Guided cycle touring in Europe and Australia
TAKE CYCLING ENTHUSIASTS
TO THE GREAT CLIMBS
OF THE WORLD
amazing scenery; to have lunch in a scenic
picnic spot; or to ease up and encourage
another rider giving their all to conquer the
mountain.
The Dolomites in Italy are another
favourite destination for our tours. The Giro
d’Italia is one of the toughest of the grand
tours. The climbs can be very long and the
altitude very high. All of this adds to the
degree of difficulty but at the same time
provides the attraction.
Two rides stand out as tough Giro rides
and of course they are in our program.
They are the Fedaia and the Mortirolo.
Our Fedaia day is 91kms and an ascent of
2497mtrs.
The Fedaia is a legendary climb. Around
14 kms it has gradients that range from
6-15% with an average of about 9% this
can be a very testing climb. The reward is
the view of the Massif which dominates
the landscape. After photos and drinks at
the summit it is a descent all the way to our
base at Canazei.
By comparison the Mortirolo day is
shorter at 71kms however there are
2144mtrs of ascent on the day. The climb
itself is 12.4kms long but with 1300mtrs
98 Ultimate Adventure Pass
of climbing and an average of 10.5%.
The road however is a climbers dream. It
is narrow and quiet with many hairpins.
There is little traffic save for other bikes. It
is also well forested so the ride is mostly
protected from the summer sun.
Of course our tours are not all about
climbing the great cols. We stay in the most
wonderful scenic villages. These are places
tourists come to see the mountains and
walk the summer trails. No bike is needed
to enjoy these areas.
The regional food and culture is also key
to our tours. The food is hearty alpine food
which is good for us as cyclists. The cheeses
are local and wonderful. A favourite is the
hard cheese of Beaufort at the base of the
Cormet de Roselend in the French Alps. We
ride through Beaufort but our minds are on
the climb we can see in front of us. We are
not thinking about cheese. However as we
sit in the bar after another satisfying day
of riding a nice hard cheese like a Beaufort
goes well with a beer.
All our tours are explained in detail at
www.diamondcycletours.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +61 2 6260 8080
Web: www.diamondcycletours.com
OUTER EDGE 99