Dolomiti & Emilia Romagna featuring the Sella Ronday day
June 18-26, 2012
This tour combines the Dolomites with Emilia Romagna, two totally different regions of Italy that offer an incredible variety of cycling terrain, landscapes, culture and food. Emilia Romagna is famous for its tortellini, "pasta fresca," vino Sangiovese and for the warm hospitality of its people. We start our tour in the rolling hills of Emilia Romagna, where our rides climb and descend through ancient towns and extended views of vineyards. We stay four nights in a beautiful, family-run agriturismo on top of a hill near Faenza, where you will be pampered while enjoying fresh and homegrown meals.
Next, we tour into the heart of the Dolomites, climbing the passes of Rolle and Valles enroute. The jagged and dramatic Dolomites are the dream of any serious cyclist for its challenging rides and astonishing surroundings. The icing on the cake will be riding the four passes of the Sella Ronda (Pordoi, Sella, Gardena and Campolongo) on the one day a year when they are closed to traffic and open only to cyclists. We also climb the famous Dolomites passes of Giau, Falzarego, Valparola, San Pellegrino and Marmolada. Each time you reach the top of these passes, you'll feel a great sense of achievement mixed with the joy of such breathtaking beauty. We leave the Dolomites, riding through Valle di Fassa and Fiemme, stopping for one night in the picturesque village of Molveno, and then rolling along Lake Garda where we will spend our last night before saying, "Arrivederci Italia."
Length: 8 nights - 7 days of cycling. Total Mileage: 720km Daily Avg. Mileage: 60-100 km Terrain: Combination of mild rolling hills with steep and long climbs (from 6% to 15% gradient – from 10 to 15 km distance) Difficulty: Intermediate/Advanced Arrival: Verona airport - June 18 Return to USA: from Verona airport - June 26 Cost: U.S $4,290 Single room supplement: U.S $500
We collect 10% deposit with your registration, then 40% of the total will be debited through your credit card 60 days prior to start of the tour and remaining 50% is due at your arrival in Italy.
Cost Includes:
Pick-up and drop-off at Verona
8 nights
8 dinners
8 breakfasts
8 after ride snacks
8 daily cycling laundry
guided rides
Access to the spa at the hotel in the Dolomites
Luggage transferred during transfers
Full supported rides with water and snacks
Granfondo Fee
Davanti jersey
Cost Does Not Include:
Flight
Lunches
Alcoholic beverages
Personal snacks during the rides
Special services (like massage) at the spa at the hotel
Pick-up and drop off from and to a different airport
Rental bike. We offer good quality rental bikes for an additional €30/day/bike
Option: We can pick up and drop off at a Milan airport (Malpensa or Linate) for an additional US $300 for the group
Daily Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive at Verona airport and van transfer to our agriturismo in Emilia Romagna, where we will spend three nights
Day 2-3: We will ride through the rolling hills surrounding Faenza to the east coast of the Adriatic Sea and the Brisighella loop, a section of the one of the 2009 Giro d'Italia stages. Dinners and overnights at our agriturismo.
Day 4: We leave Emilia Romagna, we van transfer to Lake Garda. From Lake Garda we ride along the lake up to Passo Ballino, and reach a beautifully picturesque village on a mountain lake in the Brenta Dolomites. From there we will van transfer again and reach our destination in the heart of the Dolomiti where we will stay for 4 nights.
Day 5-6: We will ride amazing 100-120 km loops including Passo Falzarego, Passo Valparola, Passo Giau & Passo Pellegrino
Day 7: This will be your highlight of this trip: Ride the famous Sella Ronda (4 passes of the Dolomiti: Passo Pordoi, Sella Gardena and Campolongo) on the one day a year when they are closed to traffic and open only to cyclists.
Day 8: We leave our hotel in the Dolomites; we ride the Passo Fedaia, up to the top of the famous Marmolada Glacier, one of the most challenging top hill finishes in the history of the Giro d’Italia. From Canazei, we will van-transfer to a hotel close to Verona airport for a easy airport transfer the next day. Final dinner in a beautiful picturesque plaza in downtown Verona.
Day 9: Arrivederci Italia: van transfer to Verona airport and fly back to USA
Note: Routes, riding options and daily itineraries will be based on the ability levels of the final group of participants.
