1909- The Beginning

Cycling was an important italian sport in the beginning of the new century: Lombardy tour, Milano-Torino, Milano-Sanremo, Piedmont tour.

“La Gazzetta dello Sport” (a popular Italian sport magazine) wanted to organize the first Tour of Italy, and in the 1909 the new adventure was already to start. The first promoter was Armando Cougnet.

The first Italy Tour (”Giro d’Italia”) started on May 13 of the 1909, at 2.53 Am from Rondò of Loreto, to Milan. There were 8 stages, 2448 Km, 127 cyclists.

Jackpot consisted of 25 mila lire (about 20 dollars), and Luigi Ganna, the first winner, gained 5.325 lire. Carlo Galletti won the tours of 1910 and 1911.

During the World War I, the cycling tour stopped for 5 years. Many cyclists, as Petit Breton and Carlo Oriani (winner of 1913 tour), died during the war.

[Fausto Coppi - credit: radon7]

Between the I and II World War

Alfredo Binda was a great cyclist during fascism, he won 5 Italy Tours and still detains the stages win record (41). His undisputed predominance brought about the organizer to give him 22.500 lire, the jackpot, to remain at home.

In the same epoch the Italy Cycling Tour become a cinematography event by filming the cyclists at their arrival.

During this year’s the Tour of Italy increased the stages number, including stages in the south of Italy too.
In 1931 the “pink shirt” (In Italian Maglia Rosa) became the symbol of winner stage, and Learco Guerra was the first to wear it.

In 1935 Gino Bartali shows up on “Gran Premio della Montagna”, drawing the attention. Fausto Coppi, won “Giro d’Italia” in 1940.

During the World War II the tour stopped, and in 1946 Bartali won the tour followed by 4 win of Fausto Coppi.

1953: This is the year of the first live broadcast.

[Marco Pantani, Il Pirata - credit: aquilano76]

The Tour Today

Bondone stage in 1956 is remembered as the “hell stage”, because a snowstorm stunned the competition.
Learco Guerra made ready hot water for Charly Gaul. This was the winning solution, in fact Gaul arrived at Bondone top alone, detaching the rival with 4 minutes.

Merckx, the «Cannibal» was the great champion between 1968 and 1974: he won 5 Italy Tours. In 1973 he remained at the top of every stage of the tour.

In 1998 Pantani won the Italy Tour. His name is remembered for the exclusion from the competition because of an anomaly noticed in his blood test. He remain one of the most important Italian cyclist of the tour of Italy.

The last year’s Italy Tour drew the attention for doping scandal, in fact many people and cyclists was arrested for sport lawlessness discovered.

Ways of Access:

• Trieste - It’s connected with east Europe, and the difficult route will depend by the country start point (Romania, Ungheria, Croazia)
• Alps - If you decide to pass through Alps mounts consider the high difficult of the slopes
• Ligury - Ligury routes are more easy with a relaxing sea-landscape

Tours Idea:

• City to City: Geneve-torino, Wien-Trieste.
  When you will arrive in italy cities start to tour the most important places.
• City to natural lakes: Lion-lago maggiore
  Zurich-Lago di Garda through Alpi Mounts
• Through beaches: Monaco-Sanremo through beaches of tirrenian sea where many cycle tracks are available

Benefits: You will save up your money (link chaeper italy biking) because you don’t have to pay any transport such as train or airplain or car.

Suggestions:

• This type of long route is suitable for well trained cyclists
• Choose the right season such as spring
• You can pass from Italy to other country, for example for way back you can start from Italy places and arrive in you country: North Italy to German, France, Switzerland, Austria

Attractions

• Florence and its History (LINK Historic tuscany cities bike tour)
• Pisa Tower (LINK Historic cities bike tour)
• Natural landascape (LINK Inland Tuscany bike tour)
• Vineyards (LINK Inland Tuscany bike tour)
• Surrounding walls
• Castles
• Fortresses
• Palio di Siena
• Etruscan tombs and a museums

Weather

In may the weather changes everyday. It is normally clear and sunny but not hot or humid. It is local, especially in the hills. You could have a good biking with a few scattered showers. The ideal periods are Spring and Autumn but even the winter offers a suggestive atmosphere.

[View of a Trail - credit: rogilde]

Road Conditions

There are asphalt, dirt roads and trails. The territory has a capillary network of secondary roads that are in effect natural bike paths, far from motorized traffic.

Tuscany topography allow to ride its route also who isn’t not well trained, in fact you will cross rolling hills, but no steep climbs. This means that also a family with his children can ride through tuscany routes.

