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An exploratory fixed base cycling vacation on Sicily.
The island has hosted - in 100+ years history - many great stages of Giro d'Italia, the most beautiful race on the World Tour.
Sicily's offered Giro a perfect location: varied race conditions, riding among incredible natural settings and stunning historical towns and sites.
Sicilian roads proved to be perfect for Giro and they're for sure perfect for us cycling lovers who wish to enjoy great cycling in a typically Mediterranean setting. That's why we’ve designed a riding week based on a fixed location, and selected as base one of the most beautiful towns on the eastern Sicilian coast: Taormina.
This is the trip for riders who don’t dislike beautiful historical towns, great food traditions and neither the easy logistics provided by our bike center close at hand.
Our rides reproduce the same varied cycling conditions of the professional race, with unpredictably different riding days, featuring coastline, rolling hills inland, medium distance to super long climbs. And, yes, we'll go up to the 1910m of Etna volcano (a 3000m tall mountain), where the paved road surrenders to black lava rock! During this week we will face the volcano many times: we will ride till the 1800m of Piano Provenzana, on the Northern Etna’s side like Alberto Contador did in the 9th stage of Giro d'Italia won in 2011; ride up the southern side up to the 2000m of Rifugio Sapienza, as Esteban Chaves did (we’ll be maybe slower, who knows?) in his stage victory in 2018.
But that's not all: we'll ride up to the 1125m of Portella Mandrazzi's pass which every year is included as KOM or at Giro d'Italia and ride back to Taormina among the Etna's vineyards and along the famous Taormina coastline.
The focus of this trip is enjoy riding challenging stages that include the best roads selection from the Giro d'Italia race course along the years, making us bring back home only the best cycling rides the Etna's area can offer.
ITINERARY
Arrival at Catania airport and transfer to Taormina. Accommodation, bike-fitting. Overnight at four-star hotel.
68 km | 1,607m | 1,607m | 3,30h
It’s a mix of coastline and hills inland on this first cycling day in Sicily: our week begins with a beautiful stage with medium distance climbs, the longest being 12 km long. From Letojanni, we'll climb up the Sanctuary of the Madonna dell’Aiuto at 1000m ASL through the Agrò Valley, nearly the top of Mount Kalfa. From there, the stage explores - across narrow and quiet countryside roads - a very spectacular and lush area. Is there a place where we can stop to grab a cappuccino? Of course there is, and it’s the famous and lovely Bar Vitelli in Savoca, straight from Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘The Godfather’ movie. From there, a thrilling and winding descent will take us again to the coastline, on the way back to the hotel.
Accommodation: 4-star hotel
Meals: Breakfast
94 km | 2,151m | 2,151m | 5,30h
After an early start, we ride up the 1800m ASL of Piano Provenzana, stage finish of Giro d'Italia 2020.
The main climb up there is 18 km long and alternates consistent sections around 5% and steeper stretches, with the last 3 km climb to Piano Provenzana being the hardest part of the ride: slopes are above 10%. We'll wait to see who'll cross victorious the line, and also wait for the bunch to finish the stage, then we will ride down to Fornazzo and then back to our hotel.
Accommodation: 4-star hotel
Meals: Breakfast
102.5 km | 1,786m | 1,786m | 5h
Today we'll ride up to the 1125m ASL of Portella Mandrazzi’s pass, KOM of 6th Giro stage 2020, through the Alcantara's Valley. After Linguaglossa and Castiglione di Sicilia, We'll reach Francavilla to Sicilia, where we'll start our climb to the Portella Mandrazzi's pass.
Amazing landscapes all around, with the majestic volcano in the background. Giro d’Italia faced Portella Mandrazzi pass twice: in 1999 in the stage Catania-Messina, won by the Dutch sprint specialist Jeroen Blijlevens and in 2003 in the Messina: Catania, won by Italian sprinter Alessandro Petacchi.
Reached the top, we will descend to Giardini Naxos and then back to Taormina. And who knows, maybe will do a sprint finish too!
Accommodation: 4-star hotel
Meals: Breakfast
125.8 km | 2,656m | 2,656m | 6,20h
We'll face the southern side of Etna through the villages spread across the Etna belt such as Vena, Presa, Milo, Fornazzo and Zafferana Etnea. In Zafferana, we'll take a stop in one of the awesome local pastry shops to refuel before the challenging second part of the stage, up to the Sapienza refuge, at 1910m above sea level. To get there, we’ll climb for 17 km, with some very steep walls in the first two km and at 2 km from the top.
