Vineyards to the Sea
June 2-11, 2013 $4295
A sublime
combination of Monferrato
wine country,
climbs of the Giro dell’ Appennino and Liguria’s
Cinque Terre, this vacation
has it all: peaceful
roads through meticulously
tended
vineyards, steep climbs
and twisty descents through
the Appennines and stunning
views of the sea above
the Cinque Terre. Enjoy
the cooking and wines
of both Piemonte and
Liguria
as we ride from vineyard
to the sea.
June 2 - Overnight flight to Milan.
June 3 - After
a short transfer,
assemble your bike
(or be fitted for
one of ours) at our Monferrato hotel.
Relax by the pool
or take a warm-up
ride though wine
country before our
welcome dinner of Piemontese specialties.
June
4 - We're
off to Calamandrana in
the heart of Piedmont wine
country over
peaceful colline under
bright sunshine. Pause
for pranzo in
the shade on the terrace
of a favorite osteria before
continuing to our restored
farmhouse lodging on the
hillside surrounded by
vineyards. Our group cena will
feature wines made within
steps of our lodging.
June
5 - Fuel
up at the buffet breakfast
for loops of 40, 70 or 100
kms through some of the most
spectacular vineyards on earth. Loop
around natural amphitheatres
covered with grapes bathed
in sunshine, pausing to enjoy
a glass of their essence along
with your plate of tajarin,
piedmont’s hand-made egg pasta
before returning to relax by
the pool awaiting another sumptuous
dinner.
June
6 - The
wine roads of Dolcetto are
our route today as
we skirt the town of Ovada
and enter the Appennines. Vineyards
give way to forest and fruit
trees as we journey to the
oldest continuously operating
albergo in Liguria, where our
host Simonetta will
take care of us just as she
does the racers of the Giro
dell’ Appennino each year.
The chef will prepare Ligurian
specialties for our group dinner
and Simonetta might show us
where she stored World Champion
Paolo Bettini’s bike when he
slept here!
June
7 - Today
features extra-challenging
loop rides following roads
used in the Giro dell’ Appennino. Test
your legs on the same climbs
and your nerves on the same
descents as the pros before
returning to the peaceful oasis
of Savignone for our group
dinner. Enjoy a glimpse of
the sea with a digestive after
dinner, we’re heading there
tomorrow!
June
8 - After
a buffet breakfast we’ll head
east towards the Cinque Terra along
roads made famous by the Giro
d’ Italia’s stage 12 the amazing
individual time trial route
where Denis Menchov seized
the maglia
rosa and held it to the
finish in Rome. You’ll quickly
see why most riders chose standard
racing machines rather than
time-trial bikes as you sweep
through challenging curves
while trying to admire the
coastal scenery. The tantalizing
views of the sea just get better
as we wind down to our lodging
on the coast. Enjoy a group
dinner featuring authentic
Ligurian pesto, made with fresh
basil grown just steps away.
June
9 - Our
route for today features stunning
sea views along the Ligurian
coastline. Choose
an out-and-back route to maximize
the scenic opportunities or
take a loop ride into the steep
inland hills for more challenge.
Or take the day off and simply
enjoy the beach. Open night
for dinner. Perhaps you’ll
sample farinata, the
famous Ligurian chickpea delicacy
as you watch the waves caress
the sand?
June
10 - A
morning of cycling takes us
away from
the coast but we’ll enjoy stunning
views of the sea as
we make our way inland towards
the small town of Casarza
Ligure. After a sweeping descent on well-paved roads, we'll have a table reserved
for pranzo,
maybe they'll
even fire up the pizza oven for us? After lunch we'll transfer back to
Monferrato for bike packing
and perhaps a dip in the pool
before our farewell dinner.
June
11 - Morning
airport shuttles.
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