From Cesana - west - [Average gradient: 9.0% - Maximum gradient : 8.0% - Distance 21.2km - Height gain 953m]
Sitting at the top of the Colle di Sestriere and 17km from the French border is the 2006 Olympic ski resort of Sestriere. The road up from Cesana is smooth and well maintained and although never particularly steep tougher than its immediate neighbour the Col de Montgenèvre. Perhaps they just make the Italian cols harder to climb! Still once at the top (and still while climbing) the views over the Italian alps are truly breath taking. From the summit it's pretty much 50km all down hill to Pinerolo.
Interestingly Sestriere also has the highest 18 hole golf course in Europe! and two distinctive hotel towers that were built in the 1930s by FIAT's founder Giovanni Agnelli, which have become the symbol of the village; these were the first buildings of the village. The Colle di Sestriere is often used in the Giro d'Italia.
