In Pursuit of Giro d'Italia

In Pursuit of Giro d'Italia will take place in the picturesque surroundings of the Garda Lake, in romantic Valpolicella and in mountainous Trentino by the Dolomites.

Especially the area around the Garda Lake is suitable for this type of arrangement this early in the season due to its mild climate. (In fact, the area is the northernmost place in Europe where you can grow lemons under the open sky!)

The stages will bring you past distant mountain lakes, spooky medieval castles, waterfalls and ancient villages surrounded by thick stone walls! Also, we will take you through the heart of Valpolicella, one of the world's most successful wine areas, where we will stop in a family-owned cantina (wine-cellar) for some refreshing samples of Amarone a.o. All your romantic conceptions of Northern Italy will by satisfied, we promise! Moreover, we'll take you to a couple of challenging ascents with astonishing views, which have all been on the program of Giro d'Italia. Also, we will visit Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet and one of Italy's most enchanting old cities known for its 2000 year old Arena, the second largest Colosseum in Italy.

Again this year, the former world champion Maurizio Fondriest, who this year is celebrating his 20 year jubilee, will join us on the last stage to South Tirol and Passo delle Mendola. As usual, he will be glad to share his vast experience about technical issues and place his workshop at our disposal.

The program has been created to satisfy both riders in good shape (1st team) and riders who haven't quite reached the conditioning peak yet (2nd team). Both teams will be led by experienced guides with knowledge of the location. Check out the altitude curves here.

Price for week 12: ----------->$ 1.095.- (see prices)

Program: In Pursuit of Giro d'Italia (week 12):

• Saturday: Arrival to the Garda Lake
• Sunday: Garda - Custoza - Borghetto - Solferino - Peschiera - Garda. (Team 1+2: 104 km, 350 hm).
• Monday: Garda - Verona - Torricelle - Montecchio - Molina - Valpolicella - Garda. (Team 1+2: 105 km, 900 hm).
• Tuesday: The Three Lakes: Ferry to Maderno - Capovalle (914 m) - Lago d'Idro - Passo Ampola (705 m) - Lago di Ledro - Riva del Garda - Torbole . (Team 1: 115 km/1600 hm. Team 2: 111 km/900 hm).
• Wednesday: Torbole - Trento - Monte Bondone* (1.650 m) /Vezzano - Castel Toblino - Val di Marocche - Torbole (Team 1: 120/1.800 hm. Team 2: 110 km/800 hm).
• Thursday: Torbole - Lago di Tenno - Passo Ballino (763 m) - Cascate Nardis - Madonna di Campiglio (Passo Campo Carlo Magno* 1.681 m) - Cles. (Team 1: 125 km/2.300 hm. Team 2: 115 km/1500 hm).
• Friday: Ronzone - Val di Non - Mezzo Lombardo - Lago Caldaro - Passo delle Mendola (1.363 m) - Ronzone. (Team 1+2: 120 km, 1.400 hm)
• Saturday: Free day. Excursion to Venice or Verona.
• Sunday: Transport to the airport.

*Wednesday: Monte Bondone only in case of nice weather. **Thursday: Alternative rute: Lago Molveno and Sella di Andalo (1.042 m) (120 km, 1800 hm).

The cycling week will be 8 nights (9 nights on request). The hotels will be three stars with ½-pension (excl. drinks). The hotel in Ronzone, where we will stay the last two nights, has wellness center and massage on demand.

Double-rooms with separable beds will be the standard for all participants unless you want a single-room which can be ordered at a surcharge (see prices).

The Italian kitchen:
Do we have to say more? For breakfast we will ensure a buffet with fresh bread, cakes, yogurt, cereals, eggs, tea, coffee and orange juice a.o. For dinner we'll have a three meal course with classical Italian dishes and specialities from Trentino plus a salatbar with fresh vegetables. We'll eat lunch and drink cappuccino during the daily stages in small local places.

The stages:
Bike Italien has outlined a list of rules for safe driving which will be presented during the welcome-meeting.

On every stage, we will enjoy the luxury of having a follow-vehicle where extra clothing can be placed. The vehicle will contain the most essential tools and spare parts and have the possibility of buying drinks, sweets and energy bars. A doctor will be available during the week if needed.   

Briefing
Every evening will include a short meeting with information about the following stage, weather reports and time of departure which can vary from day to day. Each participant will chose which team he/she wishes to follow the next day.

As a normal condition we inform you that the roads, we will be using, will be open for traffic and that all participant are subject to the Italien traffic regulation in force.

If you have further questions, you are more than welcome to contact Joachim Jerichow on e-mail address:

joachim.jerichow@bikeitalien.com

Mobile phone: 0039-3496576683
Home phone: 0039-0457580515

Skype-name: Joachim Jerichow