The PezCycling Travel & Tours section hosts our own personal accounts of cycling travel, top rides and places we've visited, places to stay, eat & drink, compiled over more than 14 years of road cycling in the world's best places. Be it a Classic, the Giro or Tour, the Worlds or a national Tour, riding your bike on the same roads as the pros is a luxury that sets cycling apart. Let us know if you've got a Top Ride or Travel story worth sharing with other readers at [email protected].
TOP RIDE: My one ascent and descent of the mighty Col du Tourmalet remain a vivid memory - even some 16 years later. So when Allan Reeves of France From Inside Tours sent me a video of him riding the full descent of the Tourmalet's west side, I knew it was time to dig into the vault and relive my own day riding over the highest paved pass in the Pyrenees.
TRAVEL VIDEO: Could this be Veneto's toughest climb? Giro d'Italia 2020 Stage 14 Preview: I rode the 19% grades of the Muro di ca' del Poggio as part of the Prosecco Cycling gran fondo, and survived. This climb is the major obstacle in the 2020 Giro d'Italia's stage 14 time trial from Conegliano to Valdobbadiene, and here's my on-bike video of the climb, some of the roads in this gorgeous region.
VIDEO: It took me a few tries to get it right, but now Milan is one of my favorite cities. Over the years I've honed this mini tour to get my dose of Italy's fashion & industrial capital - which usually happens after a long flight when getting out there is the best way to power through the jetlag and soak in the culture, vibe, and negronis - of this vibrant city.
One of the best reasons for choosing a good bike hotel is their skill to show me the best their region has to offer - like routes, rides, food & drink that I simply could not find on my own. This ride (and subsequent wine tasting) never would have have happened without my guide from Garda Bike Hotel leading me on a relaxed ride through the hills of valpolicella and an even more relaxed stop at the Santa Maria Valverde winery.
As the 2019 Tour de France works its way into the Pyrenees and then the Alps next week; the 'Pez' himself, Richard Pestes has taken a look back at the impromptu BBQs he's happened upon while roadside. The Pez Grand Tour appreciation of the sausage... and bike racing.
Travel: Stage 18 of the 2019 Tour de France will climb the mighty Col du Galibier at 2645 meters altitude. I "rode" it back in 2017 - maybe better to say I hauled my carcass up it. Here's a glimpse of the climb as I get inside 3km to the summit. It really is epic and awe inspiring - a must do.
Travel: Italy, land of vino, pasta, Fausto Coppi and home of the ultimate retro-ride. L’Eroica, “the Heroic,” runs every October and of course PEZman Leslie Reissner had to join the lucky participants enjoying some fine weather, great food and some truly terrible roads on heavy bicycles with inappropriate gearing and lousy brakes. What could be better?
What have we learned from this year's Giro? Well, Italy has it all and should be on everyones ride bucket list, but maybe riding with Italians has different rules than other cultures. Corey Sar Fox takes us on one of his old winter routes that becomes something memorable when a stranger comes along. Usually you go looking for Top Rides, but sometimes they can find you.
Life with the Giro d'Italia: Peter Easton could guide you on a trip just about anywhere in the world. But Italy... well it's in his blood. As the 2019 Giro d'Italia is about to kick-off in Bologna with a tough 8.2 kilometer time trial, Peter gives us his take on the Italian spirit.
TRAVEL: Have you ever wondered what it would be like to cycle the famous cols in the Pyrenees? For 12 years Allan Reeves has led a leg-crushing and ego-boosting trip across the Pyrenees most famous peaks that spans 1000 miles and climbs 100,000 feet in 12 stages. Here's what riders can expect on this the trip of a lifetime with France From Inside cycling tours.
Most PEZ Readers know a bit about the 'bike hotel' concept, and many of you have enjoyed staying in one location, hospitality by gracious hosts who know the best rides, food and wine, all in a cycling dreamland like Italy. The Garda Bike Hotel was one of the first to cater to road cyclists, with over ten years experience, it's no wonder they've become THE place to stay at Lake Garda.
Any ride is generally a good ride but what separates a good ride from a Top Ride? Well usually it's the location but it could be your riding partner, your equipment or even the rest stops. This past summer our own Chris Selden discovered a truly top ride cycling in Piedmont in Italy where he had the perfect combination of everything.
Last week I rode my favorite climb. Not at all unusual I know, but in this case it was my first “real” ride in almost two months thanks to a recurring injury that kept me off the bike and largely on crutches. I rode it because a favorite climb is like an old friend and I needed the comfort of a friend to ease back into regular riding.
The preparation for any new tour requires a lot of planning and ground work. Scatto Bike Tours' EROICA/GF Roma is their newest trip and this last weekend they drove from Vicenza, their home base, to check out the EROICA event and sort out some of the logistics and details. This is what they found.
Lombardia Ride: Sometimes you gotta point the car at the cliff and give ‘er some stick. Okay, maybe heading out for an awesome solo ride may not be quite the same... but sometimes heading into the unknown is best approached with a ‘give ‘er’ attitude, and as I once again learned on this awesome ride around Lago di Como, the rewards can be worthy of a lifetime.
A 4 star cycling hotel with the cycling operations run by ultra-experienced Larry and Heather from CycleItalia in the magnificent region of Piedmont in Northern Italy? Yep, we just knew it was going to be good. Our own Chris Selden managed to get away for a few days this summer to go and check it out for himself.
The ErgVideo team not only builds great software, but they travel to famous cycling destinations with a whole team to create their unique content. Their trip to some of cycling’s monumental climbs in the French Alps resulted in some of their best-ever ErgVideo editions.
Cycling in France, it's a dream for many and has been a dream come true for our Australian PEZ man in France, Chris Selden who has been living in various parts of France since 2008. Now Chris is sharing his dream with others after he has bought and renovated a beautiful old house in the South of France that he is renting out for visiting cyclists.
Negroni Week on PEZ wouldn't be complete without homage to a true maestro of mixology. I speak only of Marco - proprietor of the legendary Barolino in Levanto Italy. I vowed after first discovering his bar at the 2009 Giro to return one day with Mrs. Pez - and order two of his finest Negronis.
With more than 25 years of racing experience around the world under his belt it's fair to say that our man in France, Chris Selden has ridden up a lot of climbs in his life. His choice of a favorite climb amongst the thousands that he's done though is a bit of a surprise, the Col de la Roquette in the Hérault Valley in France.
