I always say there is no experience like seeing the Tour de France, but I love the Giro d’Italia. The food, the riding, and the mountains in May are spectacular. The cycling is not flat, but the breathtaking scenery is worth the challenge of the climbing in the Italian Alps and Dolomites.
We started our tour from Milan and made our way to the scenic shores of Lago di Garda, one of Italy’s Great Lakes. Italy is renowned for its lakes, and they all have their appeal. The one thing they share in common is that they are beautiful and surrounded by plenty of mountains to explore on the bike. Our first chance to acquaint ourselves with the roads was an adventure into the breathtaking countryside surrounding Lake Garda. We rode through the vineyards before a gentle 20-km climb to warm our legs up for the week ahead.
But where do you begin? How do you prepare for such a monumental adventure? Here’s a guide to help you get ready for your cycling holiday and make the most of your time on the road.
First time at the race
Today was our first chance to see the Giro d’Italia up close. With a well-planned day, we could ride to the start of the ITT before jumping back on our bikes and riding to the stage finish on the picturesque shores of Lago di Garda. As a “tech nerd,” ITTs are an excellent opportunity to see the latest gear; the bikes are built for pure speed. Also built for pure speed was Tadej Pogačar; whether going up hills or on a TT bike, Tadej showed that he was on another level today.
We had one last chance to enjoy a ride around Lake Garda before seeing the start of stage 15, an epic stage that will take race from the shores of Lake Garda into the heart of the Italian Alps. Given that parts of the race route were still covered by snow, the route for stage 15 had to be altered. The condition of the high mountain passes would alter a few plans over the coming days. After watching the Peloton roll out, we headed for the high country ourselves but enjoyed a warm luxury bus transfer rather than riding over some of the Italian Alps’ hardest mountain passes.
Italian Alps and Dolomites
After a few days at the race, our focus changed to spending an epic day on the bike in the Italian Alps, riding over the San Valentino climb commonly used in the Giro. There is no shortage of fantastic descents and spectacular climbs to choose from in the region. The hardest thing is selecting which rides to complete.
It was time to step away from the action of the Giro d’Italia and fully embrace the scenic beauty of the Dolomites. Our ride for the day was the iconic Sella Ronda loop, a cherished ride that showcases some of Italy’s most breathtaking landscapes. It is a postcard photo opportunity on every corner.
The scenic loop features four mountain passes, and on the day, we seemed to have four different weather systems; we had some riders treated to a perfect ride on the loop, some encountered a little bit of weather, and a few found themself riding in snowfall. The groups were never more than 30 minutes apart, yet all had different experiences. That’s the beauty and “challenge” of the Dolomites.
As we entered the final few days of the Giro, Tadej Pogačar had the overall win for the Giro secured; the showdown on the Monte Grappa would be a fight for the podium spots and whether Tadej wanted to put on another display of his climbing dominance. It is not often we get to see the race three times in a single day, we saw the race twice on the Monte Grappa before heading into Bassano del Grappa, decorated in a sea of pink, to see Tadej glide to another stage win.
With the Giro d’Italia now decided and the Peloton making its way to Rome for the final stage, we stayed in the Bassano del Grappa region to ride Monte Grappa. Lucky for us, we were only riding the climb once, not twice like the pros the day before. The sun was out, and the climb was only bested by the fantastic descent on fully closed roads. It was an amazing way to finish our 12 days at the Giro d’Italia.
A huge thanks to Alex Murdoch for all the great photos.
You can check out more of his work HERE
Happy Riding Adam
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