Giro Celebration in the Barolo

Celebrating 20 years since Andy's 1998 Giro d'Italia win in the gorgeous Barolo wine region.

Sunday, May 25 to Monday, June 2, 2008

Book this tour!

Half of the spots on this trip will be reserved for our returning customers until December 1st.

Cost

US $3,700 per person based on double occupancy.

Single rooms

$500 extra
Please request a single room on your booking form

Weather

70's to 80’s.

Riding level

2 pigs, but hey its springtime, so lets be in no hurry to get the rides done.

(See our Fitness Check for a guide).

Pink is the color of choice as Andy invites you to join him on this anniversary ride to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his Giro d’Italia victory.

Actually, he wants to make up for the sightseeing and wine he missed during his racing days.

With that great goal in mind, we will explore the considerable delights of the Barolo wine region with a jaunt into the Alps, taking in some of the 2008 Giro IF it passes nearby and fits into our idea of a great time. (We aren’t counting on following the race, as we won’t know the schedule until Andy returns from the Giro presentation on December 1st).

Why the Barolo?

We have never done a tour here, which is our main reason for going. Our consigliere Enrico Caracciolo assures us the Barolo area has great riding, fine hotels, great food and fun wineries to visit.

Barolo

Italy is full of beautiful adventures, and riding our bikes in the quiet regions is an ideal way to experience them. The Piedmont region in Northwest Italy has a rich historical background with a strong French influence. Today it is one of Italy’s most prosperous corners, but without the heavy industry. The wine areas we will visit are light on traffic and heavy on traditional wine based agriculture.
Culturally (what’s in it for me?) our locations have profited from Piedmont’s French past (thanks for the wine!), its present as one of Mother Italy’s food Meccas, and for now it is not over-run with tourists.

The Slow Food movement was born in Piedmont. Thanks and pass the local bacon please.

Who is this trip best suited to?

This trip is planned for returning Cinghiale guests who appreciate fresh experiences, and new clients.

The rides will be hilly over a fascinating topography. Plan on viewing more shades of green than you thought possible, with wild flowers and trees blossoming over endless vistas. Most of the routes are hilly, and we will ride like it is springtime: nice and mellow. There are rewards for the fit riders too, look at the Silly Hilly routes available for extra credit.

Mileage

400-km/244 miles
Rides range from 30 – 60 miles with rolling hills of 3 miles average, some are steep.

Barolo2
Langhe valley hills - Enrico Caracciolo

Travel Details

Plan your flights into/out of Milan’s Malpensa airport (MXP)

Cinghiale Shuttle Schedule

Pick up   

Sunday, May 25                11:00am             Malpensa aiport, Milan

Drop off

Monday, June 2               9:00am                Malpensa aiport, Milan

We will look for a decent hotel near the airport to suggest, let us know if you find a winner.

There are buses and trains from the airport to Milan, pay attention to where in Milan they take you.

Please do not book flights until we respond to your booking form.

Cultural Highlights

Barolo – This will be our base village. The wines from here happen to be the center of the wine world for some oenological elitists. There seems to be a “Wine War” about how Barolo should be made: Tons of tannins and little wood used in the storage process, followed by decades of aging, or lots of barrel oak flavors over a fruitier wine. In typical Cinghiale fashion we’ll taste both styles and let the locals know the tourists are winning the war.

http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/is-barolo-still-italys-greatest-wine

Barolo3
Pub-crawling in Piedmont - Enrico Caracciolo

 

 

 

Beyond the village of Barolo there are plenty of other great wines made with the Nebbiolo grape to get riled up about. We’ll check them out, with plenty of winery visits during the rides.

Angelo Gaja is Italy’s most famous wine icon, and his winery in Piedmont is constantly breached by wine geeks. It just happens he is a bike rider and friend of our own Cinghiale Tours bon vivant and support driver, Il Barone, Gerado Carpentieri. Strings will be pulled to get our lycra- and wool-clad bodies into the Gaia cellars.

Once we get a good look at the Giro d’Italia’s race route we will see if we can get to see a stage or two. We will likely visit the last stage in Milan on the penultimate day of our trip.

Details

Included in price:

Not included in price: Airfare

Single rooms: $500 extra

Please request a single room on your booking form.

Deposit: $1,000 per person

Please wait for us to respond to your booking form before sending in your deposit.

Final Payment: $2700 due by February 25, 2008
(If you are joining us after this date please contact our office and we will work out a payment schedule).

Confirmation and Communication: Once you have booked, you can expect the following communications and requests from us*

Bike Rentals

Planning to rent a bike for our Giro Celebration Tour? We have a fine fleet of machines from our Tuscan-based shop, but please let us know early to ensure availability.

Still on the fence about renting a bike? Go ahead and rent one - you can always cancel it, and it is SO much easier than trying to secure one at the last minute.

To reserve a bike please review the information under Bike Rentals on the right hand side of the Travel Help page. Please send the requested info to elaine@cinghiale.com to make your reservation.

The base rate for rentals is €220 in cash for the week. Some of the shop’s older bikes are €180.

Contact Us

We are available for other questions about the trips. One of us will return your email within a few days of receipt, or please call us:

Julia in Seattle          206-931-7407 (cell)
Andy in Colorado       720-565-0346  (home)
                                   303-506-1788  ( cell)

Booking Air Travel

Specific information for your tour is contained in the Travel Details above, so please read that section carefully. You can also visit our Travel Help and FAQ's page for answers to common questions about booking travel for our tours.

NOTE: Please check our shuttle schedule for Milan (see Travel Details, above) before booking your flights.

Elaine Lauterbach is our travel coordinator elaine@cinghiale.com She will confirm your travel plans with you and arrange bike rentals if you are not bringing your own ride.

For bike rental information, see our Travel Help page on the right hand side.

Finally, Elaine will need your final itinerary at least one month before the trip. Please send to elaine@cinghiale.com and copy to info@cinghiale.com

Heather Ross at the Travel Society in Boulder is very familiar with our tours and is delighted to help you book your air travel and help you plan your itinerary.

*CANCELLATION POLICY

If you decide not to come or cannot come for any reason, the amount you have paid so far is fully refundable up to 90 days before the trip. Cancellations after that time forfeit the whole amount paid. We do not overbook and strongly recommend TRAVEL INSURANCE. Please purchase travel insurance that covers an unforeseen trip cancellation or misadventure to you or your luggage while in Italy.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

Visit www.InsureMyTrip.com for a comparison of travel insurance companies and available options.  This site quotes a $4,000 trip coverage policy for between $113 and $300.

Thanks for booking with Cinghiale!

Partying like its 1999 since 1998


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