Suggested Bike Tours

[The Chianti Vineyards - credit: rogilde]

1° Chianti bike tour (LINK Inlan Tuscany bike tour) - Itinerary through the Chianti region, the wine country of Tuscany.
This bike tour starts from Florence and rides along the Mugello Valley, through ancient roads built by the Romans.

Its landscape has been the source of inspiration for painters and artists.

Famous Tuscans that born here: Giotto, Beato Angelico and Andrea del Castagno are all from this area. The Medici family had their roots in this land.

2° Florence tour ( LINK Historic tuscany cities bike tour)

3° Val d’Orcia and Crete Senesi. Bike ride through the typical Tuscany countryside south of Siena.

[Val D'orcia - credit: Oishi Kuranosuke]

Travel Services

In Tuscany there are hotels and country houses (agritourismo) with different services.
In towns and villages there are bed and breakfast establisments and rooms for rent that guarantee essential and cheaper services.

Review: An seacoast bike tour along the sea landscape of the bay of Naples

Attractions:?

1. Capri
2. Ischia
3. Amalfi Coast

N° of Days: One week

Highlights: It’s a particular tour. You’ll combine different experiences like biking through romantic and relaxing landscapes. Don’t be scared about your legs fit…this place is so exiting that You won’t feel tired. Many young couples choose this tour to pass new vacations for their honeymoon.

What to Do: You can combine a sport trip with a walk though main natural attractions. You can also relax
in pubs, restaurants and other nightlife attractions

[Capri - credit: J.Salmoral]

1° Capri, in the southern part of the Bay of Naples

Natural Attractions

• Grotta Azzurra (Blue Grotto), a cavern where sunlights reflect through the underwater opening.
• I Faraglioni, three jutting limestone formations that rise from the sea off the Punta Tragara.
• Mount Solaro, the highest point on Capri. Beautiful views of the island and of all the surrounding areas.

Historic Attractions

• Villa Jovis remains, the most magnificent of twelve villas built by Tiberius Emperor
• Piazza della Vittoria

Relax: Capri is high level peaceful side, the best for a relaxing vacation

[Amalfi - credit: jordics]

2° Tour of the Amalfi Coast Attractions

You will bike through one of the most famous italian coasts and will visit:

• Amalfi
• Positano
• Ravello
• Sorrento, where you can take the ferryboat to go in the island of Capri
• Eremo’(hermitage) to enjoy the wonderful view over the Gulf of Naples
• Luna Convento (Franciscan Convent)
• Church of Santa Maria Maggiore
• Sanctuary of Our Lady of Sorrow (Sancturio Maria Santissima Addolorata)

Road Conditions: The terrain is hilly

Suggested Bike: Mountain bike

Skill Level: Many bikers protrude some difficults that can make this adventure more exciting:

• I would NOT suggest cycling along this road, it’s NARROW and busy!
• If you are a fit and experienced cyclist, you probably would not find the Amalfi Coast road too daunting. Between Positano and Amalfi it is reasonably level, climbing to perhaps 100-150 meters above sea level in places, then descending to sea level again - but not too steep.
• Off the beaten track will probably mean inland, away from the coast road, and this will be more difficult on a bike.
• Cycling would be hard, although I have seen cyclists there with all the lycra racing gear on. It would also take up several time and energy and you’d be too knackered out to enjoy it all once you get there.

Safety: To be realist this is a high car traffic place. Here is a cyclist experience:

• The erratic traffic is a serious safety risk for a cyclist
• Smog/smoke from buses and trucks would reduce my enjoyment
• It is steep. But safety is my number one issue.
• Be careful: the roads are narrow and when two tour bus are trying to pass each other there is no room for error.

[Ischia Bay - credit: Caleb Los]

3° Ischia

Ischia is a volcanic island at the northern end of the Gulf of Naples.

Attractions:

• Aragonese Castle, on a rock near the island.
• La Mortella Gardens

Skill Level: Easy, your tour will enjoy of a relaxing atmosphere

Bike Roads: Easy to bike

Beaches

Alghero beaches, west Sardinia

[Alghero Beach - credit: Ramón?Gris

Mugoni beaches, 18 kilometres north-west of Alghero

Characteristics:

• Paved and unpaved road
• Pine-wood
• Eucalyptus trees
• Fine white sand

Porto Palmas Beach, 40 kilometres north-west of Alghero

Characteristics:

• This beach is sloping towards the sea, it consists of pebbles and sand
• Crystal-clear water
• Crescent-shaped beach 30 metres long

Maria Pia Beach, 2 km north-west of Alghero

Characteristics:

