Yes, the Guyz are back, heading to Europe once again this year (see bike trips in header menu, or see last year’s Pyrenees trip blog) to relive our youth and imagine ourselves as Cycling Legends.  It’s Italy this year, land of Coppi, Bartali and Pantani, and so many great cycling exploits that Wikipedia can’t recount them.

Trip Map

We actually will be taking a somewhat tamer route in 2012, avoiding the high mountains.  We start in Orbetello, on the Tyrrhenian Sea, and pedal westward through Tuscany and Umbria until we arrive at Grottammare on the Adriatic Sea, 7 days, 350 miles, and 35,000 feet vertical later.

From Grottammare, we transfer by van to the town of Recanati to ride in the Fondo Leopardiana for our final Grand Hurrah.

We expect to find plenty of ancient hill towns, friendly Italians, wine, cheese and great country cooking along the way.  And there’s a rumor about some STEEP climbs!

I’ll do my best to stop pedaling long enough to keep you posted!