Bike Tour Guides:Experience & Passion

Justin Wuycheck was intimidated the 1st time he came to France - the traditions, the culture, the people - until the following day when some old men invited him to watch a bike race in the Pyrenees. That was 5 years ago. Since then, one of his greatest pleasures has been to explore the endless variety of France.

Grégory Grandet was born in Switzerland and grew up in Paris and Provence. After graduating from theater school, he traveled extensively. Enthusiastic with a large appetite for life and good wine, Grégory is always ready to make his guests feel comfortable.

After spending a childhood summer in France, Tommy Pace was hooked on exploring the French culture and countryside. Over the following years he spent much of his time traveling around France and, most notably, studying abroad in Provence.

Born in Acqui Terme, Guido Rapetti was raised amongst the vineyards of the Monferrato. He comes from a long line of wine-makers and loves sharing his wine and his mother’s cooking with DuVine guests when we dine at the family farmhouse.

Angelo Scimia was born in a small town on the Appennini mountains of Italy. He loves to bike and show people around the marvels of his country, Italy. He enjoys repeating to DuVine guests the same old proverb that he learned from his grandmother: “You asked for a bike? Now you have to cycle!”

Andro Tartaglia was born in Split, Croatia on May 1st , 1981. Until the age of 16, Andro was playing tennis professionaly every day, but he gradually began to sneak out and spend more and more time on his mountain bike. This was the first time he felt thrills of a true downhill...

Felipe is a self-taught naturalist field guide with a wide range of experience in adventure and survival skills - such as mountaineering, orientation, sea kayaking, adventure racing, and mountain biking.

Vincent Reboul lives in the Burgundy region of France and his family history is rich in its connections to the world of wine. His great great grandfather is Charles Heidsieck, who founded the Champagne firm Charles Heidsieck in 1851. He truly enjoys sharing his love of France with others.

Born in Lausanne, Switzerland with French being his first language, Davide moved to the Salento, Puglia region with his Italian parents at the age of 7. He was then immersed in the Italian culture from that day until he was 18.

Silvija Vukušić was born and bred in Split, Croatia. She studied economics in university but very early on it became obvious that a desk job will not bring her happiness. Her life motto is “pomalo” which means ‘take it easy’. Biking became a part of her lifestyle as it was the best way to get around dozens of Croatian islands and its stunning coast.

Thomas Kevill Davies, aka The Hungry Cyclist, lives for good food and cycling. He is a published author on the subject and has ridden his bicycle and eaten his way all around the world. A keen photographer, cook and antique hunter, he is as at home in France as his native England and is always on the lookout for new culinary treats.

Andrea Giovanni Vitali was born in Trastevere, in the heart of Rome, but his father is from Milan and his mother is from Philadelphia. He spent most of his childhood travelling around with his parents and seven brothers and sisters, following his parents' missionary endeavours. When he was twelve, he was given his first bike, and it's been hard to get him off one ever since.

Alexis was born and raised in Ireland. After graduating, he decided, on a whim, to go to France in search of answers to some burning existential questions; sunshine, myth or reality ? Can there be life without 6 months of rain a year?

Sergio Sanchi was born in the gorgeous winelands of Mendoza, Argentina. He is a natural entertainer with a very friendly disposition. This native knows all the local favorites and will take you the places where you can eat the best "carne Argentina" and then pair it with the region’s finest wine.

Raslan Abbadi was born in Kharkov, Ukraine and has a degree in sport rehabilitation. He was a member of the 1st triathlon team in Jordan and has won multiple races for the Jordanian national cycling team

Giovanni Giusti was born in South Africa and now lives in Italy. Gio’s personality is larger than life. When not guiding, he races professionally throughout Europe. In his words “I love DuVine and some of the best moments of my life have been with DuVine. We take you to magical places.”

Our lead guide in Ecuador and the Galapagos has traveled extensively, starting early in his life. His career was jump-started at the tender age of 19, when he began working as a Mountain Travel Sobek tour guide for South American circuits. Since then, he has gained valuable experience working for many other leading adventure operators.

