Welcome to Italy! For our bike fitting and test ride we will discover the hillsides of the Valpolicella wine area. Second only to Chianti in terms of production, this region is most famous for its light, fragrant, red wine that is meant to be consumed quickly after harvest, and for it’s heavyweight Amarone, a perennial favourite among connoisseurs. Our ride begins on the flat plains of Verona, but quickly begins to climb. This is the time to make adjustments to your bike fit. If something isn’t quite right please have the mechanic make the adjustments.

Twelve years ago the World Championships visited Verona, and today we'll ride the best part of the course, including the famous, Cyprus-lined climb of Torricelle. Although the stencilled names of that day's biggest champions have long since faded from the tarmac, our own Eros Poli still has vivid memories of the action and will be sure to regale you with some colorful highlights. After our ride, it's time to enjoy a great pizza lunch in the city center, before relaxing with massages in the afternoon.

Today we ride through two distinct areas: The Lessinia mountains, and Soave wine country. In the valleys and on the lower slopes of the Lessinia for the first part of our ride, we will be riding through vineyards and olive groves. As we continue upwards to the plateau that characterizes the heart of Lessinia, the hillsides shift to orchards of heartier walnuts and chestnuts. We will finish our ride by descending into the Soave wine region which is world renowned for its production of a wonderfully dry, white wine of the same name.

The largest lake in the country, Lake Garda is a perennial favorite of the rich and famous, who have flocked here since Roman times for the incredible views, calm waters and perfect climate. Our ride will begin with a flat leadout from Verona west towards the western edge of the Veneto plains. From the east, the climb to the summit of Marciaga bordering Lake Garda is relatively gentle compared to the heart pounding descent to the lake.

The stunning cliff faces of Cinque Torri have stood as sentinels looking over the switchbacks that climb to the summit of Passo Giau for centuries. During the First World War the Italian and Austro-Hungarian soldiers battled each other and the elements for control of the strategically important mountains. These slopes have witnessed grand battles between Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali, bore witness to the genius of Eddy Merckx and carried the late Marco Pantani to glory.

The Quatro Passi – Italian for Four Passes – of the Sella Ronda loop is one of the most popular rides in the Dolomites because it manages to cover four well-known climbs without being too difficult. We’ll tackle the Passo Gardena, Passo Sella, Passo Pordoi, and Passo Campolongo in 52km with 1,800m of climbing. No ride in this part of the world can be called “easy”, but compared to the Gavia and the Stelvio, you can look forward to a civilised, fun day on the bike with some incredible scenery.

The climb up Passo Fedaia is one of the most popular summit finishes for the Giro d’Italia. From Caprile the climb is 14km long at an easy average grade of 7.5%. The climb is especially difficult when it pitches up to 18% after a few long days of riding. At the summit, beautiful Lago di Fedaia is perched on the northern flank of Marmolada, the highest peak in the Dolomites. After descending Passo Fedaia there is still a lot of work to do: Passo Sella and Passo Gardena await.

Today is a travel day from the high slopes of the Dolomites to the farmlands of the plains. Our drop off point will be the Venice airport, but we suggest spending the evening in Venice. It is the proper way to end your trip before your flight home.