CANCELLED Piedmont West to East 2021

This Ride has been Cancelled

† 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 $100 for all other countries, both are per participant.

Ride Description

OVERVIEW: The Piedmont region of Italy is surrounded by the Italian Alps and the French Maritime Alps. This tour travels from west to east with multi-night stays at every stop. Arrival day is Friday, May 14, 2021 at Hotel Concord, Turin, Italy. There is a private bus transport from Turin to Saluzzo where we start biking and at the end from Gavi directly to the Turin airport-Caselle Torinese for departure on Wednesday, May 26, 2021. This is the third time this tour is offered by Tom and Julie.  Each stop on this tour has a 2-day stay. Turin (May 14-15), Saluzzo (May 16-17), Fossano (May 18-19), Barolo (May 20-21), Bistagno (May 22-23), and Gavi (May24-25). We have avoided stays in Asti, Alba and Aqui Terme in an effort to minimize cycling in heavy traffic.

On this tour you'll see vistas framed by snow-capped mountains, hilly vineyards and mostly smaller villages with vibrant local economies. The cuisine features local produce like hazelnuts, truffles, and Arborio rice used for risotto that is made with Barolo's famous red or white wine. Following your arrival in Turin, we have a day for sightseeing, with a guide, in the city. From the hotel you can walk to one of the many museums or stroll through the centro storico.  Turin is a city of museums boasting a total of forty. The most famous is the Egyptian Museum which rivals the one in Cairo. Recently opened, the National Cinema Museum is housed in a spectacular former synagogue. For car buffs, there's the National Automobile Museum where you can trace the Ferrari's development. We bus from Turin to Saluzzo where we start cycling. There we stay at the former estate of the Marquis of Saluzzo. It's a short walk into town where we'll have the house special at a local trattoria. Leaving Saluzzo, you'll see a border of snow-capped Alps as you head toward our next destination, Fossano. The Palazzo Righini in Fossano is a designated “Small Luxury Hotel”. Located in the centro storico, you'll step back in time as you stroll the medieval arcades that border Via Roma. En route to Barolo, the landscape of vineyards rolls out like a flying carpet. You may have to yield the road to a passing tractor on paved farm roads that cut through the vineyards. In Barolo we'll have a wine tasting in the hotel's cave, featuring one of the oldest wine producers in Barolo, the Brezza family. You need only gaze out the window to see the vineyard that surrounds the hotel. The most challenging rides of the tour are from Barolo to Bistagno and then on to Gavi where you cycle along a ridge line with dips up and down the ravine. The optional loop in Bistagno has views that make me think of the Grand Canyon.  On that loop you might catch lunch at an annual polenta festival. As we venture east the region's wine changes from the famous Barolo red to the bubbly of Asti Spumanti and then to the crisp-dry white of Gavi. We stay just outside of Gavi at the Agriturismo della Guardia. Prior to the bus departure for the Turin airport, on your final night in Gavi, you can watch the moon rise over the neighboring hilltop village.

RIDE RATING: 3B averaging 32 miles per day and a daily average of 2,523 feet of climbing. There are two difficult days that are required, one is 41 miles long with 3,650 feet of climbing and the second is also 41 miles long with 3,275 feet of climbing. Over half of the rides on this tour are optional loop rides. If you choose to do all of the longer loop options then the tour rating becomes a 4B.

WEATHER: The weather is typically cool in the AM & PM with some sunny hot days possible: average highs will be 69F, average lows will be 56F. May has an average of 4 days with rain but when it rains it will feel cold so plan to bring full rain gear.

LODGING & MEALS: Lodging will be in 3 and 4 star hotels with the exception of Dimora Storica in Fossano which is 5 star. All breakfasts and 6 group dinners and happy hour refreshments are included in the cost of the tour.

LOGISTICS: Fly in and out of Turin-Caselle International airport (TRN). Arrival day is Friday, May 14, 2021 at Hotel Concord, Turin, Italy. Hotel web site: hotelconcordtorino.com The closest train/bus station to the Hotel Concord is the Porta Nuova station. Our first official meeting is on May 15 at 6:00 PM in the hotel bar.  At the end of the tour, we depart on Wednesday, May 26, 2021 from Gavi at 8:00 AM for a 10:00 AM drop-off at the Turin-Caselle International airport. Bike boxes will be transferred from the hotel in Saluzzo to the last hotel in Gavi by the Leaders.   When you are accepted you can access the "Ride Leader Docs" posted on the tour page.  There you will find the Welcome letter for specific details about the tour.  Routes are posted there in GPX, TCX and RidewithGPS (for phones) files for you to download.

Tandems and e-bikes will be accepted on a case-by-case basis.  Talk with the leaders about this. Rental bikes will be available through CycleEurope ( cycleeurope.com ). We will coordinate the delivery and return of rental bikes. Each rider will pay Cycleeurope directly with a credit card.

COST & ADMINISTRATION: Included in price are 12 nights lodging, all breakfasts, 6 group dinners, happy hour refreshments, maps, cue sheets, luggage van & driver, and bus transport from the Turin hotel to Saluzzo and back to the Turin airport at the end of the tour. Estimated cost is $ 1,700 based on an exchange rate of $1.17​​​5 = € 1.00. The initial deposit of $500 is due in order to be accepted onto this tour. The final payment, which may be adjusted if necessary due to currency fluxuations, of $ 1,050 and Solo Supplement of $ 390 is due on January 15, 2021.

SINGLES: It is recommended that singles wanting to share a room try to find their own room mate. The Ride Leader will assist singles to find a room mate. When a single rider applies for the ride, you will be placed on the wait list and a room will be reserved for a limited time. Once a room mate is found, both riders are added to the tour. If a single rider cannot find a room mate, they may be added to the ride on a “space available” status.

SOLOS: Space for 2 solo rooms with an estimated solo supplement of $ 390.   Checks should be made out to “BAC” with a notation of the tour name included on the check and mailed to:  Bicycle Adventure Club, PO Box 23998, San Diego, CA 92193.

CANCELLATION POLICY: The BAC ride registration fee and payment processing fee is not refundable unless the entire tour is cancelled due to enrollment below the minimum number of participants. 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 cancelling participant is replaced, a refund will be made at that time. If the cancelling 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 solo supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour. BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancellation insurance.

COVID The specific safety precautions to protect participants from COVID will be determined 60 days prior to the tour start date.  At that time, we will meet with tour participants using a video conference to explain any safety precautions that will be necessary. We will follow any existing mask mandates.  You may be asked to wear a face mask when social distancing is not possible, have a negative COVID test and follow requests for hygiene procedures.

RIDE 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 use the "links" displayed above this Ride Description. When you are accepted, the Ride Leader will move you from the Waitlist to the Pending List. At this time you will receive an email notification to login to the BAC website to sign the release of liability form and pay the non-refundable BAC ride registration fee and the initial tour deposit $ 500 by credit card. As soon as your deposit has been processed, your name(s) will be added to the Participant List. To contact the Ride Leader, "click" the name at the top of this Ride Description.