Main Information
WELCOME TO THIN AIR TERRITORY.
We have done it…again! we can offer our clients another challenging trip with some of the most amazing riding you can do between the Italian and French border on this side of the Alps.
We will start our trip in Piemonte in Italy, but our trip will take us through the Italian/French border no less than four times, obviously every time via a climb.
The list of climbs is long…and high, we will be over 2,000m a dozen times!
Some of the most known climbs on this trip are Fauniera, Lombarda, Bonette, Agnello, Cayolle, Izoard, and Iseran.
Other climbs that are amazing are Sampeyre, Esischie/Fauniera, Mont-Cenis/Moncenisio, and Allos.
This is a bucket list trip, a tough but very rewarding one.
SFIDA Cycling only provides first-class support, so you just need to train and join us, we take care of all the details to make sure any trip with us is an unforgettable experience.
| Destination | Italy |
| Duration | 9 days |
| Dates 2025 | 28 June – 7 Jul |
| Hotels | 3-4 Stars |
| Meals | All meals included |
| Arrival | Milano (MXP) |
| Departure | Milano (MXP) |
| Non-Rider | 20% discount |
| Rental Bike | Available |
| Rental E-Bike | Available |
| Price | €4,650.00 |
Total Distance: 890km
Daily average distance: 98km
Total Climbing: 23,300m
Daily average climbing: 2,585m
MORE INFORMATION
PRICES:
TWIN room: 4,650 Euros pp
SINGLE Supplement: 950 Euros
Rental bike: 750 Euros
Rental e-bike: 800 Euros
Bike bag/box transport charge: 200 Euros.
PAYMENT TERMS:
800 Euros when making the booking. The balance is to be paid 120 days before the trip starts.
INCLUDED:
9 nights accommodation between 3 – 4 Stars
ALL MEALS INCLUDED.
9 breakfasts.
9 lunches, picnic-style on longer days.
9 dinners, including wine.
NOT INCLUDED:
International flights.
Travel insurance.
Hotel extras: mini-bar, spa, massage.
Tips for the staff.
SUPPORT:
We will have ride leaders and at least one mechanic on our trip.
Our staff/client ratio is 1:4 staff.
Our passenger vans come fully equipped with all necessary to give the best support during the rides.
We carry gels, energy bars, powder mix, water, fruit, riding food, tools, pumps, spare tubes and tyres to make sure our first-class support helps you through the trip.
Professional first aid kit.
CANCELLATION POLICY:
Adapting to the changes in international travel after the COVID-19 pandemic, we are adjusting our cancellation policy accordingly as follows:
120 days before the trip starts – the return of your deposit minus any expenses that we may not be able to get reimbursed.
90 days before the trip starts – partial refund of the amount of the trip less the 400 Euros cancellation fee, plus any amount that we can’t recover from hotels and other costs that we may have already incurred in the trip preparation.
Less than 60 days before the trip starts – no amount will be refunded. We will, however, try to credit as much as possible towards a future trip. This depends on the amount that we can get back from the hotels and other costs that we have already incurred in the trip preparation.
We highly recommend to contract travel insurance as soon you pay the deposit and buy your international flights.
Make sure your travel insurance covers:
- Refund of the amounts paid in case you need to cancel for any reason.
- Covers the cost of possible damages to your rental bike. Check our T&C for this.
For these reasons, we won’t be holding any spots until the full deposit has been paid.
Hotels are now more strict with how many rooms they are willing to have on hold for groups, so until deposit payments are made we won’t be able to confirm your spot.
Itinerary
After meeting the SFIDA Cycling team at Milano Malpensa Airport (MXP), we will transfer by van to Saluzzo.
Upon arrival at our hotel, we will check in, have lunch and have a trip orientation meeting.
In the afternoon we will prepare our bikes and go for a ride to check our legs and bikes.
We have chosen the climb up Pian Mune for our first ride on this trip.
70km/1,375m.
Climb: Pian Mune.
Hotel: Antico Podere Propano.
We will leave Saluzzo and head towards the town of Sampeyre and continue climbing to Colle dell'Agnello.
This is one of the longest and highest climbs in Europe, from Saluzzo is about 60km long and with 2400mts of climbing.
At the top is the border between Italy and France.
Once we are at the top, and after enjoying such an achievement, we will return to Saluzzo in the same way.
