GBI Italia 2016

Let's explore the lovely Tuscany with the GBI community. We will spend 4 days full of cycling and fun while we discover cities like Pisa, Florence, San Gimignano, Siena or Massa Marittima. We will sleep in exciting locations, eat and drink typical tuscan food and wine and cycle through gorgeous landscapes.

Don't miss this unique cycling tour!

September 9 - 12, 2016

Check out our tour pics!

General information

This tour will lead us to the historic and touristic important places of Tuscany. We will see places like Pisa, Florence and Siena, which are part of the UNESCO world cultural heritage, as well as historic sites like the Abbey of San Galgano or the fortified village of Monte Riggioni with its city walls. A detour will lead to the birth place of Leonardo da Vinci or the mediveal village of Sa Gimignano with its picturesque city towers. Along the Costa degli Etruschi we will see a different side of Tuscany before we end up at our starting point in Pisa.
As most of the Tuscany is a very hilly area, you should be aware of frequent ups and down, as well as of partially gravel roads, the famous 'Strade Bianci'. We have planned the route to touch as many 'must sees' as possible but also to give you an impression of the beauty of the tuscan countryside. We will enjoy tuscan food and wine and sleep in very exciting locations.

More information needed?

There might some things missing on our event page or you have some specific questions?

Feel free to contact us.

Oliver Harzen

General tour organisation, route, accommodation, etc.

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Anja Richter

Administrative issues, invoices, payment, change of your booking

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Charity

As the GBI is a charity ride, you have to register for a GBI country (typically your home country) and raise funds in addition to the participation fee for the local supported charity in this country. The minimum donation for this event is 50 €. Each participant is kindly requested to raise more than the minimum donations to support our charity projects.

No clue how to raise funds?

Uncertain how and who to ask for donations?

Check out our tips for your fund raising activities!

More information

Services & Prices

General notes

The tour will be conducted in any case, independent of the number of participants! The tour is planned for up to 16 participants, additional registrations will be confirmed after checking the availability of accommodation.

Basic fee

from 349 €

Participation & accommodation

This is the fee for all services described under 'What is included'.

Double/multi bedroom: 349 €
Single bedroom: 449 €

A detailed description of the accommodation you will find in section 'Venues'.

Hotel

49 €

Hotel accommodation in Pisa

Hotel accommodation in a mid-range hotel, located very central in Pisa the night prior to the tour start. From the hotel we will cycle together to the official tour start at the Leaning Tower.

Double bedroom with breakfast: 49 Euro (per Person)

Single bedroom with breakfast: 79 Euro

Transport

50 €

Bicyle transport

Transportation of one bicycle prior to the tour from Neuss to Pisa and after the tour return to Neuss.

Transport

20 €

Luggage transport

Transportation of one piece of lugagge prior to the tour from Neuss to Pisa and return to Neuss after the tour.

Bicycle

69 €

GBI Rental Bike (Standard)

Regular GBI mountainbike. Rental fee covers the complete GBI tour, incl. transport to the start location and from the finish location and technical maintenance. The hirer must bear the risk of damage and burglary. We recommend you to take out a private insurance.

Conway MTB “MC 400” Model 2014, Banana frame, 26”, black matt/lime, 21-gear SHIMANO “Altus”, V-brakes, suspension fork, bottle holder, SCHWALBE tire ‘Road Cruiser’, HEBIE kickstand ‘Fox’, CONTEC mudguard, carrier (max. 9 kg), bike lock, front & rear lights

What is included

Accomodation in hotels and hostels in single or double/multi bedrooms (depending on the chosen option) with breakfast. In hostels accommodation could be possible in multi-bedrooms with public bathroom (see 'Venues').
Typical tuscan dinner (one evening)
Quick and easy event registration on the website
Detailed and up-to-date event information
GPX tracks of all days and tracks for download
Mobile GBI-App with useful tour information
Route information and daily news
Mobile tour office
Cycling teams to suit different abilities and aspiration levels
Teamleaders with GPS routing devices
Service car along the route for pick-up service (for cyclists and bikes)
Luggage transport to each stage venue
Nutrition points with drinks and energy bars each day
GBI drinkbottle and
a lot of fun, unforgettable moments, great international and cross-cultural companionship, challenging moments and radiant eyes.

Excluded Services

Everything not explicitely listed above incl. entrance fees, flights to Pisa and return, public transportation, transfer to individually booked hotels, lunch & dinner, accident insurance, etc.

