The night before Eros Poli took victory atop Mont Ventoux he couldn’t sleep. It was not like he was dreaming of victory or even had the slightest idea the next day’s stage would change his life forever. It was just that it was hot. Unbearably, unsleepably hot in his less-than stellar French hotel. His roommate had taken his mattress off the bed and was sleeping on the small balcony outside their room. And the man who would shortly become known as Monsieur Ventoux was watching football, Italy vs. Brazil in the World Cup final, to be exact. Italy lost. The following morning as Eros dragged his weary, tired legs out of bed and down the stairs, as there was no lift, James Brown came into his head. “I feel good, I knew that I would now,” started to repeat over and over in his head. As it would the rest of the day. He felt good and the rest, as they say, is history.

You may hear the sweet, sweet notes wafting towards your window at Borgolecchi, as our resident aristocrat practices his new found love of the clarinet. We’re never quite sure if all of his stories are based on reality, but they are without a doubt highly entertaining. Probably the greatest tale Giorgio is prone to tell you is that he’s not really a cyclist. This yarn is not to be believed.

⁠Giorgio is a supportive presence, encouraging you during challenging climbs and even joining you in races if you’re up for it. His philosophy revolves around embracing life to the fullest and seizing every moment. In Giorgio’s words, “I’m sure other good companies around offer great trips. But we’re specifically trying to give our guests the closest experience of what it means to be in a pro team, at any speed.”