Mitchell Clinton Photography
"Because the sun is shining..."
When I find this answer to the "Why do you ride your bike so much?" question received with a quizzical stare, I sometimes add, "No, really I am training for my next vacation."
I highly recommend choosing the ultimate cycling vacation and then fine-tuning your rides to prepare for your big event. Lynn and I recently used a tour of Tuscany with Breaking Away Bicycle Tours as our spring "training" goal. We didn't let leg fatigue keep us from discovering a single picturesque landscape or a beautiful Etruscan village once we crossed the pond. We left the ride food at home and sampled bruschetta, panini's and pizza at every lunch stop. We rode long, ate with vigor and returned home more fit - you can't get a lot better than that!
Photo Journal Link
We found Breaking Away through one of our favorite customers and close friend, Walter Thompson. Wally, like most Breaking Away customers, has traveled with the group repeatedly. Owners Greg and Terri (pictured right) Hogan provide a top-notch cycling vacation that is as focused on the carefully chosen destinations as the miles ridden each day. Choose to ride in the morning, take in lunch at the open air café in a Tuscan village, and take the van back to catch a winery tour or go shopping for leather goods OR ride all day - you make the call!
Breaking Away has many things to distinguish it from the plethora of cycling tours out there, but one of my favorites is Mitch Clinton. Not only is Mitch a great mechanic and seemingly always there in the support van when you need him, but Mitch is also a professional photographer. You can ride the whole week with your camera in your day bag and at the end of the tour, Mitch can send you home with a disk, effortlessly chronicling your week of wonderful memories. Watch for Mitch's work on cycling news.com and other cycling websites and take a look at a sampling of our perfect week in Tuscany.
Consider a cycling vacation with Breaking Away. (And no, I'm not paid in any way to promote Breaking Away - I just want to share an exceptional experience with you and give you one more reason to ride your bike!)
Vida Greer
The itinerary from our trip:
June 1st: Welcome to Rome! Airport pickup and check-in to our deluxe 4-star hotel. Explore downtown Rome before our evening "Welcome Reception & Dinner Party".
June 2nd: After a morning van transfer, you'll start your ride near the Mediterranean into groves of cypress and olive trees on your way to the hilltop walled village of Volterra! We’ll spend two nights in a deluxe Four-Star hotel that’s perched on the edge of the village with views that go forever. Savor a four-course Group Dinner tonight that includes a great local Tuscan wine, bruschetta pomodoro, homemade ravioli stuffed with basil and pecorino cheese plus tiramisu.
June 3rd: Today's route is a challenging one that follows scenic little known back roads that wind their way to a finishing climb to the amazing walled town of San Gimignano. Stroll the piazza after lunch with some homemade gelato- we know the best in town.
June 4th: After breakfast on our hotel’s panoramic terrace, you’ll cycle into the verdant countryside on your way to the charming hilltop village of Montalcino. We'll stay two nights in a deluxe villa hotel complete with a panoramic terrace and swimming pool. Try one of the local wines during an alfresco group dinner of local specialties of Pici pasta and Tuscan bread soup.
June 5th: Enjoy a short or long loop ride into the scenic Val d'Orcia with a lunch stop in the romantic village of Pienza. Relax later in the day with a book by our hotel's pool that overlooks the picturesque valley below. Tonight you'll explore the cobblestone streets of historic wine center of Montalcino, choosing dinner at one of the many trattorias.
June 6th: After a tasty buffet breakfast that includes warm homemade brioches, we'll follow a ridge-ride that'll feel like "Disneyland on a Bike"- past historic villages framed with ancient olive trees and poppy fields. Savor a picnic lunch before your final push into lively & enchanting Siena! After a relaxing dip in the pool you'll be ready for an evening of sightseeing, shopping and people watching in town.
June 7th: Our final riding day finds us cycling through the famous Chianti wine region on our way to famous Renaissance town of Florence. After lunch we'll van transfer back to our Rome hotel (or you can explore Florence for a night or two- we’ll take your bike back to Rome). Celebrate the end of your trip with a final dinner ourdoors in Piazza Navona. Optional hotel night. Hotel shuttles to the Rome airport tonight or tomorrow.
