Colnago Alpine Journey Bike Tour

Meet your guides in Tirano for a short transfer to the alpine town of Aprica, where we kick off the trip with an expert bike fitting on your C72 under the guidance of a Colnago factory mechanic. Check that everything clicks on a quick spin to a coffee stop, then dig in for our climb up Mortirolo—the monster pass Lance Armstrong once called the hardest of his career. We tackle it from the backside, a route that’s less busy but more scenic: first, pass through the Pian de Gembro Nature Reserve, then wait for the big reveal of Val Camonica as we ride along a high ridge. The way down is a series of switchbacks until we meet a bike path that follows the Adda River into the Valtellina, a valley on the Swiss border—but more on that front later this week. Our ride ends at our hotel in Bormio, a family-owned chalet that’s no stranger to cyclists. Get settled for the next two nights or recover in the spa before tonight’s dinner at a charming osteria in the main square of Bormio’s old town.

Meals: Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Aprica, Tirano
Accomplished: 41 miles / 66 km, elevation gain: 5,461 feet / 1,665 meters
Accommodations: La Genzianella

How’s this for bragging rights: by dinner this evening, we’ll be able to say we’ve been on the highest passes in two different countries. The morning begins with a transfer to the Umbrail Pass, Switzerland’s highest HC col. Mercifully, the only direction we’re going is down—consider it a warm-up to the day’s main event. The Stelvio Pass is the highest in Italy, arguably the country’s most famous climb, and a place where cycling history is written on the road. In the 1980s, the Del Tongo-Colnago team chased the maglia rosa on the Stelvio with pros like Giuseppe Saronni and Franco Chioccioli riding Colnago’s game-changing Master frame. We have that innovative construction to thank for the evolution of the C72s we’re using today to tame 6,000 feet of elevation over 15 miles (and 45 switchbacks) on our approach from Prato. What goes up must come down, and we’ll take the south side’s 40 switchbacks back into Bormio. Remember that Master frame? At tonight’s garden-fresh dinner, we’re joined by a head engineer at Colnago to explain why its steel technology was so revolutionary for the time.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Bormio
Accomplished: 51 miles / 82 km, elevation gain: 6,602 feet / 2,012 meters
Accommodations: La Genzianella

Crossing the border by bike into another European nation is a cyclist’s rite of passage. Say goodbye to Bormio, because we’re bound for the Passo del Foscagno. Don’t be deceived by the gentle first few miles—the grade becomes demanding until we reach Livigno, the little haven between Italy and Switzerland frequented by pro teams for altitude training. The Passo del Bernina marks our entry point to Switzerland via the canton of Grisons, and it’s a roller coaster of a ride with false flats, a few rough ramps, and a short-but-steep climb as you close in on the top. The descent into St. Moritz will make you forget your pain as you fly by red railroad cars, milky-blue glaciers, and inky alpine lakes. At our next hotel, soothe your legs with cryotherapy, sauna, or a massage before an evening stroll and dinner in town.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Livigno, St. Moritz
Accomplished: 51 miles / 83 km, elevation gain: 7,172 feet / 2,186 meters
Accommodations: Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski

Today we clip in and carve down the Bernina Pass, which takes us back to Italy by afternoon. Start at the summit—home to the highest train station in the Swiss Alps at an altitude of 2,253 meters—and savor the massive descent into Tirano, located at an elevation of 429 meters. The road is wide, the tarmac is buttery-smooth, and the entire route runs parallel to the UNESCO-listed Bernina Express railway, which feels like chasing a train down the mountain. We’ll take the Via dei Terrazzamenti into Tirano—a route chosen for the way it shows off 2,000-plus acres of terraced vineyards in the Valtellina, an area of “heroic,” hand-tended viticulture in northern Italy’s Lombardy region. Transfer the rest of the way to Lake Como, where a private boat is waiting to bring us to the picture-perfect village of Bellagio. Tonight is yours to explore Bellagio and dine on your own.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch
Destinations: Tirano, Bellano, Bellagio
Accomplished: 65 miles / 105 km, elevation gain: 4,762 feet / 1,451 meters
Accommodations: Belvedere Bellagio

After breakfast on the hotel’s lakefront terrace, our last ride of the week visits a sacred site for cyclists: the Madonna del Ghisallo. This hilltop shrine often appeared on the Giro d’Italia course, and its location made it a natural refuge for cyclists. In 1949, Pope Pius XII declared the Madonna del Ghisallo patroness saint of cyclists—and once Coppi and Bartali offered up race jerseys to the Virgin Mary here, the church became a de facto museum packed with iconic cycling memorabilia. Ride on to Montevecchia Regional Park in Brianza and break for a farm-style lunch. This afternoon, we make the final stop on our cycling pilgrimage: the Colnago factory. Meet members of the Colnago team, learn how the C72 frame is designed and made by hand, and see the production line. For the big finish, take a look behind the closed doors of Colnago’s private museum and archival bike collection, followed by our farewell dinner in Bellagio.

Meals: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner
Destinations: Madonna del Ghisallo, Canzo
Accomplished: 35 miles / 56 km, elevation gain: 4,293 feet / 1,308 meters
Accommodations: Belvedere Bellagio

Spend your last leisurely morning visiting the Cycling Museum of Ghisallo, built next to the shrine we visited yesterday—a place that celebrates cycling champions past and present, where the one true religion is the love of the bike. After, your guides transfer you to the train station in Como for a connection to Milan.