Italian Event

[Alan M]

A friend of a friend is organising this in case anyone is interested - there is one place avaiable due to someone dropping out

Dear Friends in Cycling,

As some of you know, Di and I have a house in a rural Italian village near a town called Mondovi, about 100 kms south of Turin, in the foothills of the Maritime Alps. It is in the Piemonte region (www.piemonteitalia.eu/en/-turismo.html), North West Italy.
Over the past three years I, with my Italian friends who are passionate cyclists, have ridden extensively around large parts of North West Italy and have also done some of the classic Tour de France climbs, which are fairly close by.
The riding there is absolutely fantastic:
Wide variety of very scenic routes (choice of Alpine climbs, smaller mountain rides, rides at and around the Mediterranean (including the surrounding hills with spectacular views of the sea), the beautiful Langhe area with its rolling hills, which includes the very beautiful wine lands area of Barolo, and rides through different parts of the rural farmlands);
Limited amounts of traffic;
Reasonable roads;
Vehicle drivers who generally respect cyclists.

Earlier this year I arranged a road biking tour of this region for a group of 8 friends, which was a great success. So my intent is to arrange a similar tour in 2014.
Accordingly you are invited to participate in our 2014 tour, the details of which are as follows:
1. Period of tour: 21 June (date of arrival) to 29 June 2014 (date of departure).
2. Bus capacity is 8 people, so this will be the targeted number participants. If there is greater demand, we may consider a party of 16 people.
3. Ideally you need to fly into Turin or Genoa, and then make your way by train to Mondovi.
4. Bikes, kit and logistical support: Cicloposse, our provider from last year, has agreed to support us again-they will provide good quality road bikes (carbon frames, Ultegra kit, Compact chain rings, appropriate gearing) and ground transport (transport of people, bikes, technical support, following of riders each day to provide technical support and pick up of tired riders). Your size bike and cluster will be pre-booked for you. Helmets are available at no extra charge. If you wish you can bring your own saddle.
5. Seven daily rides of about 80 kms in length will be on offer (you can do all, some, or parts of rides). Routes will be set by my Italian friends, but will include some of the rides I consider to be the best, and will include a great variety of difficulty and scenery. The routes are, however, generally “undulating”. Some rides will start out from the hotel, others will require us to drive to a starting point. We will include one of the classic Tour de France climbs.
6. Accommodation is planned to be in a beautiful monastery/conference centre, in a town called Vicoforte (near Mondovi). Rooms are all ensuite and we have space to keep bikes. It is an extremely bike friendly establishment. You can have a look at their website www.santuariodivicoforte.it, go to Hospitality, and then Hotel.
7. Dinners will be arranged in a variety of local restaurants;






8. Tour cost
Euro 1 900, single accommodation
Euro 1 810, sharing accommodation
Included in this cost is:
8 nights at hotel noted above
8 breakfasts
8 dinners – food only
Bikes
Driver, technical assistance and support van during rides
Fuel and tolls for bus
Transport to local restaurants in evenings

Not included in these costs: Airfares to/from Italy, lunches, alcoholic/non-alcoholic beverages, travel insurance, laundry expenses, tips (driver and others) and items of a personal nature.


9. Reservations, Deposits and payments

To reserve your place you need to pay a deposit of R 5 000 into the account below. This
will then confirm your place on the tour. Should, by 31 December 2013, we have less than 8 people interested in this tour; the deposit will be refunded to you. Once we have 8 participants confirmed, you will be advised of this fact and from that point the deposit will be forfeited should you cancel AND you/we do not manage to find a replacement.

Payment of the balance of the Euro cost due by participants is to be made by 28 February 2014-method of payment to be advised.

If you are keen to speak to some of the participants from the 2013 tour, to personally assess their experience, I will be happy to provide you with these references.

Yours in cycling

JOHN RHYNES
johnrhynes@telkomsa.net
Mobile number: 083 949 5896
Bank account details:
NEDBANK
Greenside branch: 197505
Account number: 1975 027027
Reference: Your name
For anybody considering an all-in European road cycling experience in Northern Italy, I couldn’t recommend the John Rhynes’ Tour Piedmont more highly. The food, the Italian cyclists who acted as friends and guides, the top-notch bikes and the routes (including TDF passes) made it truly memorable. I for one will be back!

Paul Lange
Director





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