CANCELLED Aosta 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: This tour in the Valle d’Aosta region of northwest Italy, features Swiss-style villages, snow-capped mountain views, French influenced castles and Italian food and wine. Arrival day is Wednesday, May 26, 2021 at Turin Torinese-Casella International airport (TRN) and departure from Turin airport is Sunday, June 6, 2021.  On May 26 tour participants will take a private coach from the airport at 12:30 PM to Courmayeur. This tour has multi-night stays at every stop. We’ll spend May 27 sightseeing or optional loop ride in Courmayeur followed by our first Group Dinner.  On May 28 we ride to Arvier with a loop ride on May 29.  We ride to Aosta with 2 optional loop rides on May 30 - June 1, ride to Saint Vincent with a loop ride on June 2 & 3, and ride to Pont-Saint-Martin with a loop ride on June 4 & 5. Departure day is June 6, 2021 with an 8:30 AM morning bus ride to Turorinese-Caselle airport. This will be the fourth time this tour is offered by leaders Tom and Julie.

The Val d'Aosta tour is set in the Italian Alps that border France and Switzerland.  The tour starts in the northern city of Courmayeur and works south through the valley to Pont-Saint-Martin. Courmayeur, which borders France, is a skier’s paradise with views of Mont Blanc and Petit Saint Bernard. After our arrival day there is time to set up your bike and go for a test spin or ride the gondola up the mountain pass. A lay-over day in Courmayeur has a loop ride or optional sight-seeing activities. En route to Arvier we cycle a mountain pass to Cogne or the more ambitious Petit-Saint-Bernard pass. In the tiny village of Arvier we dine at an upscale trattoria. Our lay-over day in Arvier features the "epic" Val-de-Rhemes. The scenery changes with almost every hair-pin turn. From Arvier we travel on village roads to Aosta, known as the "Rome of the North". Here we spend three nights with optional rides or a rest day. It’s an easy walk to see all of the ancient Roman relics in the centro storico. On our arrival nite we dine at a trendy pizzeria where pizza and risotto are a must-eat. Loop rides for Aosta include the Saint Bernard pass, Glacier and/or Place Moulin. All have views of the Swiss Alps. On our ride to Saint-Vincent there is a spectacular loop up the Saint-Barthelemy pass that winds through tiny villages. There is an optional lay-over day ride up the Matterhorn pass. If you’re in need of some R& R you can indulge yourself with a massage at the famous town spa or according to the sign, enjoy treatments for your liver, stomach and intestines. On our ride to Pont-Saint-Martin we have a mountain loop to Brusson and an optional stop en route to visit the extensive Forte du Bard Museum of the Valle d’Aosta just a few kilometers before Pont-Saint-Martin. We have group dinners here where we will taste the chef's risotto with apples and Fontina cheese as well as the tagliatelle with venison. There is an optional loop ride on our lay-over day for one last view of the snow-capped peaks laced with a necklace of clouds before we pack the bikes and bid arrivederci alle Valle d'Aosta.

RIDE RATING: The trip is rated a 4B with an average of 36 miles/day and 3,800 feet of climbing. Lay-over day rides are out and back so short or long options are personal choice. The two toughest rides are both 38 miles, with 4,400 ft climbing, going to St Bernard pass and the foot of the Matterhorn. There is an optional extension with more climbing on the ride up the St. Bernard Pass. There are unavoidable tunnels on many routes. Most are 100-300 meters long and well lit. Those longer than 400 meters have external by-pass lanes.

WEATHER: Weather is usually cool to cold Am & PM turning warm mid-day: average highs will be 67 F, average lows will be 47 F. June has an average of 5 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. All breakfasts and 6 group dinners are included in the cost of the tour.

LOGISTICS: Fly in and out of Torinese-Caselle International airport (TRN).  Arrival day is Wednesday, May 26, 2021 at Turin airport. We meet at 12:30 PM to take a chartered bus from the airport to Courmayeur.  On May 26 we have an informal meeting at 6:00 PM in the hotel lobby.  May 27 is our first formal meeting and group dinner. At the end of the tour on Sunday, June 6, 2021, we depart from Pont-St-Martin at 8:30 AM for a 10:00 AM drop-off at the Torinese-Caselle International airport.Bike boxes will be transferred from first hotel to last hotel by the tour 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 11 nights lodging, all breakfasts, 6 group dinners, happy hour refreshments, maps, cue sheets, luggage van & driver, and bus transport from the Turin airport and back to the Turin airport at the end of the tour. Estimated cost is $1,450 based on an exchange rate of $1.175 = € 1.00. The payments are made on-line by credit card at the BAC website. The initial charge of $ 600 includes the nonrefundable $100 BAC fee + deposit of $500.   Payment of deposit assures your place on the tour. The final payment, which may be adjusted if necessary due to currency fluxuations, of  $800 is due on January 15, 2021. The Solo Supplement of $ 141 is also due on January 15, 2021, payable by check as noted under Solos below.

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” basis.

SOLOS: Space for 2 solo rooms with an estimated solo supplement of $ 141.  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.