How we did it

TRAVEL

The easiest airport to get to is Pisa, which is serviced by most intercontinental airlines. Cyclist flew from Gatwick for around £80 return without bike, hold luggage or legroom. British Airways is worth a look – prices are higher but include 23kg of hold luggage that can comprise a bike bag.

ACCOMMODATION

We stayed at the Il Piccolo Castello, where some seriously plush rooms await guests from around £110pppn including breakfast. It’s a 20-minute drive to Siena, and a host of pro teams choose it as their base. It’s spacious, quiet and you’ll be able to queue up with Peter Sagan for coffee in the morning.

THANKS

Grazie mille to Jon Heasman at Vittoria wheels and tyres, who organised our trip, made sure everything ran smoothly and who didn’t rub it in when he beat Cyclist by over two minutes. Mind you, he was wearing a Giro Air Attack helmet, which is worth at least 10 extra watts.