Route & GPX-Tracks

GPX-Tracks

GBI Italia 2016 complete.gpx (914.2 KiB)

Tour description

Day 1

Pisa, the city with the world-famous Leaning Tower, is the starting point of this tour. The first day will be an excellent start of the bike tour as most of the time we will cycle on flat ground. From the Leaning Tower we head for the river Arno and follow the river for a long time. A detour (track 2) leads to the village of Vinci, the birth place of Leonardo da Vinci, and will give a good outlook of the hilly routes on the following days. In Montelupo Fiorentino we leave the river valley and have to cross some small hills until Florence is in sight. Florence is worth a longer rest as you can visit for example the Ponte Vecchio, the Piazza del Signoria and the Duomo. But take care, in the city center you better have to walk then to cycle as it will be very crowded. From the city it is not a long ride to our first accommodation, an ancient pilgrims hostel, the Ostello Il Bigallo, just some kilometers south of Florence, but with a quiet challenging climb for the last couple of meters. The view from the garden towards Florence is worth each effort at the climb.

Day 2

Today we head into the Chianti area, where the famous red wine is produced. This area is spread with green hills, very lovely but also many ups and downs on our way. The first interesting village is Greve with its triangle place, worth a coffee stop. In Poggibonsi the tracks split. The more interesting, but also more challenging route will lead to the gorgeous walled medieval village of San Gimignano, famous for its tower houses and known as 'medieval Manhattan'. The village of Monteriggioni, surrounded by complete city walls, is an interesting place to another stop. From here it is not far to Siena, where you can explore the historic center, which has been delared as UNESCO world heritage site. Interesting places to see are the cathedral, the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo, where the famous horse race Palio is held, or the Palazzo Publico with its imposant tower.

Day 3

Not far from Siena we will reach the ancient abbey of San Galgano. The roofless church is an interesting touristic spot. The next significant site is the city of Massa Marittima, which is - how could it be different - located on a hill, but nevertheless worth a visit. Now the most difficult climbings are nearly done, in the distance you may see the Tyrrhenian Sea. The destination of the day is a beautiful holiday resort near Piombino with all the convenience you may think of, in particular a large 50 m swimming pool.

Day 4

The first part of the last day is almost flat. We will cycle along the coast towards the city of Cecina and Vada. The lovely beaches along the route may invite you to plunge into the water or drink a café at one of the numerous beach bars. Track 1a leads through large pine forests, whereas track 1b will follow the main road. In Vada we turn our bikes towards the coastal hills and will see some picturesque villages like Rosignano Marittimo. From here the route will continuously decline slightly until we reach the end of our Tuscany cycling tour in Pisa.

Date	Route	Track	Distance	Climb
September 9, 2016	Pisa - Florence	1a/b 2	100 km 123 km	850 m 1330 m
September 10, 2016	Florence - Siena	1a/b 2	77 km 119 km	1460 m 2150 m
September 11, 2016	Siena - Piombino	1a/b	108 km	1440 m
September 12, 2016	Piombino - Pisa	1a 1b	96 km 95 km	615 m 585 m

The tracks of the stages differ in distance and climb as well as their surface. Not all tracks are possible at each stage. E.g. the longer distances (track 2) are only possible on two days and the tracks with partially non-paved surface can only be done on one day.

Track 1a

Recommended for tour bikes, mountain bikes etc., not recommended for road bikes. There may be gravel or non-paved sections on the track.

Track 1b

Recommended for all kinds of bikes. Only paved roads are on the track.

Track 2

Recommended for road bikes, but also possible for any other kind of bike. Typically the distance is longer and has more climb than on track 1 (a/b).

Venues

Day 0 (Pre-Night (optional))

Hotel Moderno / Hotel Terminus

Pisa

Hotel accommodation in single or double bedrooms with breakfast and private bathroom in a hotel in Pisa. The hotel is located very central and can be reached easily from the main station or airport.

This accommodation can be booked optional and is not part of the basic particpation fee.

Day 1 - Start

Tour start

Piazza dei Miracoli, in front of the Leaning Tower

We will start the tour at the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Day 1

Ostello Bigallo
Link to Ostello Bigallo

Via del Bigallo e Apparita 14, Bagno a Ripoli - Firenze

This place was in former times a hostel for pilgrims on their way to Rome, which was called l'Antico Spedale Del Bigallo, and which was erected in the 13th century.

Hostel accommodation in multiple bed rooms (alcove, sleep chambers with two single beds, separated by wooden walls within a larger room) with breakfast, public bathrooms or in double rooms with private bathroom. No single bed rooms available here. Bed linen are included.

A real tuscan dinner is waiting for us that evening.

Day 2

Camping Colleverde
Website Camping Colleverde

Siena

Accommodation in mobile homes with double bed rooms (twin and double beds) with breakfast, private bathrooms (per mobile home). Bed linen are included. The camp site has a swimming pool and a restaurant.

Day 2

Poggio all'Agnello Country & Beach Resort
Website Poggio all'Agnello

Piombino

Accommodation in appartments with breakfast (drinks are not included) and private bathroom. Bed linen are included.

The spacious resort has a good infrastructure with restaurant, shop and a large swimming pool (50 m).

Poggio all'Agnello Country & Beach Resort

Day 4

Final destination

Pisa

The finishing line will be at the Leaning Tower of Pisa.