Giro d'Italia 2024 - Classic

After pick up at Venice Marco Polo, a transfer of just over two hours brings you to the lakeside town of Malcesine, where you will continue by bike up the Garda shoreline towards Riva del Garda.

Legs suitably warmed up, the short but challenging Via Europa provides one last vista of the lake before heading toward the Adige River Valley. If you’re up for more climbing, an alternative is the appropriately named Monte Velo, which also rewards with spectacular views of Lake Garda.

One final push up the Salita di Mattarello and it's mostly downhill to the shores of the Lago di Caldonazzo and the spa town of Levico Terme, your base for the next three nights.

The principal challenge of the day is a loop ride that includes the mighty Passo Manghen. Although infrequently included in the Giro in comparison with other climbs in the Dolomites, the Passo Manghen ranks up there among the greatest climbs of Northern Italy, both for its spectacular scenery and its 23 km length. 

From the Manghen summit, a long descent and quiet undulating roads bring you back for a well-earned spa treatment at the hotel or a visit to the thermal baths that are a few minutes walk from the hotel.

For the slightly less ambitious, there is also some very interesting riding on the opposite side of the Valsugana Valley. The Strada Montador loop options that climb toward the Asiago Plateau take in some equally spectacular scenery and also qualify for a post-ride spa treatment!

For this rendezvous day with the Giro, your cycling route heads east to the Passo Brocon, the final climb on a very hard stage of the Giro that includes both the Passo Sella and the Passo Rolle. The pros actually climb the Brocon from two sides; you will catch them on their second ascent directly before the summit finish.

Giro finish viewing accomplished, follow the actual Giro route back down to the Valsugana Valley for a mostly flat run home. An optional return route follows the switchback descent to the town of Grigno before returning along the Valsugana. 

The destination for the day is the historic Renaissance city of Bassano del Grappa. With several excellent ride options available, you can opt for a challenging or easier approach to your day. The easier route follows the Brenta River and is both spectacular and mostly downhill.

A mid-range alternative is to climb to the Asiago Plateau and continue through the town of Asiago before descending back down to the Brenta River at Valstagna to join the easier route for the final cruise into Bassano.

The most challenging option follows the Brenta River route to Valstagna, then climbs UP this switchback dream to the Asiago Plateau before descending directly into beautiful Bassano.

Bassano is a great base for cycling, as it offers a lot of riding options. A wonderful loop that takes in Marostica and the climbs of San Luca and La Rosina can be done on its own or combined with another loop ride that passes through picturesque Asolo and Possagno.

Make sure to leave enough time and energy to explore Bassano with its multitude of bars, restaurants, and boutique shops.

This is likely to be THE big day of the Giro as the race climbs the Monte Grappa not once but twice. It is also a big day to test yourself on the Monte Grappa, a deceptively challenging climb, even when only tackled once. 

If you didn't get to ride the Possagno loop the prior day, you can either combine your Grappa ascent with this ride or simply head straight for the Monte Grappa, as the ride out of Bassano provides adequate warm-up before the ascent begins. Choose your Giro viewing point on the mountain itself or climb it first then head for the finish to watch on the big screen and see the finish live. Either way, it's going to be meravigliosa!

After a last breakfast, it’s time for the transfer back to Venice for your trip home or further explorations in the area.