Transfer from the arrival Airport and accommodation at the Excelsior Hotel 5* in Pesaro. Welcome drink and dinner at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel. The first cycling tour in the program starts from the beautiful and historic city of Pesaro, which offers 7 km of sandy beaches at the foot of Monte San Bartolo Park, 1,600 acres overlooking the Adriatic coast. Start from the Hotel Excelsior, pass through the historic center and the Ducal Palace located in the central square of the city and, through an avenue with beautiful stately aristocratic villas, take the road that will lead us to Montellabate. Continue uphill to S.Angelo in Lizzola, Colbordolo, Montecalvo in Foglia until you get to Mondaino: a circular plaza, narrow streets and prestigious buildings are the frame of this beautiful village famous for the “Palio del Daino”. Continue from hill to hill, through Montegridolfo, Tavullia, Monteluro until you get to Gradara, beautiful historic village linked to the love story of Paolo and Francesca, immortalized by the verses of Canto V of Dante’s Inferno. After a guided tour of the beautiful old town of Gradara and its castle, point of contention between Families Malatesta, Sforza and Della Rovere, we continue our ride slightly downhill towards Fano and Gabicce Mare. From here, a light and pleasant climb will take us to Gabicce Monte, where we will enjoy a fabulous view. We continue through the San Bartolo Park for Casteldimezzo, Fiorenzuola di Focara, S.Marina, until coming back to Pesaro to our starting point. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel and check-out. Departure from the Hotel Excelsior by shuttle, equipped to transport of cyclists and bikes. Today our cycling tour will depart from one of the most beautiful and characteristic villages of the valley of the river Metauro, the lovely town of Fossombrone, that still retains the ruins of the Malatesta Fortress. We cycle on the ancient Flaminia road and go towards the Furlo Gorge, a landscape full of dazzling colours, placed between the two high rocky peaks of the mountains Pietralata and Paganuccio. We ride through the gorge up to the city of Acqualagna, famous for truffles. Here we stop for a delicious tasting of truffles and local products, before leaving to Bellaria till the town of Urbania, chosen by the Dukes of Montefeltro as a summer residence. We continue on the road that will take us through the villages of San Giovanni in Pozzuolo, Montesoffio and Tufo until you get to Urbino, the “Ideal City” by Federico da Moltefeltro, in which one of the most complete and refined cultures of the Renaissance Italian developed. Palazzo Ducale, Oratorio San Giovanni, Duomo, Palazzo Ubaldini, the birthplace of Raphael, are the main attractions: only those who visit Urbino will understand their beauty. Leave Urbino and go along the road that runs through the beautiful pine forests of Monti delle Cesane until arriving at Isola del Piano, where a gentle descent will bring us back on Flaminia, until our starting point in Fossombrone. Shuttle transfer to Ancona, accommodation at the SeePort Hotel, dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. Today our cycling tour starts at the beautiful and brand new SeePort Hotel located on the seafront in Ancona, a secret and adventurous city, forerunner of the times. We move the first rides on the city’s waterfront, and then cross it in its historic part; we take the road that will rise slightly on the Ancona’s panoramic viewpoint until you reach one of the most beautiful corners of the Riviera. We ride inside the nature of the Natural Park of Mount Conero which extends for about 6,011 hectares overlooking the sea, until you reach Portonovo, touristic town famous not only for the beauty of the place, but also for the Conero mussels, the so called wild “Mosciolo”, now become Slow Food. We continue our ride facing the gentle slope that leads us to Sirolo, the “Pearl of the Conero Riviera”, a balcony on the beaches of the “Due Sorelle”, Urbani, San Michele – Sassi Neri. We continue our ride to the medieval village of Numana until arriving on the beautiful beach of Marcelli, one the most important tourist centre of the Conero Riviera. Our cycling tour continues with the wind at your back and the sun in your face towards the charming Porto Recanati, a small fishing village, and then uphill to Loreto, built around the famous Basilica which houses the Holy House of Nazareth, where, according to tradition, the Virgin Mary was born, lived and received the announcement of the Jesus’ birth. After a stop for the visit to the Shrine, leave for Castelfidardo and then get to Camerano, city of ancient origins, whose underground is marked by a complex path of caves, tunnels and galleries. Stop at the ancient Cantina Moroder, for a guided tour and a tasting. Always oriented towards high quality productions, the cellar enhances the cultivation of black grapes of the Conero and was the first, in 1988, to draw attention to the quality of the Rosso Conero getting the “Tre Bicchieri” Gambero Rosso for “Dorico”. Today the company is one of the top wineries in Marche and is a member of the Grand Cru Committee of Italy. Riding through a series of ups and downs we return to our beautiful Ancona. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

