Day 1, Castelfranco VenetoWe'll meet at our hotel at 1 p.m. for a brief orientation, then you'll have the remainder of the afternoon to assemble/fit bikes and explore the town. For those interested, we'll do a short warm-up ride. Our comfortable four-star hotel is built into the clock tower of this 12th-century walled town. Welcome dinner together.
Castelfranco Veneto
Of all the walled towns of Veneto, few are as impressive as Castelfranco. The brick walls that the Trevisans built in 1199 to protect the city still encircle most of the old center. Castelfranco offers frequent train service from Venice (one hour) or the Marco Polo Airport, so it's a convenient place to start if you fly into Venice. Day 2, Valdobbiadene - Mt. GrappaBase Ride: 30 miles/1,000 ft, and an opportunity to climb Mt. Grappa
Option 1: Take a leisurely warm-up ride along quiet farm roads to the medieval hill town of Asolo, known as "the city of a hundred horizons." You can have lunch in one of the chic cafés in Asolo and then cycle along the the Monfumo region's beautiful rolling hills to Valdobbiadene.
Option 2: If you have the legs, you can climb Mt. Grappa – it's huge, with a 62-mile circumference. The Giro has visited Mt. Grappa three times; the last was in 1982 in the Comacchio-San Martino di Castrozza stage, won by Vincente Belda of Spain. If you climb it by the "classic" route (from Romano d'Ezzelino), you can stop at the inn at Ponte San Lorenzo and see autographed photos of Gino Bartali and Marco Pantani! Dinner together.
Valdobbiadene is a small village nestled in the foothills and surrounded by vineyards. The village is the home of prosecco, one of Italy's finest sparkling wines. We'll stay at a wonderful B&B in the vineyards and enjoy local prosecco tasting. Day 3, AllegheToday we'll warm up our climbing muscles by riding into the Dolomites. For those interested, we'll visit a great bicycle museum in Cessiomaggiore, where all the streets are all named after famous Italian cyclists. We'll follow a scenic rolling road along the edge of the Dolomites, head into the narrow Zoldo Valley and finish at our hotel in Alleghe. Dinner together.
Alleghe is located on a beautiful lake at the base of two of the highest peaks in the Dolomites: the imposing Monte Civetta and Monte Pelmo. Day 4, Cortina D'AmpezzoAfter an easy warm-up spin, we'll ascend Passo Giau – our first Dolomitti pass. We'll take a well-earned lunch break at the café at the top and enjoy spectacular views of the mountains. After lunch, there's a long descent in Cortina D'Ampezzo, our home for the next two nights. Dinner on your own at one of the many Cortina restaurants.
Cortina D'Ampezzo is nestled in a valley surrounded by a ring of extraordinary mountains. There are plenty of shops, biergartens, restaurants and gelatorias, not to mention the nightlife; there's plenty to keep you busy in town! Day 5, Cortina D'Ampezzo - Loop Ride/SpaRide the Tre Cime di Lavaredo Loop: 37 miles/5,000 ft
Relax, hike or ride today, it's up to you! We'll begin with a climb up the Passo Tre Croci and ride to Lago di Misurina, a shimmering, deep-blue lake surrounded by the jagged peaks of the Cristallo mountains. There's an optional four-mile climb (1,830 ft, max 18%) to the base of the triple-peaked Tre Cime di Lavaredo, where we can enjoy a well-earned lunch at the top. The rest of the ride follows a mostly downhill course through beautiful alpine scenery, over the Passo Cimbanche and back to Cortina. Dinner on your own. Day 6, CanazeiOur ride begins with a climb up Passo Falzarego, followed by a sweeping descent to Corvara. From Corvara, we'll climb Passo Campolongo (6,152 ft) and up 33 switchbacks over six miles to Passo Pordoi (7,379 ft). This is a perfect spot to refuel and enjoy the views before our final descent into Canazei, our home for the next two nights. Dinner on your own.
