Celebrating Ciclismo Classico’s Women Leaders

Anytime is a perfect time or opportunity to boast and brag about some of the most amazing female bike tour guides on the planet. Our Ciclismo Classico team includes the dazzling Paola Secco, Dana Geraghty, Vanessa Drigo and on occasion–pro-cyclist Fabiana Luperini!

Meet Our Female Bike Tour Guides

Paola Secco

Paola

“This is my 6th year of leading bicycle tours. I started in 2014 when I felt depressed because I wasn’t satisfied anymore with my two part-time jobs. No professional satisfaction, not enough money to live well. Then once, during a summer holiday, I had the opportunity to work as a tour guide for an Italian tour operator and later this became my new path and life work!

Overall, I’ve adapted well to working with men. My high school was a male-majority school, I’ve always played male-dominated sports and most of my work has always been with more men than women. I like to work with men but sometimes it’s a challenge because as a woman you must do double the work to be considered half as good.  I also don’t appreciate a “macho” environment. Once on a tour, my guests asked myself and a female colleague if it was difficult to run the tour without a male guide?  I just smiled back. No words.

Also on a personal ride a few years ago with four girlfriends, a passing man asked us ‘are you alone?’ One of my girlfriends answered ‘if you think that five women cycling together means alone, yes–we are alone!’

But mostly I believe that there are professional, polite and great humans…or not. It’s not always about gender issues. I know great men and also women that are not so great. It’s just frustrating that when we have challenging climbs or rides (like mountain passes), people ask if it is not too much for us, as women.” – Paola

Dana Gheraghty 

Dana

“My experience has been that it can be difficult to gain the trust of some of your guests, most often the more competitive male. There will always be these people and sometimes they resist your suggestions or coaching, etc… So you just go with it, and maybe, eventually, something else will come up that you can help them with. I find it takes a lot longer to gain the male’s or so-called “expert’s” trust.  Maybe it’s a female thing, maybe not? In the end, guiding bike tours takes patience. Women guides are strong. They have great sensibilities, are supportive, and very nurturing.” -Dana

Fabiana Luperini

Fabiana

“Guiding tours is a beautiful experience that allows me to do the thing that I love most and at the same time see new places and learn more about my own culture and others. This is a new experience for me and although I have no problems with the riding or teaching/training and sharing part of cycling world or experience, I want to improve in other areas.” – Fabiana

Vanessa Drigo

Vanessa

Before guiding for Ciclismo Classico, Vanessa spent seven years working for a California-based cycling tour company, guiding groups in California, France, Italy, and Switzerland, and managing tour logistics and guides. She particularly enjoys helping her guests gain a better understanding of and appreciation for other cultures. Her favorite places to cycle include the Dolomites, the road around Lake Geneva from Montreux to Lausanne, and the mountains near the city of Armenia in Colombia. Given her international tastes and background, perhaps it’s not surprising that she once had a job working for a spy for the Swiss government!

These women leaders rock!

And we’re proud to continuously celebrate them.