DISCOVER: Nikita and friends at Gstaad
Experience Switzerland Like Never Before
ABOUT THIS TRIP
Switzerland is getting the full inGamba treatment and we’re very excited about it! This part of the world is underrated as a cycling destination, but with plenty of quiet and perfectly surfaced roads, pristine lakes and rivers, as well as challenging climbs amongst snowy peaks, it has everything a rider could dream of.
We’ll be based in Gstaad, a small but multicultural and multilingual town in the heart of the Alps that is well-known as an exclusive ski resort. Come summer, it transforms into a cycling paradise and a great selection of loops link the local passes, which are all regular features in WorldTour races such as Tour de Romandie, the Tour de Suisse and even the Tour de France. Expect all the Swiss clichés along the road: cows, dairy farms, mountain villages from another era, and we will ride through the gorgeous vineyards of Chablais and Valais, which produce some fantastic wines.
Off the bike, we’ll be living in luxury at the Gstaad Palace, a fairy-tale castle overlooking the village that has been run as a 5-star hotel by three generations of the Scherz family, offering the very best of Swiss hospitality.
- All lodging*†
- All food and beverages**
- Pinarello Dogma F Disk with SRAM RED eTap AXS
- Daily Bike Wash
- Custom Castelli × inGamba cycling kit
- Daily post-ride massage from a professional soigneur
- Laundry service for cycling clothing
*Pre/post-trip lodging is not included
†Flights are not included
**Beverages ordered by guests beyond normal amounts and away from group activities will incur additional charges
MEET THE GUIDES
Sérgio Paulinho
The World Tour veteran
After an impressive pro career that started back in 2003, Sérgio Paulinho joined the inGamba team at the start of 2022 after his retirement. But we’ve known him for a long time, as not only did he race against our founder João Correia, but he was also a teammate of our star guide Manuel Cardoso back in the day. A two-time national champion in Portugal, Sérgio has also won stages at the Tour de France and Vuelta a España, and in 2004, he won a silver medal in the road race at the Athens Olympics. So it’s fair to say the man has pedigree! It isn’t the racing victories that impress us most about Sérgio though, it’s his personality, his friendly nature on and off the bike, and the fact that he’s always ready with a smile. That said, if you find yourself running out of gas on a big climb, it certainly helps to have someone like him beside you!
Alain Rumpf
The Swiss Insider
Born in Switzerland, Alain has been riding his bike in the Alps since he was 12. In previous chapters of his life, he was an enthusiastic (but mediocre) elite racer and worked 20 years for the UCI, cycling’s international governing body. He attended many meetings, wrote and rewrote countless rules and met awesome people – including inGamba’s founder, João Correia. He also ran a bike race in China that everyone has forgotten about. In 2014 he decided to leave the corporate world to become a professional bike bum. An ambitious career change that sees him work as a guide, photographer, writer and consultant for brands, media and destinations. With his wife Lillie and their son Ben, Alain lives in Gryon, in the French speaking part of the Swiss Alps.
THE TRIP AT A GLANCE
START LOCATION:
Geneva
FINISH LOCATION:
Geneva
TOTAL ELEVATION:
7445m
TOTAL DISTANCE:
386km
DAYS RIDING:
6
GROUP SIZE:
8-12
LONGEST DAY:
Day 5. Jaunpass. 96km
BIGGEST CLIMBING DAY:
Day 2. Col du Pillon. 1,695m