After breakfast, we start from the SeePort Hotel with the shuttle, equipped for the transport of cyclists. Today we ride in total relaxation: our tour will start from the train station of Genga, home of Frasassi Caves, the largest karst complex in Europe. The Regional Natural Park of Frasassi Gorge is the green heart of the Marche Region, a large protected area of 10.026 hectares, a journey to discover artistic and historical treasures, hidden by charming landscapes set within the lush nature. Stop for a visit to the caves. We begin to move the first rides through woods and streets surrounded by nature, until you arrive in the village of San Vittore, where you can visit the Abbey made by limestone and the Terme of San Vittore. Lunch included at the Restaurant La Scaletta. We resume our cycling slightly downhill until you reach the medieval town of Serra San Quirico, perched on a rocky ridge at the entrance of the Regional Natural Park of the Red Gorge. Riding without effort, we reach the village of Angeli di Mergo, until you get to Castelbellino, one of fourteen Castelli arising in Vallesina, an area rich with vineyards and castles. We continue our ride through the WWF Oasi of Ripa Bianca di Jesi, a protected area near the River Esino, where herons nest in spring. The easy road leads us to push on the pedals and in no time we are facing the sea in Falconara Marittima, where we will begin our return to the city of Ancona. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel and check-out. Departure to Ascoli Piceno by the shuttle equipped to transport cycling tourists. Today we ride in a magical and enchanting background, going from the living room of the Marche Region to the magical atmosphere of the places of the Sybil. The Sibillini in the Middle Ages were known in Europe as the realm of demons and fairies: among the legends, the most famous is that of the Sibyl, “illustrious prophetess” who lived in a cave on the homonymous mountain. Our cycling tour will start from Ascoli Piceno, the city of 100 towers, a charming medieval city carved in white travertine stone. We start from the square of Ascoli Piceno and after a nice ride in the historic center, crossing the ancient Roman bridges we begin to climb slowly towards the Monti Sibillini, with the Monte Vettore dominating the whole scene with its 2,476 metres. We cycle to the town of Mozzano where, hidden in the woods, there is the Church of Sibille with its frescoes dedicated to the magic figure of the Sibyl. We continue slightly uphill to Roccafluvione, whose name derives from the castles scattered in the area and the River Fluvione passing through it. Continue towards the village of Uscerno and Bisignano until you get to Montegallo, a small town of 597 villages situated at the foot of Mount Vettore. Here we have time to rest and enjoy the beautiful view. Our tour ends coming back to Ascoli Piceno to fully enjoy the wonders of the city with a short guided tour. After the tour, we will conclude the day with a tasting at the famous Caffè Meletti in Piazza del Popolo. Accommodation at Villa Lattanzi, dinner and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel. The last cycling tour starts at Villa Lattanzi and after a short ride, along the Adriatic sea towards Porto San Giorgio, a short, gentle slope leads us to the ancient village of Torre di Palme. Torre di Palme born perched on a rocky outcrop, overlooking the sea: the beautiful lookout, the narrow streets and the stairways make this small village a pearl on the Adriatic. We continue from hill to hill and, thanks to a slightly uphill, we reach Lapedona and Moresco, small towns of strong artistic and historical interest. Moresco, with its castle, rises on the top of a hill over the Aso Valley, which offers a fantastic view stretching north to the Monte Conero and south to the Gran Sasso. Moresco is one of the most important medieval villages in Italy, with its narrow streets, arcades, perfectly preserved frescoes and beautiful shrines such as the Madonna dell’Olmo. Still in Moresco, from Monday to Friday we suggest a stop at the Oleificio Alessandrini Oscar, for the visit to the mill and a tasting of products. The road downhill leads us to Montevidon Combatte and on to Carassai, right in the heart of the Aso Valley. We will start to climb towards Montefiore dell’Aso, a small town in the Piceno area, which offers exceptional views of the landscape of the Marche Region, from the coast to the Sibillini Mountains. We continue rising again from hill to hill until you get to Ripatransone, land of wine, high on the hill between the valleys of the Menocchia creek and the river Tesino. Its historic centre boasts buildings from the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque periods and a curious peculiarity, the narrowest alley in Italy. From Ripatransone we begin the long descent that will lead us to Grottammare, and then continue to Cupramarittima, Pedaso and return to Villa Lattanzi. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.