• Florence and its History
• Pisa Tower
• Natural landascape
• Vineyards
• 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.

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° Tuscany Bike Tour – Florence, Siena and Pisa – 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

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

Biking along the ancient crossroad between Cumae, Nola and Stabiae destroyed by Vesuvio eruption in the AD79

Tour’s Highlights:

• Ride through the way that connect Vesuvio To Pompei so you will see two landscapes:
• The view of Vesuvio from Pompei
• The view of Pompei ruins from the height of Vesuvio

What to See:

• A wild atmosphere that combine the historic ruins of Pompei with the majestic Vesuvio.
• You will go through the ancient ruins buried.
• This is on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Skill Level: Middle-high difficult. The Vesuvio rise will be the more difficult path

[Pompeii - Credit: Stuck in Customs]

What to See:

• The Ruins: The city is mainly famous for the ruins of the ancient city of Pompeii, located in the frazione of Pompei Scavi.
• Theater in Pompei

Where are the best cycle tracks in Italy?
Florence, Tuscany. But there are other place with natural cycle tracks in the path of the coutryside of Tuscany, Sicily coast, Apulia inland

What places are worth a visit in Italy?

• Sicily bike tours
• Tuscany bike tours
• Apulia bike tours
• Sardinia bike tours

What’s the weather like in Italy?
The Italian weather is stable. You don’t need particular dress or other similar. You have to consider that during the winter the temperature is more hot on respect the other European country. It rains during November to March.

Consider also that each region has its typical climate. It’s not easy to find out a general pattern about Italy. The best way is to check the weather forecast fro the specifi region You want to travel in.

Take as example Mount Etna in Sicily. The Etna temperature: during a visit in the summer months it is easy to climb the Etna and find low temperatures cause the fast changement of the atmosphere conditions.

What is the Best period for biking in Italy?
Spring is the best period to avoid the hot summer temperature of south Italy, and the cold rained winter of the north

Who can do a bike tour of Italy?
Every people that is fit or healthy can bicycle in Italy. Consider your physical level before choosing a tour.

How to rent a bike in Italy?
Every place where is possible to bike has the proper bike rental service

How to carry a bike on train?
Most regional trains in Italy now take bikes. There will be a bike symbol on the list of leaving trains at the station and on the TrenItalia website (www.trenitalia.com). You’ll need to pick a destination and see which trains accept bikes.

As well as your train ticket, you will need to buy a ticket for the bikeof 3.50 Euro on regional trains. The ticket has two parts; one to attach in the handlebars of your bike using the adhesive strip and the other to keep with your train ticket. The ticket is 24 hours valid.

Suggestions: Remember in small-town stations the train stops only for few minutes, so you’ll want to be ready with your bike to get off.

Other solutions: An alternative is to put your bike in one of those vinyl bike carrier bags.

How much cost to book an accommodation?
Accommodations in Italy apply two rates:

• High season (July, August) where prices increase.
• Low season (the rest of the year) where prices are much lower

When is it possible to shop?
Usually in Italy all stores open for all the week from 9:00 to 13:00 and from 16:00 to 21:00 o’clock with a break during the afternoon. In the afternoon it is probable to find some bar or restaurants open.

• Some shops close during the last two weeks of August.
• Archaeological sites open from 9-13 AM and 4-8 PM from Monday to Friday.
• Museums open from 9-13
• Churches open in the morning from 8 till 12, and some open after 4 PM.
• Most shops close Monday morning and on Sunday. In particular period such as Christmas they open Sunday too.

Separated by the Santerno River’s valley, the region was once home to the Etruscans who settled here amidst struggles between the Guelphs, the Ghibellines and the Medici family. Nowadays, it is a popular holiday destination for its breathtaking scenery, home-grown wine and varied outdoor pursuits.

A popular beginner’s level cycle route takes you from the quaint Borgo S. Lorenzo towards the gliding roads of the Appennine ridge. The tour then winds uphill towards Galliano, where you can pause and take in the beauty and rural charm of this traditional Tuscan village.

Next is a trip around the walls of Scarperia and Palazzo dei Vicari, and whilst here, what better way to rest your weary feet and take in the beautiful scenery than get involved in a spot of golf? Scarperia is home to the award-winning Poggio Dei Medici Golf Resort, boasting a stunning course and traditionally Tuscan hotel accommodation if you decide to extend your stay.

The 4* resort is famous for hosting the Italian Open on the Ladies European Tour and achieving the acclaimed ‘Best Golf Club’ award from the world renowned Condé Nast Traveller publication. Bordering the stunning estate sit lines of classically Tuscan poplar trees, whilst the gently undulating course offers a panoramic view over the valley toward the town of Scarperia.

Whilst the course itself features a somewhat challenging par-72 layout, it caters for all handicaps, providing tees to cater for golfers of all abilities. Even if golf is not your thing, guests can enjoy the spectacular views through the valley towards the foothills of the Appenines or simply relax in the luxurious rooms which successfully fuse traditional rustic character with contemporary convenience.

After a round of golf – refreshed and raring to go – the route can be completed by cycling downhill through the lush countryside, making a wide circle which ends back in Borgo S. Lorenzo. One of the advantages of this particular tour is it’s designed first and foremost to let participants enjoy the breathtaking landscape of Chianti, which can vary in difficulty depending on the individual experience of the cyclist.

Picture references:

1- Golf course – http://www.yourgolftravel.com/poggio-dei-medici-golf-resort.html
2- Cyclists – http://www.discovertuscany.biz/tuscany_tours/tuscany_bike_tours/mugello_biking_tour.asp

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