Henrick Murphy & Isacco Colombo: Bike Across Belgium & the French Alps

Greetings from the great region of Lombardy, Italy! Isacco and Henrick here, sending you saluti from our home to yours. Now that the days are getting warmer, Isacco and I have been taking our bikes to the streets. These quiet side-roads of Lombardy are getting us ready for some epic climbing in France! 

There is nothing more exhilarating as riding electrifying alpine passes. This year we’ll be leading Ciclismo Classico’s French Alps to the Riviera. This nine-day adventure has all the passes most hardened cyclists dream of tackling in their lifetime: Col du Galibier, Col d’Izoard, Col du Vars and the mythical Alpe d’Huez. We love the rolling country lanes and mountain roads getting us from one valley to the next. The views are outstanding and the descents are a thrill. Our rest day near the Gorges de la Verdon is astonishing to look at. This 700m gorge is approximately 30 km long and we raft a part of the beautiful green-turquoise water which gives the gorge its name. But if you love mountain views and alpine passes, this is the trip where memories are made.

Another highlight of our journey is the prestigious Alpe d’Huez. What can’t we say about this epic climb? Each switchback is dedicated to a professional cyclist who has won that Alpe stage during the Tour de France. There is always a party at the top and there is excitement in the air. Our July departure gives you the opportunity to see all the paint on the road and commotion from the Dutch crowd getting ready for the great race. But that’s not the end: we descend the Alpe d’Huez to tackle the Combe de la Fayolle. Then we descend again and gradually climb up to La Grave. The festivities in La Grave will make the whole day worth it! Lots of tartiflette and local beer!

Speaking of beers, another trip that Isacco and I are thrilled to lead this year is our popular Bike Across Belgium tour. This is 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, you should sign up for our departure today.

Within the Ardennes, not only is there an extensive military history but also the historic La Chouffe brewery. We eventually ride into Dinant, home of the Leffe Abbey and plenty of beer by the same name. We then roll into the Het Anker brewery for some education: a brewery set in a 15th C. hospital. It is thanks to five generations of the Van Breedam family and their modern techniques of stem boiling that local beer makers have returned to old traditions in the making of specialty brews. We’re fortunate to have a guided tour, a tasting of the beer, and dinner inside the factory.

We can’t talk about Belgian cycling history without discussing another favorite topic of ours: the long sections of cobblestone roads. Cobblestone has been used ever since Roman times yet these stones in Belgium have a special story. In this flat territory often plagued with rain, the old stone roads still allow the water to pool and run off into ditches. However, these roads (sometimes over two-hundred years old) are famous for another reason: The Tour of Flanders. Considered one of the five monuments of pro cycling, The Tour of Flanders is one of two major cobblestone races, next to Paris-Roubaix. 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.

Thanks for taking the time to read about our trips this season. We hope to see you in Europe. So join us this summer on some out-of-the-ordinary adventure. Whether you are climbing the French Alps or racing across the Belgian cobblestones, nobody does it like Ciclismo Classico.

Ci vediamo presto!