road.cc at the Giro d'Italia

Join us at the fabulous Belvedere Bike Hotel in Riccione for a fantastic week of riding and Giro-watching!

We’ve been going to the Hotel Belvedere for many years now, and we keep on coming back. The reason? It’s a fantastic holiday, with great company and superb cycling. Marina and her team always pull out the stops to make your stay extra special. This year our trip to the Belvedere coincides with the Giro d'Italia, and the hotel will be organizing three ways to see it: a stage departure, a stage finish and a ride-by! Plus, there will be a prize draw giving two guests the chance to ride the De Rosa Team car.

Key facts

• Saturday 16 May to Saturday 23 May 2020
• Bed, breakfast, afternoon cyclists’ buffet, evening meal and free house wine and mineral water served with dinner
• Five days of fully guided riding for all levels of rider
• De Rosa rental bike fleet
• Two local Giro d'Italia stages
• A prize draw giving two guests the chance to ride in the De Rosa team car
• Optional entry into the Gran Fondo Squali in Cattolica on Sunday 17 May
• Free laundry service
• Free access to the Spa and Wellness Centre
• Country house BBQ
• Wine and cheese tasting at local Agricola (supplement payable)
• 7 nights from €1,253.00 per person, based on two people sharing
• Ryanair flights available direct from Stansted to Rimini (8km from the hotel, free transfer)
• Many flights to Bologna (1hr away, free transfer to Riccione train station)

Really! Don't take our word for it: The Hotel Belvedere was voted the top hotel in Europe in the 2019 TripAdvisor Traveller's Choice awards, and second in the whole wide world. They really know how to look after you.

It's not just a great hotel, though: it's a great cycling hotel. There's a huge fleet of high-spec De Rosa hire bikes, so you don't have to take your own, although you can if you want. Whatever you decide to ride, your bike will be well looked after by the on-site mechanic. There's a secure bike shed and a workshop too.

In the cycling season the whole hotel is set up for riding. There's as many as five guided rides a day to suit all abilities; they leave after breakfast and are all back by about 2pm. You can have a packed lunch to take with you, and there's a huge and varied buffet every day when you return.

You can spend the afternoons in the extensive Spa and Wellness Centre, or by the pool with a beer, or you can wander into town, or to the beach, or even head out on your bike again if you’re feeling fit. In the evening there's a fantastic three-course buffet meal with options to suit every diet, and house wine included. Remember to chuck your cycling kit in the basket when you get back and it'll be freshly laundered and ready for you to wear again by the time you head up for bed.

There's lots of fantastic riding within reach of the Belvedere. Each of the hilltop towns – Montescudo, Gradara, Gemmano, San Leo, Verucchio – the list is almost endless – is a gem, usually discovered at the end of a testing climb and with a cafe serving great coffee and cakes for a euro or two apiece. The university city of Urbino and the republic of San Marino are both within reach, as is the 1,250m Giro d'Italia summit finish at Eremo and the 1,400m Cippo Carpegna, Marco Pantani's training climb: remember that you're starting from sea level, too.

There's the imposing Furlo Gorge with its sinuous road trapped between high limestone cliffs. There's the beautiful Panoramico along the cliffs to the south of Riccione, overlooking the Adriatic. And all the time you're in the company of guides who know the area intimately, so there's no getting lost or stopping to check your bearings. Plus you're allowed to sit behind them and suck their wheels when there's a headwind. You're paying, after all.

 

 

Road.cc Italy Week: what to expect

We'll put together an action-packed itinerary for the week, cherry picking the best bits of all the time we’ve spent at the Hotel Belvedere. This is the kind of thing we’ll have in store for you...

Every day: guided rides for all abilities

The Hotel Belvedere has a group of friendly and dedicated ride guides who’ll lead you round the best routes in the area. If you don’t fancy any of the headline rides listed here then there are always rides to cater for any ability, and they all end back at the hotel with a delicious buffet lunch. On the Sunday the rides generally head along the beautiful Panoramico coast road and loop back to the hotel through the hilltop towns, and the rest of the week is full of great riding too.

Watch the Giro d'Italia live!

The following day the Giro route follows the course of the Gran Fondo Nove Colli, starting and finishing in Cesenatico. There will be opportunities to ride out and watch the ride en route to the finish. The hotel has two places in the De Rosa team car for the event, so two lucky guests will get the opportunity to experience the race from the inside!

Optional: ride an Italian Gran Fondo!

On the Sunday you can opt to participate in the Gran Fondo Squali, which starts just down the coast in Cattolica. It’s a challenging ride with some big climbs, and there are 135km and 85km route options. The hotel can assist with registration, and the cost of registration is included in the weekly price.

The barbecue!

No week at the Belvedere is complete without the famous barbecue at Marina's country house overlooking Rimini. There's a choice of routes out and back to suit every level of rider. And level of fullness on the way back!

The headline ride: Cippo Carpegna

Starting at sea level you'll follow the valley roads and climb gradually into the mountains before an ascent of Cippo Carpegna (1,435m), Marco Pantani's famous training climb. Then it's downhill all the way home! Sort of.

The Emilia-Romagna region is home to some fine produce, and it’d be a shame to spend a week there without trying any, right? One day’s riding will end at Agricola Muretti in the hills above Riccione, where you’ll get to sample a range of local produce before sitting down for a freshly-prepared lunch. With wine. And Limoncello. And some strange aniseed liquer they make you drink. You can normally get the bus back if you don't fancy the last bit on two wheels!

On one day (normally the Friday) we'll head out to the Republic of San Marino, following the route the pros took on Stage 9 of the 2019 Giro d'Italia. After a coffee (and taking in the amazing views and tat shops) we'll loop back to the hotel.

What's included?

• Hotel room for 7 nights
• Breakfast, cycling packed lunch, cyclists's buffet, evening meal
• Wine with evening meal
• Guided rides every day with the Belvedere guides and the road.cc team
• Cycling kit laundry (€5 refundable deposit)
• Use of the Wellness Centre (massages and treatments not included)

What’s not included?

• Flights and transfers
• Bike hire if you're not bringing your own bike
• Wine and cheese tasting at Agricola Muretti
• Drinks from Max at the bar!

How much does it cost?

7 nights from €1,253.00 per person, based on two people sharing a basic room. Glamour rooms and suites are available. Use the enquiry form below for more details.