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3 segments from The Long Circle South / 2026. Filter the full log with the same tag.
The route leaves the coast early and follows Calabria’s inland spine, delivering sustained, technical riding through dense and irregular terrain. Tropea marks the return to open coastline after a long phase of contained mountain progression.
Today’s loop pushed further south than planned: Lecce, Otranto and finally Santa Maria di Leuca — the southern edge of Puglia. A day of baroque cities, crusader symbols, fortress towns and Adriatic roads under clear skies.
The day began with a true northbound transition out of Carovigno, riding between the Adriatic and the salt pans after deliberately skipping the trulli villages already seen southbound. After lunch, Gargano delivered a beautiful second stage — until a giant boulder blocked the road and forced a return through the same spectacular coastal curves.
