The Bicycle Adventure Club - Come Ride With Us!

Le Marche 2023

May 12th to May 27th

Ride Director: Julie Leever
Ride Co-Director: Sanborn Hodgkins
Report by: Diana Trager

The Le Marche ride boasts breathtaking scenery, tranquil medieval hilltop towns, and demanding uphill stretches. Julie and Tom Leever have arranged this ride numerous times before, and it's no surprise that it's a very popular choice among club members. This year, Julie led the ride with the incredible Sanborn Hodgkins.

A two-week bike tour in the Le Marche region couldn’t have started from a better place than the Hotel Sarti in Riccione.   The seaside hotel caters to cyclists, with great space to work on, clean, or put together bikes along with daily kit laundry.  And the food.....its quantity was only surpassed by its quality.  We stayed at the Hotel Sarti for three nights at the start and one night at the end of the trip.

One of my favorite rides during the trip was a loop to San Marino, which happens to be one of the world’s smallest countries. The uphill ride to its capital, also called San Marino, was scenic and the climb to the walled city that sits high on the top of Monte Titano was definitely worth it.

Although our trip had many wonderful days, a few days of heavy rain caused severe flooding and significant damage to communities located further north in the region. While our route was not as severely affected, we did encounter some detours and wet weather. On Day 4, from Monte Maggiore to Jesi, there was heavy rain accompanied by thunder and lightning. While a small group braved the elements, a bus was arranged to transport the rest of us to Jesi. The following day's ride from Jesi to Montegiorgio was an epic adventure. It was the longest ride of the tour, covering 55 miles and with 5500 feet of climbing. We faced significant rain, wind, some downed trees, and small mudslides on the roads. Despite being wet and cold, everyone made it safely to the hotel with plenty of stories to share.

There were 13 days of riding, with multiple-night stays in Riccione, Ascoli, and Urbino that allowed for rest days if wanted or needed.   Consistent with the 3B rating most days had some challenging climbs, but the views and corresponding descents more than made up for it.  Ride with GPS provided the daily route and they were easy to follow.  There was modest traffic on the roads most days.  Rides were mostly on quiet roads between small towns.  Italian drivers are very respectful of cyclists and I felt very safe while cycling when there was traffic.

Italy's Le Marche region boasts a rich history, with stunning scenery and mouth-watering cuisine. The group dinners were particularly memorable, featuring ample amounts of delicious local delicacies. Whenever we had to dine on our own, Sanborn's recommendations never failed to impress us. The only downside was the saltless bread, which could certainly benefit from some improvement!

The accommodations on the trip were good. Most of them were located right in the heart of the town, and many of the rooms boasted breathtaking views. I would recommend this trip to anyone that is interested.  Julie and Sanborn, both of whom speak fluent Italian, were wonderful leaders and delivered a fantastic trip.