The 96th GIRO D’ITALIA 2013 The Final Week - Includes The Alps & Dolomites and Crucial Mountain Time Trial With or without bikes

17th to 27th May 2013

After a historic 95th Giro d'Italia in 2012, which saw a first time cycling Grand Tour win for Canadian Ryder Hesjedal, we are already looking forward to the 2013 Giro d'Italia.

Will Bradley Wiggins forego leading the SKY team during the Tour de France in favor of Chris Froome and go for a famous double victory in the Giro and the Vuelta in 2013?

As the second most important stage race in the cycling World, the Giro always has a major bearing on who may potentially win the same year's Tour de France.

The route of the 2013 Giro d'Italia has now been announced and our travel packages are now available to be booked. We have one long trip, offering all the most exciting stages plus a shorter trip with the Dolomites stages and the finish.

For detailed info & stage profiles on the 96th Giro d'Italia visit the Official Giro website.

Friday 17th May:
Arrange your own flight to Milan Malpensa Airport, where our reps will meet you in the arrivals terminal. We will take you to the Hotel Sheraton Milan**** which is near the airport.

In the evening there will be a welcome dinner where you will get to know the Sports Tours staff and your fellow travelling companions. Your Sports Tours International guide will do a briefing in the evening to outline the order of the events to come over the next week.

Saturday 18h May:
After breakfast you will be able to load your bike onto the luggage transport vehicle. We will leave Milan and travel approx. 2 ½ into the Italian Alps and the town of Bardonecchia where we will see today's mountain top finish to the 1,900mts mountain of Jafferau that towers above Bardonecchia.

We will park in the town of Bardonecchia, at the base of the Jafferau climb. Those with bikes will be able to ride the Jafferau Mountain, whilst those without bikes will be able to walk onto the lower slopes to see the stage.
Please have a look at today's ride here.

After seeing the stage, we return to the minibus and travel into France and the ski town of Valloire, located at the foot of the Col du Galibier, ready for tomorrow's epic stage to this iconic mountain.

We will spend 3 nights on half board basis at the hotel** Christiania in Valloire.

Sunday 19th May:
Following on from a stage finish in the 2011 Tour de France, the iconic Col du Galibier will be the site of todays stage finish and pays homage to the great Italian climber Marco Pantani who cemented his 1998 Tour de France victory with a solo attack on the Col du Galibier. It will be one of the most important stages of the 2013 Giro d’Italia and a great spectacle to watch.

Our location in Valloire could not be better located for accessing the stage. Those with bikes will be able to ride from Valloire to the summit of the Col de Galibier whilst those without bikes will be able to walk to watch the stage.
For today's ride click here.

After seeing the stage we return to our hotel in Valloire. As it is a rest day the day after, all teams and the caravan will be staying in Valloire for the night.

Monday 20th May:
Today the riders spend their second rest day in the ski town of Valloire. We will spend the rider's rest day in Valloire from where those with bikes can ride another iconic mountain, Alpe d’Huez via the Col du Galibier. This is a 75km ride and we will do a guided ride here from Valloire today. Those who are riding can either ride there and back or return in the support vehicle.
Click here to see today's ride.

Those not riding can either spend the day in Valloire and look around the Giro rest day or come over to Alpe d'Huez for the day.

Tuesday 21st May:
The Giro d’Italia returns to Italy with a long 237km stage from Valloire to Ivrea. En route the stage will climb the 2000mts Mont Cenis. It is the 8km climb of Andrate that comes only 16km before the stage finish that will provide the stage winner, and it is here where we will see the stage.

After breakfast we leave Valloire and travel to the stage finish town of Ivrea. It is here that those with bikes will be able to ride the Andrate climb and either see the stage there or descend back to Ivera for the stage finish.
Click here for details of today's ride.

Those without bikes will be able to see the stage twice as it passes through Ivera before the Andrate climb and then the stage finish.

After seeing the stage we will travel to the beautiful Lake Como, where we spend 1 night at the 4* Hotel Palace on a half board basis.

Wednesday 22nd May:
For any fan of Italian cycling, no visit to Italy and the Giro is complete without a visit to the Madonna del Ghisallo (Chapel & Museum) that is dedicated to cycling. Today is a day for the sprinters, with a 203km flat stage from Carravaggio to Vicenza. After breakfast we visit the Madonna del Ghisallo and those with bikes will be able to ride there via the beautiful lakeside road along Lake Como and up the Madonna del Ghissalo climb that features so prominently in the Tour of Lombardy.
For this ride click here.

