30 Years of Ciclismo Classico Top Guide Moments
30 Years of Ciclismo Classico Top Guide Moments
Let’s take a spin down memory lane…
As part of our 30th anniversary celebration this year, we asked some of our long-time guides to share with us some of their most favorite trips including any particular special moments or memories on tour over the past 30 years.
Get away from it all.
Top Guide Frank Yantorno says “the Amalfi Coast is a beautiful part of the world. But if you go to the Cilento Coast, you’ll never go back to Amalfi. We adore this enchanting part of Southern Italy – far from the chaotic madness of Amalfi.”
With our hotel right on the beach, you can get a boat to explore Italy’s most extensive network of underwater caves. Virgil’s Aeneid gave the town its name. Palinurus, tossed from Aeneas’s ship, washes up on shore at the cape. The Sybil announces the construction of a new village named in his honor. Roman and Greek history abound here and there is a lot to do and see.
Or, choose to do absolutely nothing at all.
Serious food thoughts.
While our Top Guide (and overall Guide Manager) Enrico Pizzorni happens to be one of the proudest Piemontese you will ever meet, one of Enrico’s most favorite regions–as well as favorite place to eat, is Sicily. Our resident food and wine expert can’t talk enough about the divine experiences to be had on our trip through Sicily.
Enrico shares:
“As we cycle around the island on La Bella Sicilia it seems every village features a salty or sweet snack of some sort. Sicilians are masterful street food vendors serving up ideal and scrumptious treats along the way: focacce, pizze, calzoni, pidoni, scacce, arancini, panelle.
Fresh, salty breads filled with a myriad of combinations: veggies, ham, prosciutto crudo; as you please– baked or fried. One of my favorites is called Corsino in Palazzolo Acreide–a tiny village founded by the Greeks some 2500 years ago, at the foot of Monti Iblei. Corsino serves up state of the art sweet pastries highlighting their locally treasured almonds and ricotta. No joking around here!
While on the Aeolian Islands, the panini (fresh sandwiches) lovingly made by Gilberto and Vera in a tiny alleyway in Lipari, make for a perfect lunch stop before our wonderful loop ride around the island. They have about 50 different choices ranging from lighter panini stuffed with tomatoes or the local extra-virgin olive oil–to the heavier, muratore (mason) version with 800 grams of incredible “stuff”: a Ciclismo Classico favorite guide stop. For expert eaters only.”
Simply marvelous.
Top Guide Umberto Cena describes cycling in Mallorca in one phrase: “Perfect weather. Perfect roads. Perfect riding.”
Since Umberto loves the warmer temps, Mallorca is surely way up high on his list as the Balearic Islands stay warmer for longer/later in the year than on the Spanish peninsula/mainland. Mallorca is also a long standing famous Winter cyclist training destination. Just pure cycling paradiso.
Reflecting on his favorite moments on tour, Umberto recalls:
“Two of my favorite rides on our trip include the extra loop to Sa Calobra (considered the ‘Stelvio’ of Mallorca) and the ride out to the lighthouse on the last day of the trip. This isolated lighthouse, called Cap de Formentor, sits dramatically on the farthest northeast corner of the island. The zig-zagged journey out to this special lighthouse is so unique in that one feels literally “suspended” over sparkling, turquoise waters down below. It’s also incredible to ride through notable villages like Valldemossa, that have historically lured the likes of Chopin and Mark Knopfler. In Valldemossa we stop at the stunning Deia Cliff to admire the deep blue sea below.
My favorite local/cultural visits on this trip include our visit with Mallorca’s best wine producer, Macià Batle who in the last 25 years has reintroduced a “new” culture and method of wine agriculture and production with a more modern and eco-friendly approach. Our picnic lunch at Pep’s property Solivellas is another stellar moment. Pep has become a part of our extended family of Ciclismo friends, not to mention he is the best olive oil producer on the entire island!”
Island fever.
What more can we say about the alluring, magical island of Sardinia? Jacopo sums it up in a few words:
“For me and for most guests, I think the ride along the Teulada road, the most southeastern paved road on the entire island—is sheer joy! If you are there in March/April/May, there are patches of green grass and cows feeding on the beach. There is an atmosphere reminiscent of the Far East; it feels like a spiritual or mystical road/place. Another world. Up and down pedaling along coastal cliffs…challenging but so worth all the effort! It’s not unusual to see wild goats on the road, they are just enjoying and admiring the scenery alongside us. No worries!”
In discussing one his most unforgettable moments on this tour, Jacopo revels:
“One lasting and big impression that I feel after leading this trip–other than gorgeous, coastal riding, amazing food and wine, etc.—are the local people, the Sardinians. These people are friendly and very kind with tourists, especially the older men and women sitting at the side of the road, or in the main piazzas. They are surprisingly eager to share the story of their lives and their experiences, while offering you an espresso or a cold Ichnusa (Sardinian beer). This is what this island is all about!”
Bumps and brews.
If you love mountain views and alpine passes, Bike Across Belgium is the trip where memories are made. It’s an enchanting opportunity to bike some hallowed bicycle territory and drink some amazing local brews. Ciclismo Classico’s unique itinerary has won numerous accolades, including Bicycling Magazine’s Coolest Bike Tours and Outside Travel’s Award for Best Foodies Tour. So you know it’s a great combination of cycling and local cuisine. Belgium has its chocolate and its waffles, but what about its chicons au gratin, or carbonnades flammandes, or possibly some muoles-frites: the best in Europe. If you want to taste the lesser-known side of Belgian cuisine, check out this unknown food and beer festa!
Isacco Colombo tells us all about some of the other “bests” about this favorite tour:
“Since I’m a cycling history nut, I get super excited about sharing some of the amazing cobblestone stretches from the Tour of Flanders. We get to test our mettle on a few of the famous climbs such as Kapelmuur, Oude Kwaremont, and Paterburg. It’s the chance of a lifetime to ride the roads of legends!
Probably my next best moments are related to beer tasting. Beer is king in Belgium. Belgians learn how to cook with beer the minute they’re old enough to hold a ladle. It’s a rite of passage. After all, with more than 71 different types of beer brewed and 350+ house labels to choose from, it’s the national drink of choice. Only 20 years ago, the country that is roughly the size of Rhode Island boasted 18 actively operated ‘national’ breweries and a few dozen local artisanal breweries for good measure. Pretty much every village has at least one ‘Trappist’ or ‘Catholic Benedict’ abbey where one could purchase abbey-brewed beer directly from the monks themselves. They each created their own flavor pallet, using age-old brewing methods passed on for decades. Visiting these places is part of what makes this tour the coolest ever.”
