Giro d’Italia Tour 2019

After pick up at Milano Malpensa airport (MXP), we’ll be transferring in the Topbike air conditioned mini-bus to our Castello, high on a hill outside Torino (124k, 1.5h). After arrival we can sort out our bikes and take a ride (40k) over to see today’s stage pass by, close to Rivarolo Canovese.  Post race we can return to our castle by bike, or in the vans.  Tonight we’ll dine in a local ristorante that features the best Piedmonte cuisine.

Today’s stage is off to the north, giving us two choices.  Number one is to ride 90k to the stage start.  Number two is doing a spectacular ride 90k south, winding our way through the rolling hills of the Barolo region.  We won’t head for Barolo itself, but rather Serralunga d’Alba, and a local ristorante, which Topbike has frequented many times over the past fifteen years. Here we’ll enjoy a very traditional ‘Langhe’ lunch, on the terrace, overlooking the vines of the region.  On the return, we’ll be stopping to take a seat in a local bar, to watch the end of today’s hilltop stage finish on the tele.  So, the agony of choice!  Probably one to call on the day.

The race now heads east, away from Torino, on the Giro’s longest stage, but not before we get to visit a stage start. Ivrea is an easy 50k ride to our north, here we’ll watch the Giro circus assemble, watch the riders leave the safety of the buses, head to the sign on, and take to the road. Later we’ll return to our Castello by bike (or van if you prefer), and catch the last part of today’s sprinter’s stage on the tele in a bar.

At the end of today we’ll be high up in the dolomites, above Ponte di Legno. Almost in the shade of Passo Gavia, and just up the road from the base of Mortirolo. So we’re doing a flat ride this morning. We will start today by riding out of our accommodation, heading east, following the valley of the Po river. Which, according to the Italian you ask, is the ‘real’ divide between the north and south of Italy. We’ll follow the Po for most of the route, in the direction of Pavia. Nearing Pavia we’ll stop for a roadside picnic, as we load the bikes and make the rest of the journey up into the Dolomites in the comfort of the Topbike vans.

This is really the ‘Queen’ stage of this year’s Giro, and one of the great stages of the modern era.  The riders are starting down the bottom of the valley at the lakeside town of Lovere, and finishing at Ponte di Legno, after climbing four passes, the latter two being Gavia and Mortirolo.  They’ll be climbing from the gun, and passing through Ponte di Legno once, before finishing there, 110k later.  For us, we have plenty of choices. We can choose to climb Gavia before the race, returning to Ponte di Legno for the finish. We can head out on the course for the 115k loop that makes up the final half of the stage.  Remembering that you will be climbing the steepest pass in Italy – Mortirolo – after climbing Gavia.  An early start will be required for this one. Of course there is the softer option of walking down to the centre of town, to see the peloton pass through, enjoying lunch and maybe an Aperol Spritz before seeing the riders return, 110k later, to finish.  It’s a cracker of a stage, and we’re in the best location to see it.

Out of the blocks early today, and driving to our next accommodation in Villabassa. Here we’ll be 30k from today’s finish, so we’ll arrive, get checked in and get out, up the hill. The first half of our 30k is fairly flat, while the second half takes us up to over 1600m (8km uphill at the end, including 3km at 8.5%). Here we’ll get to see the end of another mountain stage, before turning around and rolling home. Dinner inhouse tonight, after a spa, if you like?

A little bit of luxury today, as the stage passes by our hotel, not long after the start of its long trek south. But in true Topbike tradition, we expect that no one will want to hang around the hotel all day. A few choices, we could ride to Austria for coffee– it’s just 20k away. But, of course, the coffee IS better in Italy. Or we could ride to Cortina, a beautiful Italian ski town, that once hosted the winter Olympics, and was also used as the location for the snow scape scenes in OO7’s 'For Your Eyes Only’. It’s 40k to the south, along the course, and a great location to watch the race pass through. Back to Villabassa tonight

The race is starting way down south, and heading north, while we are starting up north, and heading south. We’ll be aiming to cut them off at the Pass of San Boldo. If they don’t cut us off first! We’ll transport our way out of Villabassa, and depending on how we are going for time, will either mount up on top of Passo Falzarego or mabe even Agordo. Either way, most of today’s ride is ‘net loss’ ie downhill (apart from the up bits). Once we’ve passed the race we’ll continue on towards tonight’s Agriturismo. One that we’ve used since 2003, and we’ll dine al fresco, weather permitting. They’re famous for serving us potatoes cooked five different ways, in the one meal. Not to mention their own Prosecco, grappa etc. Low food and wine kilometres here.

A couple of options today, it’s just 40k to todays stage start, in Feltre, and 40k back. Or once at Feltre, and the show is on the road, we can continue up the northern side of Montegrappa, and make it a monster loop of 125k, to return home, with 2500m of climbing. It’s our final day of riding, so let’s make the most of it.

This is our last move, into the centre of Verona. Our hotel is located close to the Arena, where todays Individual Time Trial will finish. We’ll get on the road and into our accommodation early, to make sure we get the most out of our day in Verona, watching the end of Italy’s grand tour.

After breakfast, packing up bikes and luggage, we’ll be on the road. Unless other plans are made, our final farewells will be at Venice airport.

If we do everything planned, there'll have been: 7 Days of race viewing, incorporating 2 stage starts, 1 stage finish, 2 GPMs and 3 roadside views. We'll also have ridden about 7-800k, climbed many mountains, including Gavia, Mortirolo, Anterselva, San Boldo and even Montegrappa.

 

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.