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March 19-28, 2008
MONDAY MARCH 19 DAY 1
Departure Chicago/Frankfurt/Bologna
Afternoon departure United Airlines Madison to Chicago overnight flight Lufthansa
to Bologna via Frankfurt. A chance
to read up on Italian customs and the region we will be exploring.
TUESDAY MARCH 20, DAY 2
Arrival Italy: Ernesto Bronzetti, Hotel Perla owner will meet us at the G. Marconi
Bologna International airport. We get
our luggage, and go directly by our private deluxe coach to Riccione. Settled
in the hotel, after our lunch we will set up
our bikes, go over maps, meet with our guides Massimo and Renzo with our guides
and take a short warm-up ride (flat)
to Faetano to help shake off the jet lag.
Dinner: Hotel Perla Recharge the batteries for our first full day of riding on
Wednesday.
SUGGESTED ROUTE: Faetano
*The routes to be followed each day will be discussed prior to riding by the
guides and participants
WEDNESDAY MARCH 21, DAY 3
Cycling: After the breakfast buffet and riding together for the first part of
the day, we plan to split into two groups
according to training and interest level - terminators and easy riders.
SUGGESTED ROUTE: Panoramica seaside
Buffet: early afternoon; pasta with fresh salads, vegetables.
Post Buffet each afternoon is free for you to explore, sauna, take it easy.
Dinner: Hotel Perla, Italian specialties.
THURSDAY MARCH 22, DAY 4
Cycling: The breakfast buffet will have us ready for another full
day of cycling inland with through the ancient villages full of
tradition to the Republic of San Marino, a principality with its own
currency and national government as well as panoramic views. A
wine tasting in a local vineyard of Italian wines, the Sangiovesa
red wine of Fellini grapes as well as an olive oil sampling.
SUGGESTED ROUTE: San Marino
Dinner: regional specialties at the Hotel Perla.
FRIDAY MARCH 23, DAY 5
Cycling: After breakfast Renzo and Massimo will take us through
the rolling countryside to the medieval University Town of Urbino, one of Italy’s
most beautiful cities. Artists the world
over study here following in the footsteps of Raphael (Raffaello) who was born
in Urbino in 1483. Take an espresso in the
town square in the bustle of this Italian art center or visit its exquisite shops.
SUGGESTED ROUTE: Urbino
Lunch: We’ll return to the hotel for pasta buffet.
Dinner: Hotel Perla
SATURDAY MARCH 24, DAY 6
Cycling: After breakfast, Gradara is our destination with Tavulia, Montegridolfo
Morciano enroute.
SUGGESTED ROUTES: Gradara, Tavulia
Lunch: pasta and vegetable buffet
Dinner: We will dine at the La Sangiovesa Restaurant in the
medieval village of Santarcangelo di Romagna—a showcase of
specialty foods of the region.
SUNDAY MARCH 25, DAY 7
Cycling: A big day of cycling as the Monte Carpegna (Cippo) is legendary for
its challenging ascent. From the village of
Carpegna the route is a test for even the strongest cyclist. Easy riders will
chose a more leisurely ride perhaps to the
village of Montefiore.
SUGGESTED ROUTES: Carpegna Cippo and Montefiore
Lunch: pasta and vegetable buffet
Dinner: Hotel Perla
MONDAY MARCH 26, DAY 8
Cycling: Start with the breakfast buffet to get ready for another full day of
cycling with Massimo and Renzo. Ancient
towns, charming medieval villages full of tradition and history are on the routes.
SUGGESTED TOUTE: San Leo
Later in the day, the USA-based Navigators Insurance pro cycling team,
as well
as the South African-sponsored and
British-registered Team Barloworld, will join us at the hotel for the
Coppi-Bartali racing events. This is an opportunity to
mix with professional cyclists who aspire to be on the podiums of major European
stage races such as The Giro d’ Italia
and Tour de France.
Pasta buffet
Following Dinner at the hotel the official presentation of the professional teams
of the Coppi-Bartali at the Riccione is at
the downtown Riccione Tourist Board Building. For those who chose, we can walk
to the event which will have team
introductions and other pre-race pageantry of European professional cycling events.
TUESDAY MARCH 27, DAY 9
After breakfast, The Settimana Internazionale: Coppi-Bartali festival with two
races—a criterium, or crit, and a team time
trail. The morning crit race will start from the Viale Ceccarini, in the heart
of Riccione. A colorful event with some of the
best teams in professional cycling, the criterium begins at 9:30 am. and the
team time trial is at 4 pm. We can cycle along
the beach to the afternoon team time trial which takes place in Misano Adriatico,
just a few miles from the hotel near
Cattolica.
Lunch: Hotel Perla between the two races.
Dinner follows at the hotel.
WEDNESDAY MARCH 28, DAY 10
Cycling: After breakfast, the pro teams will depart
Riccioneto continuing their Settimana Internazionale racing schedule with a 9:30
am departure from Riccione with a road
race to Ceccarino. On our final day of riding we can chose routes from a number
of destinations with Massimo and
Renzo. The Giro of Three Regions (Romagna, Tuscany, and Umbria) for instance,
makes for a memorable farewell day of
riding.
Lunch Buffet
Farewell dinner Hotel Perla.
THURSDAY MARCH 29, DAY 11
Arrivedercii Riccione: Our coach takes us early this morning from Riccione to
the G. Marconi Bologna airport. From
Bologna we fly with Air Dolomitti to Munich for our Lufthansa flight to Chicago
where we connect to United flights for
home.
What about emergency numbers?
If your family or friends need to contact you in an emergency they can call the
Hotel Perla.
Emergency Contact:
Hotel Perla, Riccione Italy
tel. 011-39.0541606918
cell 011-39.3397774939
e-mail: hotelperla@tin.it (emergency messages only please)
To call Italy one must dial as indicated:
Exit Country Code 0ll + 39 + City Code + The Number
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