Gorj - Vîlcea   

Located in the superb area of Southern Carpathians and Sub-Carpathians, in the mountainous part of Oltenia, in the south-west of Romania, Gorj-Vîlcea is a classic race made for specialists in downhill and climbing.

As the organizers wanted to have a succession of climbs and descents, the only feasible option was to make the riders climb on one side of the road and then descend on the other side of the same road. A sp...

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Located in the superb area of Southern Carpathians and Sub-Carpathians, in the mountainous part of Oltenia, in the south-west of Romania, Gorj-Vîlcea is a classic race made for specialists in downhill and climbing.

As the organizers wanted to have a succession of climbs and descents, the only feasible option was to make the riders climb on one side of the road and then descend on the other side of the same road. A special technique was used to avoid accidents - apparently it is safe enough, as no one has complained to the organizers about it. However, you can imagine the morale of any rider who has still 2 km to the top of the climb and can see the leader pack going downhill fast as a rock - nervous breakdowns will often affect the cyclists here.

The course starts in Carpinis, in Gorj County and after 12 km of flat road it goes up on the famous Transalpina road up to Rânca - so after climbing "only" 15 km, that is 800 m in altitude, on an average slope of 5,3 % the riders take a 180 degree turn and descend back to Novaci. After another 12 km segment of relatively flat road the organizers arranged another narrow climb and descent on the Oltet Valley, in an area where several interesting caves (Pestera Polovragi, Pestera Muierii) and river gorges (Cheile Sohodolului, Cheile Oltetului) are found. This 10 km climb is a little bit easier, with only 500 m altitude gained and an average slope of roughly 5 %.

The route then enters Vîlcea county and continues to Vaideeni and after 10 km of hilly road it goes up on the Luncavita Valley where a new road has been built especially for this race. The climb is somewhat easier, with 450 m difference in altitude and an average slope of 4.5 %, but it is at the end of a tiring day so it can make a difference. The downhill specialists will be looking to capitalize on the long descent to Ursani, but sometimes the crowd in the town Horezu, famous for its pottery, will be able to watch a tight finish, as the race offers good conditions for a small bunch sprint - so only the toughest and fastest men will win.