Bucket List Climbs
Overview
DURATION
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This unique itinerary has it all: high mountains and bucket-list climbs, rolling hills through bucolic vineyards, and intimate towns seemingly lost in time, all topped off by a unique cycling event where you ride shoulder to shoulder with past champions. The trip starts in the vibrant town of Treviso, historic home of Pinarello, and climbs up to the chic mountain resort town of Cortina for some Dolomite adventures before transferring to historic Bassano del Grappa to take part in the VENEtoGO Social Ride. A perfect mix of challenge and chill.
Included in this trip
- Pick-up and transfer from the airport to the pick-up hotel (also if arriving in advance of trip start)
- 7 nights accommodation in select boutique hotels including breakfast
- Support with set-up of rental bike, or assembly/disassembly of own bike
- Orientation meeting on day 1
- All on-trip luggage transfers
- Daily multiple route options for rides leading up to the event
- Daily on-trip van support
- All on-trip transfers
- Exclusive access to the CyclingHero Companion App with local insights
- Access to Hammerhead Karoo-2 bike computer with pre-installed CyclingHero route options
- Bike box storage for the entire duration of the trip
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I was more than satisfied and had a terrific time. The riding, routes, hotels, the Giro watching spots, dinner spots…all top notch. It felt very "bespoke" without being stuffy. Bob and Caterina and Puppers…Italy’s best hosts. I will return…Stelvio next!
"CyclingHero: really, the best cycling experience of my life, bar none."
"If you want to book a cycling trip in Italy in the Dolomites and Prosecco Hills region, then CyclingHero is the tour company for you! The personal touch and attention to detail will allow you to enjoy your vacation and experience the Italian culture."
"What a great trip! We were comfortable from start to finish with the itinerary, logistics, routes, directions, app, places to go post-ride, etc. What an experience. Across the board it was awesome and we are planning on taking another tour."
"This CyclingHero adventure was absolutely amazing - I saw parts of Italy that I'd never likely see during a normal tourist visit, all while doing what I love more than anything - cycling! The terrain was incredible, the vistas unforgettable, and the organizers are highly experienced, and thus have thought through all the fine details of a cycling adventure of this sort."
"Everything a cycling trip should be with a twist of technology!"
"What an incredible experience. High end, fantastic hotels, and incredible scenery. I love the concept. I'm not one for organized events with people that I don't know. There can be too much starting, stopping, waiting, and indecision when you have a group of different people of different abilities that don't know each other."
"The selection of hotels, bars and restaurants recommended were top notch, and the whole trip was delivered at a great price considering the high-end nature of the itinerary."
"Without a doubt, the CyclingHero tour was the best cycling week of my 20+ years of cycling. A real challenge, but perfectly curated, and with excellent support throughout the trip."
"The itinerary was very well thought out and rides built on each other, culminating in a spectacular climb of the Monte Grappa. A memorable experience - highly recommended!"
Day-to-Day Schedule
After arrival in Treviso and bike set up, there are multiple options for loop rides leaving from Treviso. Route A - Heading West there is the loop ride out to the market square of Badoere called "La Rotonda", a unique circular structure that once housed local merchants, and now hosts a monthly artisans market. The route is pretty much completely flat, and mostly on quiet country roads.
Route B - Heading Northeast another flat ride that passes through Maserada and skirts the Piave River.
Route C - Heading Northwest, this loop takes in the Montello, a favourite with locals for its quiet roads and varied terrain. There is one medium climb up the 'Dorsale', before the route continues along the edge of the Montello and returns to Treviso
After breakfast, a short van transfer touches you down in the small town of Pieve di Cadore. From here there are three ways to get to our base in Cortina d’Ampezzo: Chill, Challenging, and Epic.
-The Chill option follows the dedicated bike path created from the old train route. There is climbing to be done, but it's fairly harmless. This is the perfect option for those wanting to have an easy day and spend the afternoon exploring Cortina.
-The Challenging option heads up the Cadore Valley through Auronzo and climbs steadily up to the highest point at the Tre Croci climb, before concluding with a spectacular downhill into Cortina.
-The Epic option starts easily enough on the same bike path as the chill option but then heads into the hills, tackling first the Passo Cibiana, followed by the Passo Staulanza, and finally the infamous Passo Giau before descending into Cortina. This is a beautiful but challenging route with over 3000 m of climbing.
Whichever route is chosen, the quaint chic of Cortina’s town center will offer a variety of options for an evening Aperitivo and dinner.
Leaving Cortina, it's time to head into the heart of the Dolomites. The climbing starts shortly after leaving town as the route heads in the direction of the Passo Falzarego.
Those who like it short and challenging can descend down to Cernadoi and take on the legendary Passo Giau before a long downhill delivers you back in Cortina.
For a longer but slightly less intense option, continue climbing a bit more to the top of the Passo Valparola before descending into La Villa and on to Corvara. The twisting switchbacks of the Campolongo pass and descent are followed by one more ascent of the Falzarego, this time from Cernadoi, then a well-earned descent back to Cortina.
Lastly, for those with epic on their minds, from Corvara it's possible to join the famous SellaRonda route that includes the Passo Gardena, Passo Sella, and Passo Pordoi.
This wonderful loop allows a lot of flexibility depending on how ambitious you are. Leaving Cortina, the route heads North on undulating terrain towards the Pustertal Valley. The first decision comes at the intersection in Carbonin.
You can head directly uphill towards Lake Misurina, or first continue further downhill to the valley town of Dobbiaco (Toblach). Either way, after the uphill to Lake Misurina, a harder choice presents itself.
Return directly to Cortina, or muster all your remaining strength for an attempt at the mythical Tre Cime di Lavaredo climb, which starts tamely enough, before heading skyward with gradients well into the two digits. Whichever option you choose, only one relatively minor climb to the Tre Croci pass remains, and it's a wonderful final downhill back to where you started in Cortina.
Starting from charming Conegliano, the route heads North to the first challenge of the day, the Ca del Poggio, a short but steep wake-up for the legs. The route then continues through the vineyards to the town of Rolle and descends down to the valley road connecting Vittorio Veneto and Valdobbiadene.
The more ambitious have the option at this point of taking on the Passo San Boldo, a breathtaking 7 km climb carved into a cliffside of the Belluno pre-alps.
The route then continues through Cison di Valmareno, and climbs up to the town of Santo Stefano, before descending into Valdobbiadene and crossing the Piave river to enter the Colli Asolani area. The last climb of the day is up to the town of Asolo; from there it's a (relatively) easy final push to Bassano.
The first option for this day is heading East into the Colli Asolani around Monfumo.
Reaching Semonzo, it's time to decide: battle up the 18 km and 1500 m of altitude change that is the Monte Grappa, or head directly back to Bassano.
Alternatively, head West through charming Marostica and up the San Luca and Rosina climbs before returning to Bassano.
A short early morning ride has us at the start just outside of Bassano. This unique event allows you to both challenge yourself on the uphill sections, and chill and socialize on the flatter bits.
Having Fabian Cancellara, Davide Cassani (Italian National team coach) and other celebrities of the bike world on hand gives the VENEtoGO event an additional character that will surely be both challenging and memorable.
After a last breakfast, it’s time for the transfer back to Venice for your trip home or further explorations in the area.
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