The climb is Llong and demanding, but the unbelievable views are worth the effort.
After a stop for a quick lunch at the Sapienza refuge, we’ll start our way back to the hotel, descending from Nicolosi. Up and down till Zafferana and then all the way down to the coastline.
Accommodation: 4-star hotel
Meals: Breakfast
95.3 km | 1,384m | 1,384m | 4,20h
From Linguaglossa we’ll ride along the Quota Mille road, on the northern Etna slopes, and then down to Randazzo, a small village built with black lava stone and consequently known as “black city”. All around, many vineyards tell us about the noted wine production from this fertile area. And right through the vineyards we’ll reach the Alcantara's Valley, famous for the noted gorges, a basalt canyon created by watercourses and lava flow. A continuous up and down will bring us back to the hotel.
Accommodation: 4-star hotel
Meals: Breakfast
Transfer to Catania airport and end of services.
Start: Taormina
End: Taormina
Accommodation
Handpicked hotels
We chose a hotel in Taormina for a straightforward reason: the majority of the hotels are situated on a picturesque rock, providing unparalleled views of the sea.
A stone's throw away lies the city's historic center, featuring a captivating promenade adorned with charming shops, bars, and restaurants. It's the perfect setting for a multi-day stay, offering a plethora of entertaining attractions and opportunities to savor the exquisite local cuisine and wines.
Notable highlights include breathtaking churches, the ancient Greek theater of Taormina, and the enchanting Castelmola castle.
Food
Eat like locals
The Taormina region boasts a diverse culinary scene, ranging from traditional to modern cuisine, with a nod to the simplicity of street food.
A standout in Sicilian gastronomy is undoubtedly seafood, and in the Messina province, a beloved dish is swordfish, often presented as a skewer generously stuffed with breadcrumbs.
For pasta enthusiasts, the irresistible "pasta alla norma" is a must-try. This delectable handmade pasta is adorned with slices of fried eggplant, accompanied by grated ricotta salata cheese and fresh basil.
For a satisfying post-ride refuel, indulge in Sicily's crowned street food king: arancini. These Sicilian fried rice balls are filled with rich ragù or sauce.
Meals in this Italian region are known for their abundance, so we recommend a unique breakfast experience for those who conquer the hearty dinners—a typical eastern Sicilian breakfast featuring granita (flavored ice) and a brioche.
Our best picks for this tour
As we have one of the largest and best bike fleets in Italy, we are proud to give our guests the freedom to choose the bike that suits them best.
Ride Highlights:
Etna's Volcano
Etna is a constant presence for those who visit the eastern part of Sicily: wherever you go, Etna is in the background, being nearly 3000 m tall. It's huge. Daunting and attracting at the same time. Do you really think you can win the temptation to climbing up its nearly 2000 m altitude? Etna is the tallest active volcano in Europe, another reason to put our flag on it, isn't t? Don't risk missing it, you know you will regret!
Travel arrangements
The best airport to land is Catania (CTA).
For those participating in a guided or in a supported tour, a group transfer is scheduled to depart from Catania airport at 2 p.m. Similarly, for the return journey, a group transfer is arranged to depart from Taormina at 10 a.m.
For alternative requirements, we can assist in arranging private transfers (that will be quoted separately) or suggest the most cost effective transport solution.
Travelers on self-guided trips have to independently reach Taormina.
The Catania airport and Taormina are well-connected by both railway and bus services. However, if you prefer a most comfortable and faster solution, we can assist in arranging a transfer that suits your needs best (the transfer will be quoted separately).
Please contact us for more information.
Food & Drinks during stages
For those participating in a guided or in a supported tour, during the rides, we plan at least one longer food stop in the middle of the stage plus one or more coffee stops. In the assistance van we have bars, gels and water.
Those riding for the self-guided tour can rely on our road book and maps that show the suggested bars or restaurants.
Necessary Gear
Our guests will get a pre tour info kit that gives useful suggestions on how to enjoy our trips in full. Here is a quick selection that might be useful at this stage.
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We suggest renting a bike with us. But feel free to bring your own bike. Just consider bringing along a selection of model specific spare parts (ie. derailleur hangers).
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The hotels have in some occasion a bike room, bikes are anyway always stored in a safe way. We have a mobile workshop with tools and spare parts.
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Bring along a wide selection of clothes, including some full arm jackets, raincoat, leg and arm warmers: there are a lot of mountains where the weather is never completely predictable.
