In search of Ganna in Lombardy

Who today is the name Ganna drops, is immediately presented with images of a towering Italian powerhouse. The 1.94-metre tall Filippo, from the small town of Verbania on Lake Maggiore, is 'the man to beat' on many a time trial. Filippo is the son of a former professional canoeist, Marco Ganna. With Lake Maggiore and nearby Lake Varese, a future on the water would have made sense. Not so for Filippo. The surrounding terrain appealed more to the still young Italian. Terrain that is undulating, even along the water. With few flat metres, not even in the villages. Where you can train for classics as well as mountains. It is a breeding ground for great cyclists. A place where namesake Luigi Ganna made his mileage. To which Alfredo Binda, the great Binda, is connected. A place you have to go on pilgrimage to. A pellegrinaggio: In search of Ganna in Lombardy. Naja, on the edge of Piedmont and Lombardy, to be fair.

Text and photos: Sander Kolsloot

The first Giro

This story begins at a table in an office in Utrecht. A brainstorm about a new name for a 'creative agency'. Ganna, nice and short, powerful, literally 'powerful', like Filippo. At that moment, we are still unfamiliar with the wonderful masterpiece 'Pellegrina' from Lidewey van Noord. The book that describes, among other things, the sports history of Luigi Ganna. 'Who?' I hear you thinking. In 1909, Luigi Ganna was the first winner of the Giro d'Italia. Luigi's story reads like a boy's book. A go-getter who chased his dreams. Who, like many cyclists at the time, came from a working-class background. The bricklayer who reveled in muddy conditions. Even better, he comes from Induno Olona, a village near Varese. Same region, same surname, but no family. Still, that's intriguing.

Luigi's sports palace

In the Netherlands, we are often accused of not honouring our heroes enough. The comparison with other countries is a quick one. Belgium still honours Sven Nijs and Eddy Merckx as superheroes. In Spain, Miguel Indurain still earns great respect and Italy honours the greats of cycling long after their death. In France, too, cycling heroes still get a street named after them. Rue Maurice Garin honours the first Tour winner. When Luigi looks down on his hometown from heaven, he might swallow twice. The city, whose inventory includes mainly factories, is also the proud home of the 'Palestra Communale' Luigi Ganna. A sports hall, in other words. The hall offers a rather dreary sight on a summer afternoon. There is little to no activity. No statue, or any other info. So is this the honour of a great champion?

Follow the signs

The name Ganna is linked to the region anyway, not only thanks to Filippo and Luigi who are household names here. Anyone who wants to cross between the birthplaces of these two champions will inevitably see the signs 'Valganna' and 'Ganna'. Is that a coincidence? Probably not. In the Netherlands, we also know families called 'Van Groningen', 'Van Amersfoort' or even just 'Amsterdam'. Geographically, it all makes sense. The village of Ganna is unedifying, with a bouncy cobbled strip marking the road in front of the church. It is also the start of the climb to Alpe Tedesco, the German Alp. A climb Luigi might have ridden. Not over the brand new tarmac that's there, but still. Highly recommended as part of a pilgrimage.

Between beer and chocolate

In Induno Olona, where Luigi made his first metres, there are two factories. Is this too a coincidence? The smell of hops soon meets you, but it is sometimes trumped by the smell of chocolate. Because the duo Lindt & Poretti is common here. If you follow the via Olona towards Varese, it is a gorgeous hidden climb, sometimes reminiscent of the Ardennes or Flanders in terms of look and feel. Up between houses, with the smell of and views of industry. Not for nothing did Luigi Ganna surface when conditions were tough. The worker in him then surfaced.

Route

The route is made and takes you through the beautiful and important places back to Laveno. Once there, the option of crossing to Verbania is a tempting one. Because Laveno itself is good enough, but Verbania is better. On the whole route, everything breathes cycling. From the Madonna del ciclismo, to the palestra communale. From climbs and rolling countryside to beautiful finishes on Lake Maggiore. And if you're keen, combine it with the climb to Alpe Tedesco and ride on to Lago di Lugano. Happy days.