Fred Ackerman has been a professional tour guide for the past 10 years. Having a degree in mechanical engineering from MIT demonstrates his exceptional planning ability & attention to detail, traits which ensure your trip will operate smoothly. His joy of people and wacky sense of humor mean your trip will be fun, adventurous, and truly unforgettable.

Marcus van Belle was born in Amsterdam and his career in the hotel industry led to a passion for hospitality, traveling and languages. He met his wife in Spain and subsequently moved to Madrid. His love of Spanish food and culture has taken him to all corners of the country.

Pablo Muñoz was born and raised in Madrid. Following a career in public relations, he decided to organize and guide bike tours in Spain and other European countries. His travels throughout Spain have yielded discoveries of the best routes, hotels, restaurants, and cultural sites.

Marcel Brezik, born in Zlin, enjoys biking in his beloved little hills of Moravia and Bohemia. No rain or mud will stop him from the joy of riding. His traveling started shortly after the Iron Curtain fell in 1994 in Lofoten, Norway and at the age of 22 and more than decade later, Marcel, by some sort of coincidence, found himself on a beach in Costa Rica.

Padraic Doorey has lived almost as many lives as tours led! He grew up in the County Kildare countryside village of Castledermot but spent much of his summers in the West of Ireland in County Galway. He holds a Degree in Law, a Postgraduate in Law & Business, and has a Masters (LLB) in Public International Law and has worked in industries as diverse as Investment Banking, Media, Entertainment and Hospitality.

Ken was born June 09, 1968 in Toronto, Canada. His first bike was given to him on his 4th birthday. He has worked full-time as a pro race mechanic, travelling all over the world, for such road teams as Saturn Cycling, the German and USA National Teams, and the Gerolsteiner Professional Cycling Team.

Asaf was born in Jerusalem Israel to a family of cyclists, and has traveled extensively throughout the world by bike. This includes cycling in Israel, New Zealand, Ireland, Jamaica, and several European locations. His work experience includes outdoor education, professional cycling training, bike repair and cooking.

Ashley Vincent grew up in Connecticut and has been leading outdoor tours for the past 7 years. An avid hiker and cyclist, she has hiked the Appalachian Trail, the John Muir Trail, and led cross-country and Pacific Coast bike trips. She loves sharing her passion for the outdoors with guests.

David Baker lives with his wife Barb in the Okanagan Valley in the summer and Mexico in the winter.Originally from the oil town of Calgary, Alberta, Canada he owned and operated an engineering firm that designed wind turbine facilities throughout North America. He cycled throughout his youth (even through the snowy Calgary winters) and kept his 1978 Sekine 10 speed for 30 years.

Fabrizio Giacomelli was born in Pescia in Tuscany. He started with cycling when he was 11 years old. He won the Tuscan Championship in 1995 and Italian Championship in 2006. He also participated in the Giro d'Italia in 1997. With his family, he produces olive oil and vin santo. Fabrizio learned from his grandmother how to prepare classic Tuscan dishes. Now he loves to show people his passion for cycling, food and wine.

is an Italian adventurer who’s life changed completely after a trip to the Argentine Puna (High altitude Andean desert). The lifestyle of Salta tempted him to stay and settle down in its beautiful and quiet valley so, he decided to leave Milan, where he was working as a financial advisor, and" jumped over" to this beautiful place.

Vladi feels proud to say that he’s been able to work doing the things that he loves. He worked as a personal trainer and swimming coach in a Fitness Center for seven years. He also has a lot of experience as a guide in both naturalist and adventure tours.

Ronald Calvo, grew up in the province of Cartago, Costa Rica. Married and father of a son he is double majored in Geography and Ecotourism at University of Costa Rica, where he earned his degrees. He has worked as a consultant for the non-profit Fundación Neotropica on a Management Plan for Palo Verde and Barra Honda National Parks.

