The 2012 Giro d'Italia has been described as a more "humane" route compared to the brutal 2011 route. It's also a Giro that returns to basics with a classic final week in the Dolomites and Italian Alps - just the kind of final week that we love here at Thomson Bike Tours.

We'll spend a full week riding all our favourite climbs in the Dolomites and Italian Alps and we've opted to view the race on the 2 key climbs: Passo Giau and Passo Stelvio.

Join us for a classic week of spectacular riding in the Dolomites and Italian Alps - can't wait till May!

Witness these 2 key stages "LIVE"...

• LIVE Viewing of Stage 17 on Passo Giau
• LIVE Viewing of Stage 20 on Passo Stelvio

Join us and you'll witness each of these spectacular stages LIVE on the mountainside:

Stage 17:
On Wednesday May 23 our race viewing station will be situated on the super-steep slopes of the Passo Giau, arguably one the most spectacular climbs in Europe.

One of 2 Queen stages, Stage 17 features 4 major climbs - Passo Valparola, Passo Duran, Passo Staulanza and the final climb of the day, the Passo Giau. The Passo Giau is only 17km from the finish in Cortina so we can expect some major action on the final kms of the climb.

Stage 20:
On Saturday May 26, the penultimate stage will no doubt be the highlight of the Giro - and of course we'll be there to witness this incredible climax to the 3 weeks of racing. The mighty Passo Stelvio is the setting with a first-ever finish on top of this legendary pass. Our vantage point with LIVE TV coverage will be set up close to the finish line. Enjoy!

The Rider's Trip:
But our trips are not just about watching the Giro. We also have a full program of challenging daily rides that will give you the opportunity to ride many of the legendary climbs in the Dolomites and Italian Alps.

Stelvio.... Mortirolo.... Giau.... Duran.... Fedaia.... Pordoi.... San Pellegrino.... Gardena.... Valparola.... are just some of the famous climbs you'll ride during this fantastic 10 day feast of cycling!

Click here to view the complete list of famous climbs on this trip.

Trip Highlights

• LIVE Viewing of the 2 key stages of the final week of the 2012 Giro d'Italia
• Ride the famous Sella Ronda.
• Climb the legendary Passo Stelvio from both sides!
• Climb the infamous Passo Mortirolo
• Climb the Passo Fedaia, Passo Duran and Passo Giau - 3 of the toughest climbs in the Dolomites!
• On race-days our hotels are in the perfect location - in Alleghe at the bottom of the Passo Giau and in Bormio at the bottom of the Passo Stelvio
• As always the top support in the industry!

Our Race-Viewing Points

Enjoy your afternoon on the mountain-side in the comfort and safety of our comfortable viewing points:

• Prime viewing spots - our vantage teams are in place several days before the race ensuring that we secure prime viewing spots
• Large marquis tents
• LIVE Satellite TV race coverage in English
• Full picnic lunch and refridgerator stocked with cool drinks

The Rides

Day	Route Summary	Hotel Location	Ride Distance	Elevation Gain
1	Warm-up ride around Alleghe	Alleghe 4-star	20 miles	1,950 ft
2	Alleghe › Passo San Pellegrino › Passo Valles › Alleghe	Alleghe 4-star	60 miles	7,700 ft
3	Alleghe › Passo Pordoi › Passo Sella › Passo Gardena › Passo Valparola › Alleghe	Alleghe 4-star	68 miles	8,850 ft
4	Alleghe › Passo Duran › Forcella Staulanza › Passo Giau LIVE RACE VIEWING - Stage 17 Passo Giau Passo Giau › Alleghe	Alleghe 4-star	47 miles 12 miles	8,750 ft 0 ft
5	Alleghe › Passo Fedaia › Passo Costalunga › Merano	Merano 4-star	70 miles	6,400 ft
6	Merano › Passo Stelvio › Bormio	Bormio 4-star	60 miles	7,500 ft
7	Bormio › Passo Mortirolo › Passo Stelvio LIVE RACE VIEWING - Stage 20 Summit Finish - Passo Stelvio Passo Stelvio › Bormio	Bormio 4-star	58 miles 14 miles	10,200 ft 0 ft
Total:			409	51,350
Daily Average:			58	7,336

 

Climb these Famous Cols

In just 1 week climb many of the legendary cols in the Italian Dolomites and Alps! Here's the list of cols included in our itinerary (sorted by Difficulty Index).

Climb	Elev. Gain	Average Grade	Length	Profile (m/km)	Difficulty Index
Passo Mortirolo	4,265 ft	10.5%	7.7 miles		186
Passo Stelvio (from Prato)	5,932 ft	7.4%	15.1 miles		172
Passo Stelvio (from Bormio)	5,030 ft	7.1%	13.4 miles		144
Passo Fedaia	3,474 ft	7.5%	8.8 miles		133
Passo Duran	3,255 ft	7.9%	7.8 miles		126
Passo Giau	2,349 ft	8.3%	5.3 miles		97
Passo San Pellegrino	3,753 ft	6.3%	11.3 miles		97
Passo Valparola	2,631 ft	5.8%	8.6 miles		88
Forcella Staulanza	2,766 ft	6.7%	7.8 miles		88
Passo Valles	1,617 ft	8.2%	3.7 miles		79
Passo Pordoi	2,090 ft	6.8%	5.8 miles		73
Passo Sella	1,309 ft	7.3%	3.4 miles		61
Passo Costalunga	1,345 ft	4.1%	6.1 miles		53
Passo Gardena	820 ft	4.2%	3.7 miles		36

Our Support

Quite simply, we provide the best support in the industry - guaranteed!

• Staff to client ratio of 1:4
• 3 ride groups of approximately 10 riders in each group - allows us to manage riders of varying ability levels
• 1 TBT experienced ride leader and 1 SAG van per ride-group of approximately 10 riders
• Experienced Mechanic
• Top-of-the-line rental bikes available
  

What's Included

• 8 days / 7 nights fully accompanied trip
  
• All breakfasts
• All dinners
  
• 3 lunches
• Pick-up at Venice Marco Polo Airport
• Drop-off at Milan Malpensa Airport
• All ground transportation
• All luggage transfer
• Services of our expert guides
• Experienced mechanic
• Support vehicles
• Thomson Bike Tours maps, cue sheets and elevation profiles

What's Not Included

• Airfare
• Travel and personal insurance
• Additional hotel expenses i.e. phone charges, mini-bar, gratuities

 

The Thomson Bike Tours Difference Your trip to Europe may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and you deserve the best! Performance cyclists now rate Thomson Bike Tours as the premiere provider of performance trips to Europe. Here are a few details that set us aside from the rest: LESS VAN - MORE BIKE: NO Van Transfers between your hotels and the start/finish of the bike rides. EVERYDAY we ride from and back to the hotel. Our local knowledge, extensive planning and vast experience mean that you spend less time in a van and more time on the bike! Best-in-class Support & ride leaders: another key to our success! Sag van and ride leader for every 10 riders. Highest Staff to Customer Ratio: 1 staff member per 4 customers! LIVE Satellite TV coverage in English: our strategically placed mountain-top race vantage points have become the reference for the industry and the envy of the mountain! No-one else has LIVE Satellite TV coverage in English! THE THOMSON RIDES: over the years we've also gained a reputation for providing the best (and most challenging) rides. 25 years experience riding in the Dolomites and Italian Alps counts! Choice of rides: shorter distance options are available on most days.