• Sandy beach
• Pine-wood
• Dunes

[Smeralda Coast - credit: marconav]

Beaches of the Smeralda Coast

Is the north-eastern sardinian coast

Attraction

Cala di Volpe, la Celvia, Liscia Ruja

Natural landscape:

• Green Capriccioli headland
• White sandy beach
• Strawberry trees

Pevero Beach

Natural landscape:

• Dunes
• Junipers

Romazzino Beach

Natural lanscape:

• Crystal-clear water
• Blue water

Poltu li Cogghi - Principe Beaches

Natural landscape:

• Sandy beach
• Rocks around here
• Crystal-clear water

[Nuraghi - credit: do.se]

Historical Attractions

Less than half an hour from the sea you will find:

• The home and the tomb of the National Hero Giuseppe Garibaldi is today an important Museum. It is located in Caprera island, connected to La Maddalena by a long bridge.
• The building were last Garibaldi’s home from 1854 to 1882.
• The Church of San Simplicio in Olbia is a medieval building (XI-XIII century).
• Tomb of the Giants of Coddu ‘ecchiu, a funerary monument dating from the Ancient Bronze Age (1800 B.C.)
• The Necropolis of Li Muri (3500 Before Christ)
• Albucciu Nuraghe, dating from 1220 B.C.
• Nuragic Temple of Malchittu

Accomodation Suggestions: Take accommodation in Olbia and take trip out

Road Conditions: Unpaved and paved roads alternate along the route

Nightlife: Sardinia will entertain you with its Restaurant, Discos, Pubs and music clubs

N° Days: 4 days

Accomodation Suggestions

You can Book your accommodation in:

• Palermo
• Milazzo
• Maniace

Stages : You can choose to bike in 3 different places:

1. Sea places
2. Mountain places
3. North Etna Villages

1° Sea Places to Visit

• Gioiosa Marea
• Capo d’Orlando
• Messina
• Milazzo
  

[Gioiosa Marea - credit: * mario *]

Here the landscape is unique, You will enjoy the sea in front of the green hills of Messina and the farmhouses to taste local food.

[Lake in the Nebrodi Mounts - credit: eriol ]

2° Mountain Places to Visit

The Route is between the slopes of Nebrodi and Etna Mount.

• Nebrodi Regional Park
• Etna Regional Park
• Madonie Regional Park

[Medieval Church in Randazzo - credit: .countz]

3° North Etna Villages

• Bronte
• Randazzo
• Maniace

What’s the Best Period?

To ride this zone is better to choose springtime. During this period It’s common to swim in the tyrrhenian sea in summer. Winter offers you a good-time trip, but the most tourist services are available in summer or spring, because this is a summer resort.

Fit Level

• High-level. The Slopes of Mount Etna are good for well-trained cyclists
• Etna villages are about 700-800 metres on sea level
• Nebrodi park and Madonie are at great height too

Road Conditions: Asphalted roads

Suggested Tours

• Start visiting Madonie Regional Park
• On the second day visit Nebrodi Regional Park
• You can end doing Etna villages tour to cycle through the ancient etna villages of Bronte

Here you can taste the typical sicilian cuisine such as pistacchio and visit the Horatio Nelson’s Castle.

Ostuni is placed on the remains of a prehistoric town destroyed during the final throes of the Second Punic War.

Attractions

• Museo di Civilt? Preclassiche della Murgia
• Fifteenth-century Cathedral, Gothic style of Venetian and Lombardian influence, with a large and decorated central rose window that represents the Cristo Sole (Christ the Sun)

The Umbra Forest

[View of a trail in the Umbra Forest - Thanks to Argentalico]

• Beatiful landscape of Gargano: sea, hills at 1000 meters height with splendid trees:
• Zeppino dello Scorzone, d’Aleppo pine tree 700 years old
• Cerro di Vico, 400 years old with a circumference more than 5 meters
• Colosso della Foresta, a beech tree of 40 meters near Cutino d’Umbra lake.

[Cyclist in Puglia - Thanks to Roberto Ferrari]

Description of the Bike Tour

1. Start from Caserma di Caritate 272 m
2. Cycle through the forest path
3. Hard hairpin turn
4. Rise until Sfilzifountain
5. Rise until you’ll arrive in Caserma Ginestra Superiore, at 687 m sea level: here you can enjoy a beautiful landscape

N° of Days: 1 week

Main Attractions:

• Napoli
• Capri, Ischia, Amalfi (LINK sea-coast campania bike tour)
• Pompei, Vesuvio (LINK vesuvio-pompei bike tour)

Neaples Historic Center

[View of Naples - credit: Perrimoon]

Here the Napoli historic monuments such as the many castles used as defensive fortification.