135km/2,800m.
Climb: Colle dell'Agnello
Hotel: Antico Podere Propano.
Today we are taking on a couple of giant climbs. We will leave our hotel in Saluzzo and have a short transfer to Sampeyre.
From Sampeyre we will climb the Colle di Sampeyre, a nice way to start our two climbs challenge.
Next is the Colle della Fauniera, one of those less-known climbs, but it is one of the nicest and highest. It has three different sides, today we will climb via Colle Esischie.
At the top of the Fauniera, there is one of the monuments to Marco Pantani to be found in Italy.
After conquering this giant, we will descend to our hotel in Beguda, near Borgo San Dalmazzo.
99km/3,230m.
Climbs: Colle de Sampeyre and Colle della Fauniera (via Esischie).
Hotel: Hotel Primula.
After leaving our hotel we will ride to Valdieri, then we climb up the Madonna del Colletto, this is a short 6km and punchy climb.
We will continue our ride towards Vinadio. From Vinadio we start climbing up to Colle di Lombarda, in the first part of the climb, we will enjoy the iconic segment with 12 switchbacks.
As our accommodation in Santa Anna di Vinadio, is 8km from the top, we will have the option to either summit and descend back, or finish the ride in Santa Anna di Vinadio.
73km/2,620m.
Climbs: Madonna del Colletto, Colle de la Lombarda.
Hotel: Santa Anna di Vinadio.
Starting in Santa Anna di Vinadio means that we need to ride the last 8km up Colle di Lombarda again (if you did it the day before), or transfer to the top and start the ride there.
From the top of Colle di Lombarda, we will start descending to Isola 2000 and continue down the Valley de Tinee.
Once we finish descending, will start the long ride to the top of the Col de la Bonette.
The Bonette is the highest motorable road in Europe, just above 2,800m.
This is a great climb, often used in the Tour de France.
From the top, it is an amazing descent to Jaussiers, our place for the next couple of nights.
96km/2,600m.
Climbs: Col de la Bonette.
Hotel: Villa Morelia.
Today's ride is one of the most epic loops you can do in the Southern French Alps.
We will ride to Barcelonette and start riding in an anticlockwise direction.
This ride is comparable to other epic SFIDA loops like: Susten, Grimsel and Furka in Switzerland and the Mortirolo and Gavia in Italy.
The order of the climbs is: Col d'Allos, Col des Champs and Col de la Cayolle.
The three climbs are all above 2,000m high.
135km/3,560m.
Climbs: Cols de Allos, Champs and Cayolle.
Hotel: Villa Morelia.
Today we are climbing a couple of TDF climbs that have been used on many editions of the Grande Boucle.
First we will climb the Col de Vars, this is a beautiful road above 2,000m.
Then we will descend to Guillestre and from there we will head towards the Col d'Izoard.
Col d'Izoard has seen some very epic moments of the TDF, the last kilometres before the top are in a very deserted landscape. Also, there is a monument to Louison Bobet and Fausto Coppi.
From the top of the Izoard, it is a great descent to Briancon, this is one of the nicest towns in the Alps, with a Vauban fort and an interesting old town.
92km/2,655m.
Climbs: Cols de Vars and Izoard.
Hotel: Hotel Vauban.
Today, after we leave Briancon, we will ride towards the beautiful Col de l'Echelle and cross into Italy.
We won't miss the chance for a good coffee in Bardonecchia. Then it is a long, and mostly descending ride to Susa.
Our last climb is the Col du Mont-Cenis, a beautiful climb that is even nicer riding via the narrow Moncenisio old road.
We will end our ride in Lanslebourg.
118km/2,790m.
Climbs: Col de l'Echelle, Col du Mont-Cenis (via Moncenisio).
Hotel: Hotel Saint Charles.
For the last ride of this trip, we have one more great climb.
Only one climb...but what a climb!
Col d'Iseran is another high climb, above 2,700m.
This is a beautiful climb with great views from the top.
After reaching the top, we will descend back to our hotel.
This is a great way to end a challenging trip like this SFIDA Piemonte - French Alps.
66km/1,620m.
Climb: Col d'Iseran.
Hotel: Hotel Saint Charles.
After breakfast, we will travel to Milano Malpensa Airport (MXP).
We plan to arrive there before noon, so plan your onward travels accordingly.
