Stages of your Tour

1. Benvenuto to Italia

   30 km, 200m climb.

   Welcome to Italy for the first of several enticing days on and off the bike! The IBT team will greet and transfer you to your idyllic hotel set against the majestic mountains of the Chianti region. Time to unwind, let the IBT staff prepare and service your bike, and enjoy a welcome ride to get the travel out of your legs and Italy into your heart over an aperitivo with fellow guests and your IBT guides. In the evening, enjoy a sumptuous dinner and regional wines while you meet new friends and view a presentation of the upcoming week in Tuscany.

   Villa Le Barone - Panzano in Chianti

2. TDF stage 1 VIEWING

   45 KM, 900m cliMb

   Welcome to the Grand Depart of Le Tour in Italy, and a celebration of past Italian champions such as Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali. Today is an early departure after breakfast and briefing for your ride to view Stage One. As the peloton departs Florence from the Bartali Museum, you will ride to a prime spot for the first climb of Stage 1- Col de Valico Tre Faggi. Take in the sights and sounds of the day with the IBT team and other guests for a privately hosted Le Tour picnic party Italian style with fine wines, savoury regional foods, and live feed of the day’s stage. After the day’s events, transfer to Florence to rest and prepare for the next day’s ride.

   
   Palazzo Varignana - Bologna

3. TDF STAGE 2 VIEWING

   75 km, 1000m climb.

   With the glow of seeing the Grand Depart stage, it’s time to prepare yourself with a fine breakfast for Stage 2! Part of last year’s Giro d’ Italia individual time trial, you will ride a section of this iconic stage culminating with the famous climb up San Luca to Bologna, one of the largest and most metropolitan cities in Italy. Once there you will be treated to an exclusive viewing experience that promises to delight the senses while inspiring the wonder of Emilia Romagna. End the day with an equally impressive dinner in this city of music, architecture, and exquisite culinary arts.
   
   Palazzo Varignana - Bologna

4. STRADE BIANCHE RIDE

   70 km, 950m climb.

   Waking up in Siena, take in the quiet beauty of this supremely special place. Today you meet one of cycling history’s most storied roads, the Strade Bianche “white roads” of Tuscany. Riding on the rolling hard packed white gravel, marvel at the “cipresso” (cypress tree) lined hills as you traverse this majestic landscape. In the evening, you will have dinner in Siena with a Contrada (community/team) in preparation for the next day’s Palio horse race celebration through the streets of Siena—a lifetime of adventure in one trip.

   San Leonino - Siena

5. PALIO DI SIENA VIEWING

   40 km, 250m climb.

   Today will be an indescribable experience that merges separate contradas, the sacred, and the individual in an unparalleled medieval Tuscan ritual, the Palio horse race through the streets of captivating Siena. The Palio is no ordinary horse race. Instead, it seeks to balance the forces of community, the transcendent, and the strength of both man and horse in an astonishingly difficult event that must be seen to be believed. After the Palio race, you will visit one contrada’s ceremonial space and museum to witness the active and vibrant history of the Palio.

   San Leonino - Siena

6. Chianti Loop and truffles

   40 km, 250m climb.

   After a country-side breakfast, continue your life as a Tuscan by visiting with local farmers and learning the fine art of truffle hunting, a rare underground mushroom and one of the world’s most expensive foods. Emblematic of Tuscany’s topography, your climbing destination for today is the fortified city on the hill of San Gimignano- a world heritage site. To reward your efforts, you will stop for gelato in the “town of fine towers” while taking in the sights and sounds of this medieval town. Finding sanctuary back at your hotel, shower, relax, and enjoy a refined regional dinner with the team and rest up for tomorrow’s Tour stage!

   San Leonino - Siena

7. Eroica & vintage wines

   This morning we leave the hotel and head south immediately traversing the winding roads flanked by rolling hills adorned with vineyards and olive groves, the air is filled with the scent of ripe grapes and Tuscan herbs. Amidst this idyllic scenery, a stop for an organized wine tasting offers a delightful respite. Here, in the heart of Italy's renowned wine country, you're treated to an array of exquisite wines crafted with centuries-old techniques passed down through generations. Each sip tells a story of the land, the climate, and the dedication of the vintners. Paired with local delicacies, the tasting becomes a sensory journey, deepening your appreciation for the artistry and passion behind Tuscany's world-class wines. This evening we share a final celebratory dinner with the IBT staff and guests in gratitude for joining us on this once in a lifetime experience.

   San Leonino - Siena

8. Day 8 - Arrividerci

   All good things must come to end, and following this amazing few days our team will help you depart for your onward travel.

The perfect cycling holiday requires pedalling on the perfect bike. So should you not wish to bring your own bike with you we have a number of beautiful bikes that you can hire at very reasonable prices. If you are not sure what is the perfect bike for you then fire as a mail and we will be delighted give you some expert advice. You can find more information about our bikes below. And yes, you can buy our bikes if you fall in love with them!