• Castel Nuovo or Maschio Angioino
• Aselmeyer castle
• Capuano castle
• Sant’enselmo castle
• Dell’Ovo castle
• Caserma Garibaldi
• Nisida castle

[Galleria Umberto in Naples - credit: Global Jet]

Other Attractions

• Plebiscito square
• Royal palace
• Teatro San Carlo, the largest opera house in Italy
• Galleria Umberto, A beautiful late 19th century shopping arcade
• Spanish Quarters

The neighborhood known as Spaccanapoli (literally, “split Naples”) takes its name from the narrow street which, under several names, divides the city running east to west.

Many of the streets of this district have Greek/Roman origins. Naples has the best-preserved original street plan of any major city in the Roman world.

• Santa Chiara, a large Gothic church
• Piazza San Domenico Maggiore
• Museo Archeologico Nazionale
• S. Francesco di Paola church
• Neaple Fountains: Sebeto, Nettuno, Tazza di Porfido

Naples is the largest city in southern Italy and the most densely populated city in Italy.

Naples remained an important city under the Romans, when the area around its bay was important for its ports and naval bases.

Transport

• Traffic is terrible, public transport is slow and not always reliable
• Parking is a major problem. So your bike will be a necessary and useful way of transport

Roads Conditions

Roads are crowded and noisy. BE CAREFUL: Napoli is a crowed and dangerous city because intense car traffic. Possibility to rent bike: There are many cycle shops for rent

Suggested Bikes

• City bike
• Mountain bike

[Cycling in Campania - credit: Feuillu]

Suggested Bicycle Tours

• Neaple city center
• Positano
• Beaches of Campania
• Amalfi coast (LINK sea-coast campania bike tour)
• Capri, Ischia, (LINK sea-coast campania bike tour)
• Pompei, Vesuvio (LINK vesuvio-pompei bike tour)

Know Before You Go

This is the region where was invented “pizza margherita” for queen Margherita in the 1830.
Here was composed the famous song “O Sole Mio”, sung by Elvis Presley too

Suggested N° of Days: 1 Week

Attractions to Visit

[Trulli di Alberobello - credit: boadiceafairy]

Alberobello’s Trulli - This village’s habitations are Trulli, particular houses built of stone without any use of mortar. They are circular, conical-roofed whitewashed.

Their roofs, topped with peaks, have concentric rows of gray slate and looks they are painted with astrological or religious symbols.

Their characteristic is that in the surrounding inside temperature remains almost constant irrelevant of outside temperature, therefore it is fairly warm in the winter and cool in the summer. It is on the Unesco World Heritage list.

[Beach near Gargano - credit: *Blunight72]

Beaches - The coastline round is rocky between Santa Maria di Leuca and Otranto. There are beaches around San Cataldo, San Foca, Casalabate and Torre Chianca on the Adriatic coast. Porto Cesareo on the Ionian coast is a beautiful beach to relax or make a tour bike around. The coast from around Gallipoli to Santa maria al bagno is good too. (link apulia coast tour)Headland of Gargano, bike through beautiful path with hard hairpin turn. (LINK ostuni, umbra forest)

[Ostuni view - credit: fataetoile /Cinzia]

Ostuni - Cycle along the scenic ridge road to Ostuni. Known as “The White City”, Ostuni is on the remains of a prehistoric town destroyed during the final throes of the Second Punic War. Its labyrinthine alleyways and cobblestone streets are ideal for exploring by foot or by bike. Visit to the Spanish-influenced, fifteenth-century Cathedral
(LINK Ostuni, umbra forest)

More to see:

• Umbra Forest (LINK ostuni, umbra forest)
• Tremiti islands (LINK Apulia coast tour)
• Olive Groves
• Byzantine stronghold Otranto

Apulia Cuisine

[Orecchiette - credit: Geomangio]

• Go north from Bari towards the Gargano Peninsula, you will pass dozens of miles of olive groves.
• Cereals and grains gown on the flat stony plateau that extends south from Bari, reaching all the way to Taranto.
• Puglia boasts a great culinary tradition, well known for orecchiette, pasta that bear in mind the shape of the human ear
• Altamura, renowned for its bread and friselle, disks of dried bread dipped in water and seasoned, with olive oil, hot peppers, and freshly tomatoes.
• Fine cheeses and excellent lamb and kid
• Apulia produces much more wine than any other Italian region

[Apulia Countryside - credit: paolo m? rgari]

Land Characteristic

The bicycle is the ideal way to see Puglia’s rural countryside. The region’s small roads and natural cycling tracks allow visitors to reach most of the monuments and significant cultural sites with complete freedom and independence.
Possibility of renting bike

Suggested bike tours

• Bike on small roads through orchards to the sea
• Alberobello tour, an UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Cycle through olive groves to the Roman ruins of Egnazia
• Cycle along the coast’s ancient stone villages, prehistoric menhirs and Byzantine crypts

Wether

The sunny days of the mediterranean climate allow you to bike Apulia all the year round. If you want to avoid the hot summer temperature, i suggest Spring as the best time to visit Apulia.

