This fantastic tour is not for the faint hearted! It will be a stern test of both your ascending and descending skills as our guide will be taking you to some of the highest points in the area – ones that have been tried and tested many times (so we know the best stop off points for views and refreshments!). For your day out you will be taken to the very beautiful Val d’Orcia region of Tuscany, the landscape of which has been depicted in works of art from Renaissance painting to modern photography.
Total Distance |
Elev. Gain |
Days |
Rating |
Location |
162 KM |
3,550 M |
5 |
3/3 |
tuscany |
for full itinerary ensure your smartphone is in landscape mode
ride 1 castelnuovo and lago di montedoglio
distance 50kms
elevation gain 850 metres
estimated moving time 2 hours 15 minutes
estimated calories 1,750
road surface asphalt (not always in perfect condition)
elevation gain 850 metres
estimated moving time 2 hours 15 minutes
estimated calories 1,750
road surface asphalt (not always in perfect condition)
ride 2 val d'orcia (excursion day)
distance 47kms
elevation gain 1,100 metres
estimated moving time 3 hours
estimated calories 2,500
road surface asphalt (not always in perfect condition)
driving to destination time 1 hour 25 minutes each way
elevation gain 1,100 metres
estimated moving time 3 hours
estimated calories 2,500
road surface asphalt (not always in perfect condition)
driving to destination time 1 hour 25 minutes each way
ride 3 chiusi della verna
distance 65kms
elevation gain 1,600 metres
estimated moving time 3 hours
estimated calories 2,500
road surface asphalt (not always in perfect condition)
elevation gain 1,600 metres
estimated moving time 3 hours
estimated calories 2,500
road surface asphalt (not always in perfect condition)
DAY 1
Arrival day in Italy
Collection from Italian airport
Transfer to your retreat
Collection from Italian airport
Transfer to your retreat
DAY 2
With numerous little climbs as well as the main event, surprisingly we don’t quite hit the 1,000 metres of elevation gained today but with this only being day one of your tour it’s a great starting ride to get those legs used to the hilly terrain that literally surround us in this beautiful part of the world. Making our way through Anghiari, we head on to the Tiber Valley floor then roll through Viaio and the outskirts of Sansepolcro. At the 10kms mark our road heads only one way, upwards(!), for the next 12.5kms until we reach our summit destination of Castelnuovo and its spectacular views across Lago di Montedoglio. Weary legs will be grateful for the 7.5kms of descending as we make for Pieve Santo Stefano and some much needed refreshments. Once happy to re-commence, our homeward journey will take us meandering around the shoreline of Lago di Montedoglio as we speed through Sigliano and on to Motina with further refreshments available if required. Finally on to a little uphill finish to the centre of Anghiari. A well deserved afternoon of relaxation at our retreat will be followed by dinner served by our excellent local chef.
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DAY 3
Our first day in the saddle among the Tuscan hills may have left you with a few little aches but you will be chomping at the bit to go again. For today’s excursion we will be making our way by car to the sublimely beautiful Val d’Orcia in Tuscany. An early collection from your accommodation is in order and with the bikes all safely stowed away we will head off for the 90 minute drive to San Quirico d’Orcia. With another two big climbs and a tough finish this route of just under 50kms and 1,100 metres of elevation will hopefully provide another thoroughly satisfying test. Our clockwise circular route commences with just over 5kms of downhill roads before the road inevitably rises once more for our first climb of the day. As we make our way up the 5.5kms through Castiglione d’Orcia before a heavenly 11kms descent through Poggio Rosa. Onto our second climb of the day, this time spanning over 13kms of magical roads leading our way firstly to Castelnuovo dell’Abate and Fattoria dei Barbi before we reach the truly spectacular Montelcino for refreshments. Once we can pull ourselves away from the plethora of Enoteca wine shops, our final leg is another gorgeous 10kms stretch of downhill riding before our final 3kms assault back up to San Quirico d’Orcia. It's back to the retreat for an afternoon of relaxation and dinner.
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DAY 4
With a thoroughly well-deserved rest day under our belts, you and (more importantly) your legs will hopefully be ready for one more tough trial. The trip out today on our “trusty steeds” consists of a 65kms route with a whopping 1600 metres of elevation gained. It really is a slow and steady monster of a climb. Literally as we leave Anghiari, the climb to Chiusi della Verna begins. Our outbound route will firstly make its way through Ponte alla Piera and onto Caprese Michelangelo with a quick stop off for refreshments. With around 18kms of steady climbing already ticked off, we have the briefest of descents before the road inevitably returns upward for a further 15kms. More refreshments can be taken at our final summit destination and the whole group will be relieved to hear that, once back on the road, our home bound route through Montalone, Ponte Singerna, San Cristoforo-Caroni and Motina is predominately a downhill glide all the way! (Bar a few little lumps). A much needed afternoon of relaxation at our retreat is followed by a hearty final dinner and the obligatory unveiling of the Tour's winner of the 'King of the Mountain!' competition.
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DAY 5
Departure day
Collection from your retreat
Transfer to your Italian airport
Collection from your retreat
Transfer to your Italian airport
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Photos from Graham of the Wheels Graham of the Wheels