Canazei is a classic European ski resort in winter and a popular spot for hikers and cyclists in the summer. With views of the Marmolada, Rosengarten and Sella mountains, this village is in an ideal location for exploring the surrounding area. Day 7, Watch Stage 15 Finish at Passo FediaThis is an an extremely challenging and decisive stage, and we'll be there to watch this exciting mountaintop finish. Passo Fedia lies at the base of the Marmolada (10,968 ft), the highest mountain in the Dolomites. Our ride begins with an easy spin through the valley before climbing Passo Fedia (7 miles/1,800 ft). After watching the stage finish, we'll have an easy descent back to our hotel in Canazei. Dinner together.
Ride Option: If you have the legs, you can climb Passo San Pellingrino and then take the Giro route up Passo Fedia's steeper east side to watch the stage finish. Day 8, Watch Stage 16 Individual Time Trial on Plan de CoronesToday we'll witness history in the making! This time trial up the Plan de Corones will be one of the most difficult time trials in history. The last 3.4 miles of the climb is unpaved with gradients of up to 25%! Our ride begins with a climb up Passo Sella (7 miles/2,244 ft) to Passo di Gardena, and descends six miles of switchbacks to Corvara. There's 16 miles of glorious riding to the base of Plan de Corones where we'll watch the time trial. After watching the exciting finish, we'll have an easy descent to our four-star hotel. Day 9, Tour ConclusionOur tour ends after breakfast, when you'll transfer for your mid-morning train to Venice or Milan, or you may choose to extend your stay. Brunico offers frequent train service to Venice or Milan.
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We'll meet at our hotel at 1 p.m. for a brief orientation, then you'll have the remainder of the afternoon to assemble/fit bikes and explore the town. For those interested, we'll do a short warm-up ride. Our comfortable four-star hotel is built into the clock tower of this 12th-century walled town. Welcome dinner together.
Base Ride: 30 miles/1,000 ft, and an opportunity to climb Mt. Grappa
Today we'll warm up our climbing muscles by riding into the Dolomites. For those interested, we'll visit a great bicycle museum in Cessiomaggiore, where all the streets are all named after famous Italian cyclists. We'll follow a scenic rolling road along the edge of the Dolomites, head into the narrow Zoldo Valley and finish at our hotel in Alleghe. Dinner together.
After an easy warm-up spin, we'll ascend Passo Giau – our first Dolomitti pass. We'll take a well-earned lunch break at the café at the top and enjoy spectacular views of the mountains. After lunch, there's a long descent in Cortina D'Ampezzo, our home for the next two nights. Dinner on your own at one of the many Cortina restaurants.
Ride the Tre Cime di Lavaredo Loop: 37 miles/5,000 ftRelax, hike or ride today, it's up to you! We'll begin with a climb up the Passo Tre Croci and ride to Lago di Misurina, a shimmering, deep-blue lake surrounded by the jagged peaks of the Cristallo mountains. There's an optional four-mile climb (1,830 ft, max 18%) to the base of the triple-peaked Tre Cime di Lavaredo, where we can enjoy a well-earned lunch at the top. The rest of the ride follows a mostly downhill course through beautiful alpine scenery, over the Passo Cimbanche and back to Cortina. Dinner on your own.
Our ride begins with a climb up Passo Falzarego, followed by a sweeping descent to Corvara. From Corvara, we'll climb Passo Campolongo (6,152 ft) and up 33 switchbacks over six miles to Passo Pordoi (7,379 ft). This is a perfect spot to refuel and enjoy the views before our final descent into Canazei, our home for the next two nights. Dinner on your own.
This is an an extremely challenging and decisive stage, and we'll be there to watch this exciting mountaintop finish. Passo Fedia lies at the base of the Marmolada (10,968 ft), the highest mountain in the Dolomites. Our ride begins with an easy spin through the valley before climbing Passo Fedia (7 miles/1,800 ft). After watching the stage finish, we'll have an easy descent back to our hotel in Canazei. Dinner together.
