Po Valley plains and Trentino highlands, the perfect mix for a breakaway stage. It's day number 17 of the Giro d'Italia, running from Cassano d'Adda - home of Gianni Motta - to Andalo, with 202 kilometers on the schedule and 3,000 meters of elevation gain.

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It's a moving stage without particularly difficult climbs. From the banks of the Adda, the route proceeds with a flat approach to Lake Iseo: after Iseo, riders first climb the Passo dei Tre Termini (3rd category, km 63.9) and then the Cocca di Lodrino (another 3rd category, km 88.1) to enter the Chiese Valley with a light and constant ascent. After Tione di Trento, the road becomes more articulated with a narrower roadway until San Lorenzo Dorsino where the climb begins that leads to Molveno first and Andalo then, before tackling the finale.

The final 11 km are sharply divided into two parts. After the Andalo-Lever climb (3rd category, summit at km 191.3) there's a fast descent on a wide road with some steep sections. The next 6 km climb gently at first, then more steeply, ending 1.5 km from the finish.

THE ROADS OF THE GIRO. The Dolomites, finally. The seventeenth stage of the Giro concludes at the foot of the mountains that more than any others ignite the imagination of cycling fans. But the road to Andalo is long. It's better to set out early so you can enjoy the magnificent places crossed by the race route.

Cassano d'Adda, the starting point of the stage, is dominated by the Visconti Castle. The fortress can only be admired from the outside, but not so for the sumptuous Villa d'Adda Borromeo, which with its 5,000 square meters and seven hectares of gardens is one of the most grandiose villas in Brianza and whose current appearance is due to the eighteenth-century design by Piermarini.

Other residences of ancient Lombard nobility accompany the first kilometers of the stage. These are the Villas of delight, overlooking the Adda or the banks of the Martesana canal as in the case of the nineteenth-century Villa Castelbarco Albani, situated on a modest hill with views of both waterways.

Grumello al Monte, at the foot of the Orobie mountains, is wine country - the renowned Valcalepio is produced here - which can be discovered by visiting Castel Grumello. After the well-deserved tasting in front of the fortress desired by the Gonzagas, you reach Iseo, overlooking the lake of the same name. The town has well preserved its medieval layout and a large number of buildings of considerable historical importance such as the Palazzo dell'Arsenale, the Pieve di Sant'Andrea and the Castello Olofredi.

Having crossed the Passo dei Tre Termini, you descend into Val Trompia, proud of its mining history and closely linked to metal working, well documented by the Via del Ferro e delle Miniere (Iron and Mines Route) which allows a journey through forges, mills, themed museums and extraction sites still visitable today such as the Marzoli Mine in Pezzaze.

Then comes Lake Idro. The romantic body of water deserves a stop, which should be enhanced by a visit to the Rocca di Anfo, the largest Napoleonic fortress in Italy.

Where the lake ends, you enter Trentino. The "pink caravan" climbs the Chiese Valley which thus has the opportunity to reveal itself in all its beauty, in the face of those who consider this area only a transit point on the way to renowned ski resorts. At Tione di Trento the route heads decisively toward the day's finish. But first there's a stop at San Lorenzo in Banale, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, which fascinates with its seven districts characterized by notable examples of traditional Giudicarie houses.

Lake Molveno offers one last opportunity to relax before the finish, with its small beaches and equipped lidos. On its shores you'll find, among other things, the ancient Venetian Sawmill Tajalacqua (16th century) which recalls the time when the inhabitants of the place worked and sold the timber from these forests to the Venetian Republic or to the shipyards of the nearby Lake Garda. Just beyond, Andalo, with its grandiose panoramas of the Paganella and the Dolomites of Brenta is the worthy conclusion of an unforgettable day.