doze off to sleep, until I hear the name of my comrade Philip Posen . Philip is called to the podium, top step. He won today’s stage in his age category! Congratulations, Philip.

🚴‍♂️ Philip conquered the Col de Palmarella in 24:41, winning the 41–50 age group. He now ranks 17th in the general classification.
🚴‍♂️ Gunther finished the segment in 27:46, placing 19th out of 50 in his category. He sits 74th overall.
🚴‍♂️ I clocked in at 30:29, 20th out of 33 in the same category as Philip. I’ve moved up to 90th overall, gaining 9 places. Not bad, considering my ‘disturbed winter’ (paraphrasing Remco).

Now, on to more important matters: Porto Ota is a picturesque seaside village on Corsica’s west coast. Once home to generations of fishermen, the village’s economy has shifted toward tourism and hotels. Down by the bay, my eye catches a tower perched on a rock—a Genoese Tower built in the 16th century to defend against pirate attacks.

Tomorrow is the queen stage, promising plenty of pirate attacks on the longest climb of Corsica: 34 kilometers uphill to 1,500 meters. The entire Col de Vergio will be the first of two timed segments of the day.

My goals? Sports: hang on, survive, and hope that rivals near me in the general classification crack, giving me the chance to climb further up the rankings.
Non-sports: enjoy it to the fullest, take it all in, capture beautiful scenes.

Those two ambitions sometimes end up clashing.

Tonight, we’re sleeping in a chalet surrounded by mountain peaks. Magnificent.

Top Sports

Pieter Stockmans

Corsica 🇫🇷 Cyclo GT20 3️⃣ Lìsula-Porto Ota (La Balagne)

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Grit! Kempense Heuvelrug Herentals-Leuven

Tielt-Winge

Vlierbeekriders 2️⃣2️⃣ (wervelende woensdag)

Lorraine 🇫🇷 Saint-Mihiel Virton

Lorraine 🇫🇷 Épinal Nancy Saint-Mihiel

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