Italy
Ride & Watch the Giro in Italy's classic climbs
5 nights split between Como & the Italian Alps taking in two stages of the Giro and riding some of Italy's most legendary climbs including the Ghisallo, Sormano, Stelvio & Gavia.
In 2019 the Giro returns to two of Italy's classic cycling destinations - Lake Como & the Italian Alps. On this 5 night trip, we ride the main climbs of stage 15, featuring the legendary climbs of the Race of the Falling Leaves including the Ghisallo, Sormano and Civiglio before watching the pros the following day. We then transfer to Bormio and while the pros enjoy a rest day, we do the opposite and ride both sides of the Stelvio. The following day, we take on the mighty Mortirolo before watching the stage finish in Ponte di Legno and then riding the Gavia home. An action packaged 5 days perfect for anyone who loves all things Giro.
Real Rider Reviews
Lake Como is one of the centres of Italian cycling. Classic climbs include the Ghisallo and Sormano. We take a trip to the famous cycling church and museum as well as riding the best routes in the area.
The Italian Alps are home to some of the world's great climbs. We ride the second half of the Giro route taking in the mighty Mortirolo and the classic Gavia, made famous by the 1988 race.
We have a mix of experiences to watch the Giro. On Sunday we drive to the start and then watch the race on the course. On Tuesday we watch at the finish line having ridden half the route in the morning.
While the pros enjoy a rest day, we take the opposite approach and ride both sides of the Stelvio. Starting from Bormio we summit then descend into Switzerland and climb the classic side from Prato.
Host
John is our Giro legend having worked in a pro team on the Giro many moons ago and written numerous best selling cycling books. He is a source of great knowledge on the Giro and was on the Gavia with his team back in 1999. He is the overall tour leader who will look after anything you need.
Local Guide
Born and bred 5km from the Stelvio, Christian is not surprisingly a very strong climber. His record time up the Stelvio is 1hr7mins. His main sport is Biathlon for which he used to represent Italy. He also runs a bike shop in his rare time off!
On Saturday we ride around Lake Como before taking a ferry to Bellagio where the climbing begins. We ride the Ghisallo / Sormano double taking a break at the top of the Ghisallo to visit the church. The total ride is 95km with 2,000m of elevation. We watch the Sunday stage on the Civiglio close to our hotel.
Monday is all about the Stelvio. The ride is 100km with 3,400m of elevation. There is no let up on Tuesday, we roll down from Bormio to the Mortirolo where you can take one of two options up including the classic side from Mazzo. We then watch the Giro finish in Ponte di Legno before a final climb for the weekend over the mighty Gavia.
A stunning climb out of Bellagio taking you from the shores of Lake Como to the famous Cycling Church at Ghisallo. The climb has some steep sections (14%), tight hairpins and incredible views. One of the world's great climbs.
19 mins 41 secs
Short but impossibly steep, the Muro di Sormano starts steep and only gets harder. Famous for featuring in the Giro di Lombardia and being possibly the hardest climb in the pro tour. It peaks at 25% and is an absolute grind to the get to the summit no matter what gear you are in.
8 mins 27 secs
The "easier" side of the Stelvio possibly. The climb is split into at least four sections with the start featuring old tunnels and a couple of steep sections until you hit the switchbacks. From here there is a saddle to the final kick up to the summit.
1hr 04 mins
The harder side up the Stelvio. This is the side you see on all the pictures, with a near endless run of steep, sharp hairpins - 48 in total. The gradients rarely ease up making this a long, tough and classic climb.
1hr 21 mins
Another classic climb coming out of Bormio climbing to way over 2,000m. The start of the Gavia is gentle as you snake through the valley and then it picks up with some steeper gradients into the remote high mountains. Stunning views throughout makes this a very enjoyable ascent.
1hr 10 mins
A brutal climb in the Italian Alps which Lance Armstrong said was the hardest in cycling. The gradients hit 10% and rarely ease up for 10km, even the corners of the hairpins are steep. The ride is much lower than the Stelvio / Gavia so the views are less impressive, you wont get to enjoy it anyway as you will be using all your energy to grind up this monster.
20 mins 50 secs
Our 5 night package includes 2 nights with 2 rides and a stage of the Giro in Como, a transfer on Sunday evening to Bormio and then 3 nights in the Italian Alps with 2 big rides and a stage of the Giro.
We will arrive in Como for a late lunch and there is an option of a short coffee spin in the afternoon. Our mechanics are on hand to help get your bikes in perfect condition. We have dinner at 7.30pm where our host will brief you on the plan for the upcoming days.
We roll out at 10am after breakfast for a beautiful ride around the lake. The first section is as flat as it gets in this area and we ride to Menaggio where we catch a short ferry across to beautiful Bellagio. From here the climbing begins as we hit the Ghisallo. At the top of this legendary climb we visit the cycling church and grab a coffee before the next and possibly hardest climb of the weekend, the Muro di Sormano. This savage slope hits 28% and stays above 20% for far too long! From here we have a technical descent down to the lake and a rolling spin back to our hotel.
We drive to the start of the stage in Ivrea and then head back to Como. We jump on our bikes for a short spin before hitting the Civiglio where Sportive Breaks will have a gazebo with sandwiches and beers to watch the race. This should be a decisive climb on the stage and we will get a great vantage point on the steep slopes.
After the race has finished, we load our bikes and luggage into the van and head off to Bormio.
The queen stage. We start at 9.30am and start immediately the climb to the Stelvio from Bormio. From the summit we descend down the Umbrail Pass before a quick lunch stop in Prato. From there, it is just 48 hairpins to the other side of the Stelvio and then a fun descend home.
We descend down the valley to Grosio where you have the choice of which side to climb the mighty Mortirolo. The first side from Grosio is 14km at 8% or continue to Mazzo for the famous side, 12km at 11%. We meet at the top and then descend and ride to Ponte di Legno where we will watch the finish of the stage with the locals. Our van will be here with your kit so you can change out of your cycling gear for a while. After the stage finish, we get back into cycling kit and climb the Gavia, a mere hours after the pros.
We leave Bormio at 11am to get back to Linate for 2pm. There is time to get some last minute souvenirs from Bormio before heading back.
Airport collections are from Milan Linate. Our host will meet you in arrivals. The transfer to Como takes just over an hour and the transfer back from Bormio takes 3 hours.
Fly into Milan Linate (LIN) where our host will meet you for the transfer to Como.
We leave Bormio at 11am and get to Linate with plenty of time for you to check in with your bike, grab a last minute gift and have a stress free return flight.
Our 5 night package leaves on Friday 24th May and returns on Wednesday 29th May. Choose a single package for 1 person or a twin / double for 2 people. All bookings include airport transfers, 5 nights half board accommodation and daily guided rides with support vehicle & ride nutrition.
| Date | Hotel Name | Room Type | Price | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 - 29th May 2019 | Hotel Nevada | Single Room | £999 | Book Now | ||
| Twin Room | £1699 | Book Now | ||||
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