What people say

- “We just returned from their road biking tour of the Puglia region and it was great”

- “As for food? It’s amazing what is on offer. Puglia is mainly rural and that means loads of fresh produce.”

- “My wife and I, with our two boys aged 4 and 7 just completed the Butterfield & Robinson Homebase trip in Puglia in June 2007. This was without a doubt the best family vacation, and perhaps the best vacation my wife and I have enjoyed (short of our honeymoon!).”

Attractions

Doing a Sicily tour bike means to live particular natural and cultural experiences. Your natural tour bike will include:

• Beaches
• The Volcano Etna
• Mounts such as Nebrodi, Madonie
• Natural parks

Your cultural tour will show you:

• Phoenician villages
• Punic Cities
• Roman and Greek Amphi theaters
• Greek Temples
• Norman Castles
• Spanish Churches.
• Historic cities

[Syracuse's Greek Theater - credit: James UK]

The best time to bike

Sicily has a great secret: it is a sunny place all the year round. You can visit all the attractions in summer and winter too.

But some suggestions can be is useful:

• Summer is hot, and a tour bike in August can be hard, especially coast city for the high temperature.
• Spring is the best season to cycle all the sicilian landscape, in fact the mild climate allow you to cycle mounts, valley, coasts and cities.
• Winter is a good season too, but no for riding high-top of mounts, like volcano Etna: here in Winter the climate is cold, and a tour bike will be hard.

[St. Agatha's Feast, Catania - credit: euart]

Doing a Sicily bike tour allows you to live the real Sicilian way of life, with its folkloristic Festivity and cultural shows:

• Catania: on the 5 February St. Agatha’s Feast, a two-days of procession, the second famous religious procession in the world
• The Almond-Blossom Festival in Agrigento
• The Pistacchio festival at Bronte
• The Chestnut Tree festival at Trecastagni
• Euro Chocolate at Modica
• Palermo: S. Rosalia Festivity on the 15 July
• Taormina’s Greek Theater holds theater, opera, movie, and music performances
• Siracusa: in Greek theater you can see INDA shows (National Institute for Ancient Drama).
• Ottobrata: in Zafferana you will taste tipical sicilian food with singer and comics shows

[Sicilian Cannoli - credit: fazen]

Gastronomic experiences

• Sicily is famous for its pastries: Cassata, Cannoli.
• Wine is another well know product of Sicily with its variations like “Marsala”, “Passito di Pantelleria”, the “Nero D’Avola” and the most important “Etna Red.”
• Sangeli: pig gut cooked in blood is a specialty of catania cuisine
• U pani ‘ca meusa: bread roll with calf spleen and lung
• Granita and Gelato (ice-cream)
• Pasta alla norma (LINK Mediterranean diet.com)

Suggested Bike Itineraries

1° A wonderful place: Etna - The Etna is a great Volcano. Winter is a good time to visit Etna, when the crater is full of snow. But the summer is a good time too, the only difference is an easier tour bike because the absence of snow and higher temperature. Consider to be provident while choosing your equipment when climb on the summit.

[Mount Etna Eruption 2007 - credit: CyboRoZ]

Bike tour on the Etna volcano

1. Reaching the summit, through woods and hidden trails.
2. Philosopher Tower, a high refuge seat in a rudimentary construction that legend ascribes to Empedocle, a philosopher from Agrigento lived about V century a. C.
3. Bicycle tour of the Mt. Etna villages tour bike: you will cross the characteristic mountin villages by your bike:
4. Nicolosi, Linguaglossa, Zafferana, Belpasso, Adrano, Bronte, so you can see and live Sicily history. (LINK north sicily bike tour)

2° Greek atmospheres

• It is sure you will enjoy seeing Agrigento and its magic Temples Valley
• Syracuse and its Apollo temple, Greek theater
• Greek show of Segesta, with its Doric Temple made around V a. C. and the Greek theater.(LINK west sicily bike tour)

3° Cities: visit the most important cities of the island Catania and Palermo