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Europe / / Strade Bianche Bike Tour A Week of White Gravel in Tuscany with USA Cycling Foundation

© 2021 DuVine Adventure + Cycling Co. Explore the undulating white gravel roads of Tuscany—the famed strade bianche—and immerse yourself in Italy’s most classic cycling locale Recover from each day’s cycling achievements with massages provided by a pro-team soigneur Ride our custom Cannondale Synapse bikes equipped with Vittoria gravel tires, the official tire of the USA Cycling National Team Mingle with the pros at the race village and team buses on race day—all within walking distance from our hotel—then catch the action roadside in Colle Pinzuto right before the finish line Get exclusive insight from a Strade Bianche pro during a private villa dinner, take gravel tips from career cyclist Lauren Hall, and benefit from brushes with our local friends Dine on a thoughtful blend of cyclist-friendly fare prepared by the villa’s private chef and essential dishes in classic Tuscan restaurants Arrival Details Departure Details Airport City: Airport City: Rome or Florence Rome or Florence Pick-Up Location: Drop-Off Location: Chiusi train station Chiusi train station Pick-Up Time: Drop-Off Time: 11:00 am 11:00 am

NOTE: DuVine provides group transfers to and from the tour, within reason and in accordance with the pick-up and drop-off recommendations. In the event your train, flight, or other travel falls outside the recommended departure or arrival time or location, you may be responsible for extra costs incurred in arranging a separate transfer.

Emergency Assistance For urgent assistance on your way to tour or while on tour, please always contact your guides first. You may also contact the Boston office during business hours at +1 617 776 4441 or [email protected].

Travelers Take Note Given the nature of the biking and the roads on this tour, you will be riding on gravel roads every day. Tour By Day

DAY 1 Ciao Bella Toscana!

Your guides will meet you at the Chiusi train station for a transfer to our villa in the Tuscan countryside, a stylishly renovated farmhouse and our home for the rest of the week. Enjoy a light lunch on the terrace before getting fitted to your bike. We won’t waste any time hitting the famous white roads of Tuscany—the strade bianche—beginning right out the door of our villa. It feels like a return to the 13th century as we course along these ancient paths, passing through ’s cobbled streets and greeting locals as they tend their olive groves. Explore routes known only to resident cyclists before returning to the villa, where refreshment takes the form of a cold drink or a dip in the pool. Tonight we dine at our favorite truffle restaurant and learn the true meaning of buon appetito.

Meals: Lunch / Dinner Destinations: Petroio, Accomplished: 31 miles / 50 km, elevation gain: 3,250 feet / 991 meters (21 km of which are on gravel roads) Accommodations: Podere Ferranesi

DAY 2 A Taste of L’Eroica

L’Eroica—meaning “The Heroic”—is a celebration of the golden age of cycling. The event takes place every October when thousands of hardened cyclists travel back in time to ride these gravel roads on primitive machines of the past. The heavy lugged-steel bikes with down-tube shifters and impossible gear ratios are no match for the red wine in the participant’s water bottles and the hardman (and hardwoman) mentality. Today, we’ll have our own taste of cycling’s heroic origins as we join one of the toughest gravel sections of L’Eroica: a 16-kilometer climb where the maximum gradient is a challenging 12 percent. Ride through the heart of Brunello di , Tuscany’s most celebrated wine region, and stop for lunch at a winery owned by a passionate local cyclist. We’ll continue on through the town of Montalcino before following the gravel roads back to our villa. Tonight the villa’s chef will prepare a delectable meal.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner Destinations: Buonconvento, Castelnuovo, Montalcino Accomplished: 63 miles / 102 km, elevation gain: 6,639 feet / 2,024 meters (47 km of which are on gravel roads) Accommodations: Podere Ferranesi

DuVine itineraries may be subject to slight route changes, hotel substitutions, and other modifications. DAY 3 The Cinematic Val d’Orcia

Spring brings red poppy blossoms to the vibrant green wheat fields of Tuscany, and nowhere is the bloom more brilliant than the hills of the Val d’Orcia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As we pedal through these corridors of proud cypress trees, the scenery may look familiar from such films as Gladiator and The English Patient. Follow the gravel tracks off the beaten path through a timeless slice of Tuscany and enjoy an espresso in , overlooking the roads we just conquered. Lunch is waiting for us back at our villa. Tonight, hit the town of , a hidden gastronomical hub and home to our favorite little restaurant—but first, stop at our friend Vittorio’s 13th-century home and wine cellar for a tasting.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner Destinations: Monticchiello, Accomplished: 67 miles / 108 km, elevation gain: 7,262 feet / 2,214 meters (59 km of which are on gravel roads) Accommodations: Podere Ferranesi

DAY 4 All the Action of Strade Bianche Race Day

The excitement of race day is in the air! After an early stretch and breakfast, we’ll check out where the riders are readying themselves in . Keep the buzz going with a mid-morning espresso before we preview the route, riding the final 24 kilometers of the course right before the peloton sets out. After crossing the finish line, it’s a short ride to lunch at our friend Serena’s house. In true Italian fashion, she’s spent days in front of the stove in anticipation of our arrival. This afternoon, witness the speed and fury of the Strade Bianche race, in which professionals like and battle over the same gravel roads we’ve been riding. We’ll practically touch the action as it speeds past Serena’s house—don’t be rattled if the pros take one of the steepest gravel sections a bit faster than we did. After the race breezes by, take a lift in the van to our hotel in the heart of Siena. Tonight’s dinner at a classic restaurant in town will fuel us for the challenge that awaits us tomorrow.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner Destinations: Siena, Colle Pinzuto Accomplished: 30 miles / 48 km, elevation gain: 2,870 feet / 875 meters Accommodations: Grand Hotel Continental Siena

DuVine itineraries may be subject to slight route changes, hotel substitutions, and other modifications. DAY 5 The Gran Fondo Strade Bianche

Now that we’ve feasted on fine food and wine, tested our legs on some of the region’s precipitous climbs, and refined our technical skills on gravel roads, it all culminates in the Gran Fondo Strade Bianche. The annual big ride includes some of the most challenging sections of gravel in Bella Toscana! Wake up in the medieval walled city of Siena: our hotel is mere meters from where the legendary route begins and ends hours later, after the brutal climb up Via Santa Caterina and the finish in Piazza del Campo. After the race, we’ll regroup in the city center and have lunch before resting up at the hotel. Tonight, reflect on a fabulous week of riding as we indulge in a celebratory dinner at one of Siena's best restaurants.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner Destinations: Siena Accomplished: 86 miles / 139 km, elevation gain: 6,668 feet / 2,033 meters (31 km of which are on gravel roads) Accommodations: Grand Hotel Continental Siena

DAY 6 Arrivederci

Our last morning in Tuscany presents plenty of options: sleep in, savor a slow breakfast, or take a final ride through the hills around our hotel. Your guides will return you to the Chiusi train station, bidding you farewell before you depart for your next destination.

Meals: Breakfast Destinations: San Giovanni d’Asso, Chiusi Accomplished: Optional morning ride

DuVine itineraries may be subject to slight route changes, hotel substitutions, and other modifications.