Those without bikes will be taken to the Madonna del Ghisallo (Chapel & Museum) by minibus. After our visit to the Madonna del Ghisallo Chapel & Museum, we will travel to see the stage. We hope to catch up with the stage in the final stages, somewhere near Verona. After seeing the stage, we will travel to the beautiful Lake Garda where we spend the night at the 4 star Hotel Astoria Park. Lake Garda will give us great access to tomorrow's important mountain time trial.

Thursday 23rd May:
Our location at Lake Garda is ideal for accessing the stage, and those with bikes will be able to ride there whilst those without bikes will be taken there by minibus. Today’s stage will be an important 19.4km Mountain Time trial between Mori and Polsa, near to Lake Garda.

After seeing the stage we travel to Bolzano, where we spend 3 nights at the 4* Hotel Four Points Sheraton . Our location in Bolzano is excellent for the next two crucial and deciding mountain stages of the 2013 Giro d’Italia.

Friday 24th May:
The two classic climbs of the Passo Gavia (2618mts) & Passo Stelvio (2758mts) both feature on a short 138km mountain stage between Ponte di Legno and Val Martello. Apart from these two iconic climbs the stage will climb the 2051mt mountain to the stage finish in Val Martello.

With 3 very difficult climbs all compacted into a short 138km stage, this is going to be a very explosive stage, with all out racing from the beginning of the stage.

After breakfast we travel to the stage. Those with bikes will be able to ride the 77km from the hotel in Bolzano to the stage finish in Val Martello, whilst those without bikes will be taken there by minibus.
For details of this ride click here.

Alternatively, those with bikes can travel to the base of the climb to Val Martello and ride the iconic Passo Stelvio to see the stage. After seeing the stage on the Stelvio return to the minibus. This is a ride of approx. 80km including the 20km climb of the Passo Stelvio.
Details here.

After seeing the stage we return to our hotel in Bolzano.

Saturday 25th May:
The final mountain stage of the 2013 Giro d’Italia is a pure classic, 202km and 5 mountain passes between Silandro and the mountain top finish at Tre Cime Lavaredo.

Our location in Bolzano is excellent for accessing the stage, and the stage passes through Bolzano after 59km and before starting the first climb of the day.

Those with bikes have numerous options of seeing the stage. They can ride the stage route ahead of the race to either of the first two climbs, Passo Costalunga or Passo San Pellegrino, see the stage and return on the bike to the hotel in Bolzano. Alternatively, travel by minibus with those without bikes to the base of the final climb to Tre Cime Lavaredo and ride this super steep climb to see the stage.
Click here for details.

Those without bikes will be taken to the base of the final climb to Tre Cime Lavaredo from where they can walk onto the climb to see the stage.

After seeing the stage we return to Bolzano.

Sunday 26th May:
Breaking with tradition, the final stage of the Giro d’Italia will finish in Brescia and not Milan. It is a long flat stage, 199km for the final stage and it finishes with 5 circuits in Brescia.

After breakfast we leave Bolzano and travel to Brescia to see the stage and the finish of the 2013 Giro d’Italia.

Those with bikes can be dropped in the town of Peschiera from where they can ride alongside Lake Garda and the final 50km of the stage route to Brescia.

After seeing the stage we travel to Milan and our hotel near to Milan Malpensa airport. Hotel Sheraton Milan****.

Monday 27th May:
From our hotel we will transport you back to the airport to connect with your return flight.

COST: £1699 per person based on two people sharing a twin or double room. Single supplement: £319. INCLUDES: 10 nights in good quality 4**** and 3*** hotels (Valloire is 2** but good quality and location) 10 evening meals with wine and water 10 buffet breakfasts Airport luggage transfers Bike storage at each hotel Air conditioned minibus transport throughout the Tour Luggage vehicle for the safe carriage of your bike Maps and GPX files of the Giro stages and the daily ride options Detailed travel itinerary with Giro info The services of our bike guide/ mechanic NOT INCLUDED (Not exhaustive): Your flight to and from Milan Malpensa Travel insurance (Very important) Any hotel extras Lunches

HOW TO BOOK: Click on the green button below. Adults 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 At time of booking we require a non-refundable deposit per person. The balance of your travel package must be paid, at the latest, 12 weeks before departure to avoid the cancellation of your trip. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Visas are not required to enter Italy. You need a passport or a National Identity Card (see the website of the Identity and Passport Service (IPS)) to enter Italy. As a British passport holder or National Identity Card holder you may stay as a visitor for three months. For links to important websites, click here. All other non-UK passport holders must check their own country's entry requirements for France. For details of insurance for our travel packages, please visit our insurance page. There is additional information about our other Concierge Services on our special web page.

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