The 117km long race with 2,000m of climbing starts in the historic city center of Pistoia, at the Piazza del Duomo. From there, it heads south towards what is arguably the heart of road cycling in the world: Monte San Baronto. This inauspicious, 500m tall hill with vineyards and olive groves is home to some of the greatest professional riders, past and present, as well as numerous races from junior level all the way to World Tour. The area is not just famous for its cycling heritage; at km 90, the course traverses Vinci, the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci, the artist-scientist genius.