The beautiful island of Sardinia is a road cyclist’s paradise. Spectacular, quiet roads await us for seven days of point-to-point riding in the island’s northern half.
Average max temperatures at this time of year of around 23° make it a perfect autumn destination.Â
Sardinia hosted the first three stages of the Giro d’Italia in 2017, and if it’s good enough for them, then it is for us too!Â
Our trip will include dramatic coastal riding, climbs to hilltop villages, lots of rolling terrain and some longer climbs as we head inland.Â
Accommodation will be in comfortable 2/3-star hotels and ‘Agriturismo’ type accommodation to give us a real taste of Sardinian life.Â
Typical days will see us travel between 100-150 kilometres, with climbing varying between 1000-2700 metres.Â
Giro Sardegna (Tour of Sardinia) schedule
Saturday, September 27
Arrive at Olbia Airport, and transfer our start/finish of Palau on the beautiful north coast of the island. Transfer time is approximately 45 minutes, and early arrivals can enjoy some stunning coastal riding in the afternoon as a warm-up for the week. See below for more information regarding flights and transfers.Sunday, September 28
Palau – Tula 110 kilometres, 2500 metres of climbing. After a coastal start, we head inland to the rural interior. We’ll ride past the beautiful Lago di Liscia and onwards to the cork-growing capital of Tempio Pausania. The highlight of the day will be the climb to Monte Limbara.Monday, September 29
Tula – Cala Gonone 150 kilometres, 2200 metres of climbing. We’ll head towards the east coast and the spectacular Golfo di Orosei. Our ride will include a beautiful section parallel to the Monte Albo range. It will culminate with a descent into the pretty seaside resort of Cala Gonone, where our friendly, traditional hotel will await us just a few steps from the sea.Tuesday, September 30
Cala Gonone – Lanusei 110 kilometres, 2500 metres of climbing. After a short steep climb out of Cala Gonone, we’ll enjoy the beautiful scenic SS125 road that takes us south and over the Genna Silana pass. This long stretch was a part of Stage 2 in the 2017 Giro d’Italia. Our afternoon will take us up the spectacular Talala climb before descending through wild and isolated country to our hotel in Lanusei.Wednesday, October 1
Lanusei – Tonara 100 kilometres, 2500 metres of climbing. Today we navigate through Sardinia’s central highland area taking on several climbs of very manageable gradients. The highlight of the day is the chance to ride the highest road in Sardina, beyond Desulo and up to S’Arena, the high point of our tour at over 1500 metres.Thursday, October 2
Tonara – Alghero 145 kilometres 1700, metres climbing. This day will be long, taking us northwest towards the coast. Our route will take us through the colourful riverside port of Bosa before a dramatic coast-hugging final 45 kilometres into Alghero. Alghero’s magnificent old town will be the perfect spot for dinner and, most likely, one of its spectacular sunsets.Friday, October 3
Alghero – Palau 150 kilometres, 1600 metres of climbing. Another big day that incorporates much of the route that the pros used on Giro d’Italia stage 1 in 2017. On one of the flattest days of our trip, we’ll eat up the kilometres as we head for lunch in the picturesque town of Castelsardo. Our afternoon route will take us through the amazing landscape of the Valle Della Luna. The last 30kms of the day will be gently downhill to the coast and a return to our start point in Palau. Our last supper will be in an authentic restaurant frequented by the locals, where we’ll finish our trip with a fantastic choice of Sardinian gastronomy.Saturday, October 4
Return transfers to Olbia airport.Who will enjoy this trip?
This trip will involve considerable distances, 100 – 150 kilometres each day, and riders will need to be used to riding such distances. Most of the climbs on the trip will be less severe than those encountered on our Alpine trips, and as a result, we’d anticipate that this trip will involve lots of group riding together. The experience of riding in a group and being comfortable closely following other riders will be useful to enjoy the trip. There will be plenty of opportunity for stronger riders to be challenged with long stretches without navigation issues, meaning that the group can split if necessary. The Giro Sardegna (Tour of Sardinia) trip will be limited to 10 riders.What we include
- 7 nights of accommodation in a combination of 3/4 star hotels and traditional agriturismos.
- 7 breakfasts and 5 dinners.
- Full vehicle support for each of the 6 riding days offering mechanical support and onward transport of luggage.
- Guiding by a qualified coach on all 6 riding days.
- Transfers to and from Olbia airport.
- Energy drinks, pastries, and bananas are available at all times from the support vehicle.
- Travel insurance.
- Lunches.
- Travel to and from Olbia Airport.
- Dinner on the first and final evenings.