Born in Sardinia, Marcello is a Mediterranean man through-and-through, and proud father of Emma and Tommaso. His other passions apart from cycling are cooking and music. He has designed itineraries and guided cycling tours throughout Italy for the last 15 years and he wishes to keep doing it for the next 50!
Sardinia training camp
27 Mar 2017 - 2 Apr 2017
Do you want to ride early season miles in warm weather and explore an off the beaten paths cycling paradise? Then Sardinia is for you.
This beautiful Mediterranean island, which will host the start of the 2017 Giro d’Italia, has everything: from magnificent coastal roads to challenging climbs and winding descents. All of this on on very good roads with minimal traffic.
Each day, you can choose between two distances and ride at your own pace on carefully chosen roads with our guide and support van to get in your best shape ever.
But Sardinia is not just about great riding. Forget tasteless energy bars and enjoy the famous mid-ride snacks of our local guide Marcello: torrone (the local nougat), shepherd's bread, fresh olive oil and Pecorino cheese.
After the ride, relax and enjoy the Sardinian lifestyle with Marcello: « we will stay in Bosa and Cabras, two villages known for their joyful attitude, where life really has a slower pace. Surrounded by olive groves, small vineyards and coastal views to die for you can indulge in your passion for cycling, and in the evening relax at the sunsets over the ocean enjoying a glass of Malvasia di Bosa or Vernaccia di Oristano wine ».
That’s how we like our training camps at Grand Tours Project.
Read what David wrote about his Sardinian experience here.
Total price: From €1,550
- Ride early season miles in warm weather
- Discover an underrated cycling paradise with a local guide
- Excellent roads with minimal traffic and varied terrain
- Each day, choose between two distances and ride at your own pace
- Charming hotels and outstanding food
- Fully supported tour
- Maximum group size: 14 riders
- Bike rental available
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Day 1 - 27 March
Welcome to Sardinia
25 KM / 300m of climbing
We’ll brief you on the tour and help you out with bike fitting before going out for a short warm up ride - just to get a taste of the beautiful rural countryside filled with olive groves, orchards and vineyards. We'll stroll along the quiet villages of Sagama and Flussio, admiring the murals and maybe the locals weaving baskets out of an Asfodelo typical plant.
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Day 2 - 28 March
Capo Marrargiu loop
85 or 105 KM / 1,400 or 1,900m of climbing
Exciting ride evenly divided between inland hills and coastal scenarios. The route starts downhill through the Malvasia valley, just after Bosa with two long uphills through cork oak forests, passing on the hilltop village of Montresta, where locals bake a fantastic bread. From here a long downhill joins the coastline, then we’ll finish the ride along the rugged coastline that separates Bosa from Alghero.
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Day 3 - 29 March
Meiloghu loop
80 or 115 KM / 1,000 or 1,500m of climbing
Just after the hotel we stop to enjoy the colorful Murales (murals) decorating the houses af the small town of Tinnura, then we enjoy the pastures of Sagama overlooking the coast. The ride continues across the cork oak tree forest at Monte di Sant’Antonio. The last part of our day goes through the dramatic valley connecting the Planargia with the Meiloghu area, among countryside village and imposing meghalitic towers.
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Day 4 - 30 March
From Tresnuraghes to Cabras
85 or 110 KM / 850 or 1,000m of climbing
After a few easy kilometres we start climbing the Montiferru slopes along a thick oak forest, up to 900 metres above sea level. We’ll have views over the plateau of Abbasanta, and behind it’s clearly visible the range of Gennargentu mountains, the highest mountain range of Sardinia. From the village of Santu Lussurgiu starts a long gradual downhill along olive groves enjoying ocean views over the coastline. Cabras has a strong and ancient fishing tradition, dating back to Phoenicians, probably the ones that started the preparation of Bottarga, a delicacy of salted and cured fish roe, extracted from the local flathead grey mullet.
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Day 5 - March 31
Tires Valley loop
90 or 120 KM / 1,000 or 1,350m of climbing
Retracing romans footprints of inner Sardinia to discover historical thermal baths along the Tirso, the main river of the island. We’ll cross the fertile countryside around Oristano and the old quarters of the city, which was the former capital of the ancient Giudicato di Arborea, medieval kingdom of Sardinia. This is the food valley of the Island, with rice fields, wheat fields, orchards, olive groves, vegetable gardens and vineyards, all producing natural and very healthy foods.
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Day 6 - 1 April
Montiferru Mountain loop
105 KM / 1,100m of climbing
A ride in the silence of the Montiferru mountains exploring a beautiful countryside spotted with quiet villages. The first part of the ride is flat, perfect for a warm up. After about 20 km we’ll start gently climbing the slopes of this ancient volcano, along olive groves and stone walls, spotting some 3,000 year old Nuraghe castles on the way. We’ll again have incredible views over the plateau of Abbasanta and the Gennargentu mountain range. After a winding downhill in the countryside, we’ll come back along the ocean, admiring a marvellous coastline carved into the sandstone.