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Trips > Piedmont

Piedmont

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Dominated by the Alps and riven by deep valleys, Piedmont — meaning ‘at the foot of the mountains’— is renowned for its fine wines and as a champion of the Slow Food movement. Our team has explored this corner of northwest Italy, fanning out from Turin to visit its wine villages and seek out the best places to stay.

Piedmont stretches northeast to the shores of Lake Maggiore and southwest to Provence in France, its hills dotted with medieval villages and family-run vineyards. Although Piedmont isn’t as well known a wine region as Tuscany, it produces some of Italy’s finest labels, such as Barolo and Barbaresco. Regional cuisine is also a highlight. Raw meats, cheese fondues and rabbit feature on local menus, while the smell of hazelnuts and chocolate wafts through the chocolate-producing town of Alba. Piedmont isn’t all rustic allure, though. At its heart is the city of Turin, the first capital of the unified Italy. Renaissance and Baroque architecture, museums and galleries, and gourmet restaurants grace its boulevards and piazzas, while giants of industry ensure that Piedmont remains one of Italy’s most affluent regions.

Included With Trip:

  • 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

**Beverages ordered by guests beyond normal amounts and away from group activities will incur additional charges

Trip at a Glance

Start Location:

Turin

Finish Location:

Turin

Days Riding:

6

Group Size:

8 – 12

Total Distance:

429km

Total Elevation:

7,167m

Biggest Climbing Day:

Day 3. Sampeyre. 2,279m

Longest Day:

Day 3. Sampeyre. 100km

...

Day by Day Breakdown

1

Welcome ride

Our first ride is an easy spin to shake off the cobwebs, but it’s also very pretty, heading north through the quiet Piedmont countryside until Saluzzo, a city on two levels, perched on a hill that dominates the plain below, and surrounded by mountains. The majestic Monviso is so close that it seems to be able to embrace the whole city. This is the time to make sure everything with your bike is perfect – if something’s not quite right, let a mechanic or a guide know and we’ll be sure to fix it before the tough riding begins.
2

Costigliole Saluzzo Loop

This route takes us south towards Montemale di Cumeo, our only climb of the day, halfway to the end. You can expect plenty of picturesque medieval towns and some stunning panoramic views along the way, but there’ll be some testing terrain too so this is much more than just a sightseeing loop.
3

Sampeyre

The day’s biggest climb comes just after the midway point, but it’s undulating throughout so you’ll need to manage the efforts carefully. Today we ride through the woods and a small canyon, as we circle Grange Cugnet (1517 m) and the alpine pastures of Grangia Orgiera (1652 m).
4

Castiglione Saluzzo—Monforte

This point to point ride will take us to our new home in Piedmont. We ride almost all the way downhill until we reach Pollenzo. Then, it’s all uphill until we reach Monforte D’Alba, a beautiful hill town that sits in the middle of the vineyards that produce the world class Barolo wine. So it’s surrounded by grapevines, green hills, more small towns and some really big mountains off in the distance.
5

Le Langhe

Today’s ride will take you north toward the area of Le Langhe where the rolling Piedmontese clay-colored views of postcards will be in full effect. This is the neighbouring wine zone of Barolo and Barbaresco, which make up the Langhe wine area famous not only for its wine, but also cheeses and white truffles. The Langhe was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 2014.
6

Barolo and Barbaresco

On our last ride, we ride along the vineyards of Barolo and Barbaresco. The Barbaresco wine region is ranked as one of the greatest in Italy. Along with Barolo, Barbaresco produces world class wines from the Nebbiolo grape in the Piedmont region. But don’t expect this to be an easy ride: today the ride will be up and down until we come back to our home in Monforte D’Alba.
7

Departure

This is our final morning together and after a leisurely breakfast, it will be time to say goodbye, or at least arrivederci, until we meet again. Transfers to the airport will be arranged by our hard-working crew but if you’re planning on staying a few extra days, let us know if we can help with reservations or a few recommendations. 

YOUR Guide

Manuel Cardoso

The Quiet Crusher

Manuel Cardoso is no longer sitting on the front of the pack, pulling everyone along at what some would describe as a “brisk” pace and what others are unable to describe at all, because they're too busy gasping for breath and holding onto the wheel in front of them for dear life. Manuel is now sitting just slightly off the back of the pack. As I look back, I realize he has that look on his face. The look which struck fear in the hearts of the Pro Peleton for many years. The look which is part grin, part mischievous child and all business. He is about to start some shenanigans. Sure enough, just a few kilometers later and Manuel has picked one lucky contestant out of the pack and they are sitting-in, waiting, like predators, for the perfect moment. For Manuel, just like when he raced pro, this is when the road turns slightly up, a spot in the road where it gets tough for everyone. And he accelerates with his breakaway “partner” in tow. It is something to see. He ramps it up to a speed with which no one can latch onto the back and with such precision you have to question whether or not you actually want to try and close the gap he has created. And you can’t see it, but you just know, he is grinning from ear-to-ear.

BIKE OPTION

PINARELLO DOGMA F

FRAMESET:

Pinarello Dogma F

COCKPIT:

ZIPP Service Course SL

GRUPPO:

SRAM RED eTap AXS

PEDALS:

Speedplay (or your own)

SADDLE:

Selle Italia

WHEELSET:

Zipp 303 S Carbon Tubeless

TIRES:

Vittoria Corsa

BOTTLE CAGES:

Elite Custom Race

BIDON:

Elite Corsa Team

COMPUTER:

Garmin Edge 1030