Details

How to get there

The Emilia-romagna region spans an area ranging from Italy’s east coast to almost as far west as Genoa. The most direct way to get to Cattolica on the Adriatic Sea is to fly to Bologna and then drive or take the train eastward.

When to go

High cycling season in the area runs from April to about mid-june. Things slow down in the heat of summer and pick up once again in September and October.

Where to stay and eat

The hub for all cycling-related tourism in the area is Terrabici ( terrabici.com). It’s a great resource for finding bike-friendly hotels ( terrabici.com/hotels). I stayed at the Hotel San Marco in Cattolica. Right around the corner is Bike Hotel Europa Monetti, which became the place to go for post-ride and post-dinner drinks. In Gabicce Mare, there’s the Hotel Alexander, where the pro continental team Nippo-vini Fantini used to stay when training in the area. All these hotels serve excellent meals.

Where to find support

Terrabici has a list of bike shops in the region. Also, the bike-friendly hotels have bike rooms and tools on-site. The equipment available is good, but if you need specific tools to get your bike together after it comes out of your bike bag, it’s best to bring them along.