Le Marche 2019

† Explanation of BAC Ride Fee – This fee is not included in the Estimated Cost and is non-refundable once submitted. The Ride Fee for US and Canada is $85 and $150 for all other countries, both are per participant.

Ride Description

OVERVIEW: Directly east of Tuscany, Le Marche offers a new frontier with temperate ocean breezes from the Adriatic Coast on the east and on the west, panoramic views of the snowy peaked Sibylline Mountains. We want to introduce you to our new discoveries of emerald landscapes, rosy-bricked hill towns, la povera cucina cuisine (hearty peasant fare), wine and cheeses from the Malatesta and Montefeltro states. Here the culture of Medieval and Renaissance Italy abounds. The prices are lower, tourists are in the minority and you'll rub elbows with the locals. This is the fifth time this tour is offered by leaders Tom and Julie Leever

RIDE RATING: The trip is rated a 3B!, averaging 39 miles per day and a daily average of 3,400 feet of climbing. There are two difficult days that are required 47 & 54 miles along with 4,100 & 5,500 feet of climbing. Using a different metric, the number of feet per mile, a difficult ride is widely recognized as 100 feet per mile. A moderate ride is 50 feet per mile. This tour averages a 92 feet per mile, so consider it a challenging tour.

LOGISTICS: Arrive in Riccione on Friday May 10, 2019 and depart Friday May 24 from Riccione. Last ride day is May 23.  The tour begins and ends in Riccione at the 4-star Hotel Sarti. Hotel Sarti offers shuttle service from Rimini airport and some limited pick-up at Riccione train station (arrival day only & if it is available). Consider flying into Rome or Bologna and then taking a train. The Rimini flights are limited and only connect in Italy. Bike boxes stored at Hotel Sarti. Rental bikes will be available through Cycle Europe. Contact the ride leader for info on rentals.

DESCRIPTION: The Hotel Sarti is a bike resort overlooking the Adriatic that caters to the cyclist's EVERY need. We spend the first 2 days doing loop rides from the hotel. You can ride to the Republic of San Marino, often a Giro d'Italia route, see the Rocca of Gradara, or relax at the pool. There is a lot of traffic for 5 kilometers into and out of Riccione. After the first 2 days, there is significantly less traffic on the roads until we reach Ascoli. From Riccione, we head down the Adriatic coast with spectacular ocean cliff views before we head toward the mountains for our overnight stay in a castle-fortress, Casa Oliva in Bargni. Next it's inland through small castled-villages for a stop in Jesi and then on to stay at the 4-star San Paolo Hotel in Piane di Montegiorgio. After a spectacular ride with sweeping views of the Sibylline Mountains we arrive in Ascoli Piceno, the southern gem of the Le Marche region for a rest day. Ascoli is famous for its marble piazza and anisette liquor. We head back north to Montegiorgio, then on to San Severino where we get a taste of the local culture staying with the sisters of the Convent of Baby Jesus. The mountainous terrain offers spectacular views enroute to San Lorenzo in Campo where we have a wine tasting over dinner. In Urbino, famous for the Palace of the Duke of Montefeltro and the home-town of painter Raphael, we spend 2 nights. It boasts some of the best views in Italy with winding cobbled streets and city walls that float above the valley below. Italians take their holiday here! Our final night is back at the Hotel Sarti. From there it's possible to take a side trip to Venice which is 4 hours by train.

COSTS: Estimated tour costs are $ 1,650 based on a current exchange rate of $ 1.20/ 1 Euro and allowing a 10% contingency. The estimated cost includes: 14 nights lodging with breakfasts and 10 dinners; luggage van & driver; maps and route sheets and a wine tasting. A deposit of $ 500 for the first 20 riders assures your place on the tour. Final payment of $ 1,150 is due by January 15, 2019, which may be adjusted if necessary due to currency fluxuations.

SINGLES and SOLOS: Single riders are encouraged to sign-up. We will assist with the singles search for a suitable room mate. Singles who are accepted but waiting to find a room mate will have a limited time-frame to do so if there are more BAC members registered on the wait list.  Space for 2 solo rooms with an estimated solo supplement of $330.  Solo supplement payments should be sent to BAC, PO Box 23998, San Diego, CA  92193

DAILY PLAN: Arrive Friday May 10, 2019 in Riccione; May 11 - Loop ride to country; May 12 - Loop ride to San Marino; May 13 – Bargni; May 14 – Jesi; May 15 – Montegiorgio; May 16&17 - Ascoli Piceno; May 18 - Montegiorgio; May 19 – San Severino; May 20 – San Lorenzo; May 21&22 – Urbino; May 23 - Riccione. Depart May 24.

WEATHER: Temperatures are mild to warm but showers are a possibility. Plan for full rain gear including long fingered gloves, helmet and shoe covers along with a rain jacket and rain pants. Evenings can be cool so plan on long pants and a jacket.

CANCELLATION POLICY:  The BAC ride registration fee of $100 and payment processing fees are not refundable unless the entire tour is cancelled. Refunds of tour payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up, and on costs that can be recouped. The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional cost as a result of cancellations.  Your share of fixed costs like the administrative costs, luggage van, leader and van driver expenses will be deducted from your eventual refund. We will attempt to recover lodging costs (most places require a final count 30 days in advance).  If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped the cancelling roommate may also be liable for the single supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour.  Whatever we can recover, you will get back after the tour is completed and the final accounting takes place.  BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancellation insurance.

PARTICIPANT RESPONSIBILITY: Please remember that BAC Ride Leaders are volunteers, and that successful tours depend on participants providing much of their own support. Participants are expected to come to the ride well trained, in good health and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles. All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable tour. We encourage you to read the ride description carefully and respond to requests from Ride Leader. While on the ride, support your Ride Leader with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and clean-up. Please do not interfere with the ride by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the ride or tour. Please keep the Ride Leader informed of any special request you may have and respect the Ride Leader’s decisions.

SIGN UP: To submit a request to join this ride click on one of the “I request…” buttons displayed above this Ride Description. The Ride Leader will contact you and if accepted you will be placed in the Pending List. You will receive an email notification to login to the BAC website to sign the release of liability form, pay the non-refundable BAC ride registration and the deposit of $500. Once that is completed you will be placed in the Participation List. After you are a Ride Participant, you will be able to access the Ride Leader Docs on the tour site to download things like the Welcome Letter, cue sheets, hotel list, GPS files and a participants list. Hard copies of the maps and cue sheets will be mailed approximately 60 days before the tour. To contact the Ride Leader, "click" the name at the top of this Ride Description.

CANCELLATION POLICY: The BAC ride registration fee is not refundable unless the entire tour is cancelled.  Refunds of tour payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up, and on costs that can be recouped.  The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional cost as a result of cancellations.  If the canceling participant is replaced, a refund will be made at that time.  If the canceling participant can't be replaced, any refund will be determined after the ride and final expense report are completed.  If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped the cancelling roommate may also be liable for the single supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour.  BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancellation insurance.