Cuneo announces itself from a distance: a long, wedge-shaped town perched on a terrace where two Alpine rivers, the Stura di Demonte and the Gesso, cut deep beds on either side before joining just to the north. The name comes from that shape, cuneo meaning wedge. This stop lies just south-west of the town, on the open plain between Castelletto Stura and Beinette, with the Maritime Alps standing up as a wall along the southern horizon.
You come here on the way back from the high French roads, and the change is striking. After the Mercantour the plain feels almost absurdly flat, straight roads between maize and poplars, with the mountains receding in the mirrors. The riverbanks have been made into a large river park, with tracks and quiet places by the water. The rivers themselves are cold, fast and stony; a dip is possible in places in high summer, but treat it as a bracing paddle rather than a swim, and stay clear of the main current after rain.
Cuneo is a pleasant town to wander. Via Roma runs under long arcades, and Piazza Galimberti is one of those enormous Piedmontese squares that seem designed for a whole army to parade in. The local sweet is the cuneese al rum, a rum-filled chocolate praline sold in the old cafés. Chestnuts from the valleys turn up in everything in autumn.
From here the roads fan out. Valle Stura leads up to the Colle della Maddalena and France, a long gradual climb with a good surface and heavy trucks at times. Valle Vermenagna heads for the Tenda; check its status before relying on it, as the crossing has had long closures in recent years. Valle Gesso goes into the Alpi Marittime park and simply stops among the peaks.
You will not struggle for fuel, a meal or an espresso anywhere around Cuneo. Ride in at aperitivo hour and you will understand why people here are in no hurry.