Topbike Tours

Giro - MILANO

GIRO MILANO - MAY 17-27 2013

With Topbike's Giro - Milano Tour, we follow the final 10 days of this grand tour as it twists its way around the top of Italy, through Piedmonte, Lombardia and the Dolomites, before returning to Brescia for the final stage.

This is a fantastic event, where you can really get in touch with these world class riders. We ride most mornings, encompassing parts of the stages the riders will be competing on. We get to see the riders signing on, race starts, sprints, climbs and finishes.

We have an excellent selection of hotels and Agriturismi booked, featuring three on stage routes, and two in stage start towns (one doubles as both, on consecutive days). We also feature a visit to France’s Col de Galibier, a rest day ride loop over the dirt climb of Col de Finestra, not to mention the passes of Gavia and Stelvio, Giau & Tre Cime di Laveredo, and a day relaxing by Lake Garda.

Topbike Tours Giro MILANO Itinerary 2013

Giro Tour MILANO 17/05/2013 – 27/05/2013

Friday, May 17
Stage 13, Busseto > Cherasco, 242 km

We'll meet at Eurohotel in Milano, 10.00am, before transferring in the Topbike air conditioned mini-bus into the Barolo region of Piedmonte (165k, 2h). Today's stage finish is 30k to the west of our base, so we can sort out our bikes and take a small ride out towards Cervere and have a good look at the Giro for the first time. The final kilometres encompass the foothills of Barolo, so it's more likely to be a stage for a 'rouleur' than an outright sprinter. Tonight we're located in a small hilltop town's hotel, where we'll dine in-house for the next two nights. Or maybe on the balcony, overlooking the vines, if the Italian spring weather is kind to us.
(Ride 60k med)

Saturday, May 18
Stage 14, Cervere > Bardonecchia, 156 km

Today we’ll skip the start and jump ahead of the riders on the course, driving to the 75k mark where we’ll mount up and start pedalling. Here we’ll climb the GPM of Sestriere (2035m). Once we’ve conquered the mountain we’ll descend down into Cesana, where Topbike have a small hotel exclusively booked, just off the stage route, for the next 2 nights, where we’ll dine inhouse. The race should pass by about 3.30pm and we can cheer from the balcony, freshly showered, vino, beer, grappa or coffee in hand.
(Ride >50k hard, 1500m ascent)

Sunday, May 19
Stage 15, Cesana Torinese > Col du Galibier (France) 150 km

Today’s stage start is in our town, so after breakfast we can ‘go walkabout’ to see what it takes to get the whole Giro on the road. We’ll visit the team buses, check the team cars, watch the sign on, and get right in amongst the riders before they take off on the first french ‘mountaintop’ finish stage of this year’s giro. As the race goes over the range into France there’s a couple of options for the afternoon’s entertainment for us. We can either make our way by car through the Frejus tunnel to France, and ride up to the lower parts of the Col de Telegraphe, race-side. Alternately we can head for the back side of Galibier, solely by bike. 60k with at least 3,000m of ascent, should be enough climbing for anyone.

This side of Galibier is where Andy Schleck attacked in the 2011 Tour, forcing Cadel to chase and keep himself in line for the win..

Monday, May 20
Rest Day

Today is a rest day for the peloton, but in 2011 there was a beautiful stage (20) run in these environs, over Col de Finestre (if you call 242k, with dirt, beautiful). Starting from Cesana we can fashion the best parts of it into a 100k loop, the main feature climb being crested with hard packed dirt. With 2,500m of ascent it will take a good part of the day, and leave us well and truly shagged for the transport onto our new hotel in Gargnano, by the shores of Lake Garda, where we take up residence for 3 nights, once more dining inhouse.
(Ride <100k, medium-hard).

Tuesday, May 21
Stage 16, Valloire (France) > Ivrea, 237km

After 3 days of solid race-chasing and a big ride on the rest day, today we’ll be able to take it easy by the banks of Lake Garda. Ride as much or as little as we like, take lunch by the lake, and the only time check we have to make, is to be in front of the tele by 4pm, so we can catch the last hour of today’s stage, while licking a gelati.

Wednesday, May 22
Stage 17, Caravaggio > Vicenza, 203km

Today’s stage is one for the sprinters, and as the race passes 50k to the south of us we’ll ride down to the small town of Montichiari. Here we’ll visit a local cheesemaker, enjoy lunch in the centre of town in a trattoria, and wait for the Giro to wind on by. Once they have passed we’ll get amongst the locals in a bar and watch the stage finish. Later we’ll return to our hotel in Gargnano in the Topbike vans.

Thursday, May 23
Stage 18, Mori > Polsa, 19.5km (mountain time trial)

It’s time to pack up and move on, so we’ll ride out of Gargnano to the start town of today’s time trial, Mori. It’s just 50k away, here we’ll choose a place on the course and watch all the riders pass by, one by one. Time trials make for good spectating, and we’ll be making the most of this uphill course. Once the stage has finished we’ll head up into the Dolomites, to Ponte di Legno at the base of Passo Gavia, in the Topbike vans (2h, 135k). We’re in an Agriturismo here, for just one night, where almost the complete menu is produced on site. Not to mention the varieties of home made grappa up for tasting…

Friday, May 24
Stage 19, Ponte di Legno > Val Martello Martelltal, 138km

Hell of stage this one, short at 138k, but pure quality. From the crack of the gun in our town of Ponte di Legno, the riders go straight up into Gavia. No warm up on the flat, no false flat, no descent, just bang! They’ll tackle 1400 metres of ascent, before descending to the town of Bormio, where it’s up once more, 1500m to the top of Stelvio. Another fast switchback descent before the final ascent of 1500m to the hilltop finish. That’s 4,400 metres in under 140k, could be a decisive stage. Do we want to leave town early to try and ride this one, in front of the peloton? Could be one to call on the day! Tonight we are on the move to Cortina.

Saturday, May 25
Stage 20, Silandro > Tre Cime di Lavaredo, 202km

Today’s stage is another hilltop finish that will definitely reveal the winner of this year’s Giro (if yesterday’s stage hasn’t). While the race will pass close to our hotel, the stage finish of Tre Cime di Lavaredo (2304m) is just 22k out of town, and the riders will pass over Passo Giau (2236m) which is even closer, on their way into town, so there is no end of options for us to take, on the final day of climbing, in the 2013 Giro d’Italia. Once more we’ll dine inhouse tonight.

Sunday, May 26
Stage 21, Riese Pio X > Brescia, 199km

Today, with an early start, we will journey down to Marone, where we’ll check into our final hotel before riding 30k into Brescia to watch the grand finale in the centre of town. It’s a street race, finishing with 6 laps of the historic centre, and will make a spectacular finish to the 2013 Giro. Topbike’s headquarters are in Marone, in the Brescia region, so this area is well known to us.

Monday – May 27
Marone (Brescia)

After breakfast, packing up bikes and luggage, it’s the end of our tour. We’ll ensure that everyone meets their next transfers or accommodation smoothly.

This tour includes:

• All transport from Milano to Milano for you, your bike and one bag (in the Topbike air conditioned mini-bus)
• You will also receive a full 2013 Topbike kit.
• See the full list of inclusions on all Topbike Tours

Please note:

• Please pack your bike in a collapsible bag or disposable cardboard box.
  [See our FAQ's and recommendations section on packing your bike]
• Please also see our recommended list of things to bring, it is most important to bring front and rear flashing lights.
• NB: The itinerary above is to be used as a guide only, as Topbike Tours are well known for making use of all (and creating some extra) opportunities, expect that variations from the above can happen at any time. Please note all distances are approximate and subject to change.