Fumone City Hill Climb

A climb that turns into a spectacle

The Fumone City Hill Climb was born in 2024 with a simple and winning idea: to transform the road leading to the village of Fumone, in the province of Frosinone, into a testing ground for young Italian cycling talents. The course measures 4.6 kilometers and finishes in the heart of the historic center, after a series of ramps and curves that put both legs and determination to the test. It is an individual time trial: riders set off one by one, racing against the clock without drafting or group tactics, with each athlete fighting their own battle until the very last meter.

The setting: Fumone, the sentinel of Ciociaria

Fumone is one of the most evocative villages in southern Lazio. Perched at an altitude of over 780 meters, it dominates the Sacco Valley and the Ciociaria region with the bulk of its fortress, famous for having held Pope Celestine V prisoner. The village's name recalls the smoke signals once lit here to warn Rome of approaching enemies: for centuries, Fumone has kept a watchful eye on the distance, and today that same panoramic position offers cyclists a finish line set among stone alleys and ancient walls, with the public cheering on every competitor during the final stretch.

Who competes

The race is dedicated to the youth sectors of the Italian Cycling Federation and is open to Esordienti and Allievi categories, both male and female. This is not an amateur fun ride: the Hill Climb is included in the federal calendar and serves as a stage of the Challenge GP Ciclisti Oggi e Domani, the circuit that brings together the best youth events in central and southern Italy. In some editions, the race has also awarded Frosinone provincial and Lazio regional titles, providing an extra incentive for teams to bring their top talents here.

A growing event

• 2024 — first edition, with the challenge of bringing youth cycling to a demanding climb.
• 2025 — 116 athletes at the start on May 17, starting at 3:00 PM from the La Mola sports field.
• 2026 — third edition, Saturday, May 23, with over 120 participants arriving from all over central and southern Italy.

The progression in numbers tells the story of this event well: in three years, the Hill Climb has gone from a local experiment to a fixed date on the Ciociaria cycling calendar.

Who organizes it

Behind the race is A.S.D. Velosport Ferentino - Ciclisti Sorani, led by president Walter Cardarilli, who manages the technical and federal aspects. Working alongside them are the Municipality of Fumone, with Mayor Matteo Campoli, and the Pro Loco Fumone degli Ernici APS, together with the Local Police, Civil Protection, and a large group of volunteers who secure the route. It is an organizational machine entirely based on volunteer work, and this collaboration between associations, institutions, and citizens is what allows the climb to be closed to traffic and ensures the safety of the athletes.

The atmosphere

Those who arrive in Fumone on race day find a village in celebration. The meeting point and preliminary operations take place at the sports field at the foot of the climb, where vans, rollers, and colorful jerseys create the typical landscape of a race day. Then, starting in the early afternoon, the center comes alive: spectators line the hairpin bends and gather under the finish banner, cheering on the boys and girls as they tackle the climb at full speed. For the village, it is also an opportunity for tourism promotion, with visitors taking advantage of the day to climb up to the fortress and its famous hanging gardens.

Why it's worth going

It is not a major professional event, and that is exactly its charm: the Fumone City Hill Climb is authentic cycling, made of families on the roadside, sports clubs traveling from afar, and young riders discovering what it means to race against the clock. All this in a setting, the hilly Ciociaria, that alone justifies the trip.