Gustavo was born in San Jose and lives with his wife Jenny in San Rafael, Alajuela. Once he finished high school, he became interested in sciences and languages. Therefore, he enrolled at The University of Costa Rica, where he studied Basic Studies of Biosciences (1988-1990) andModern Languages (1990-1992). During this time Gustavo became fluent in both English and Italian.

Lukas Svarovsky was born and grew up in Prague, the capital of Czech Republic. He was always keen for history and sports, which influenced his determination to study both subjects at University. His passion for traveling helped his decision to add a tourism degree as well, which he partly did in Germany. Biking, exploring and finding new interesting places is his lifestyle.

Born in Madrid, Spain, Oliver studied law in his younger years but then decided there was more to life and traveled extently through his home country and India. After a few years he found a way to turn his love of travel into the best possible way to make a living and became a guide.

Arien was born in South Africa and grew up on a poultry farm. At age of 14 she started cycling regularly and by 18 she was a professional cyclist. She competed worldwide in all the major classics and tours (women’s Tour de France & Giro!). Arien fell in love with Europe, and is passionate about cycling on the small scenic roads that the Mediterranean has to offer. She sees every European country as different and exciting in regards to the culture, food and landscape...

Nick Graham is one of the newest additions to the DuVine family. Originally from Rhode Island, Nick fell in love with Italy while studying abroad in Rome, and returned immediately after he received a degree in Italian history to continue to learn all that he could about the lifestyle and culture of Italy. He is an expert on the city of Rome, and is well versed in Italian history, from Roman to contemporary periods. He will be sure to show you the best that Italy has to offer through your DuVine experience

Born in Temuco, Chile, Ernesto is an expert biking guide with more than 15 years riding a bike professionally. He is in charge of the safety on route, improve the technique, skill and performance of our clients while biking, as well as delivering information about the native flora and fauna and the Mapuche people. In 2010 he was National and state Champion of Chile in Mountain Biking as well as Bronze Medal on Pan-American games and Silver Medal on Mountain Bike Master A1 World Cup that was held in Brazil on 2010.

25 years ago Dave Marin picked up a backpack and set off from his native Australia to see the world. In a quarter of a century he has criss crossed 4 continents by bike, foot, kayak, camel, an occasional rig and one tractor. He's now based in Provence having fallen for the charm of rural France, captivated by the endless beauty of his adopted home. Along the way Dave has earned degrees in International Relations and Geopolitics at universities in California and Paris.

Brooke Kerrigan was born and raised in Toronto Canada. Throughout her childhood her parent’s tales of adventure and travel in distant parts of the world captured her imagination and nurtured her curiosity, until time and savings finally allowed her to embark on her very own journey. She’s explored parts of Asia, the middle East, Europe and the UK but it was France that grabbed her and still hasn’t let go.

Stephane Gallet is from the French Jura, which gave him ample access to nature, adventure, and seemingly endless cultural visits throughout France from an early age, at the hands of his history buff parents. As a young teenager he moved to the US, where he learned the American Way of Life, completed a BS and MS in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Southen California in Los Angeles, punctuated by a short stint in Madrid to learn Spanish.

Adam Richardson, born and bred in Belfast, Northern Ireland, can turn his hand to many things: academic, writer, sportsman, historian, linguist, comedian (!) – not always a master at everything, but sure enjoys trying. Educated in England, Adam spent years working and traveling all over the world, from the sands of the Silk Road to the Gorillas of Uganda, learning from locals and sharing his knowledge with anyone who will listen.

Born and raised in Northern California only 30 minutes from wine country, Ryan began cycling at age 15 and the wheels never stopped rolling from that point on. He began racing as a junior, started a collegiate cycling team while studying film production at UC Santa Cruz, and still competes at the semi-professional level for mountain bike events nation-wide.

When Jonas got his very first atlas at age 7, it was nothing less than a love affair – one that still lasts to this day! Following rivers downstream until they mingle with the ocean water, detecting deserts and ancient cities – it was all a game in the beginning. A game that soon passed into a yearning for adventure. Since those childhood days Jonas has had many journeys into Europe and then to the rest of the world have followed.