An Italian road cycling champion's favourite Italian biking adventures

Alberto Bettiol is racing for Italy at the Paris Olympics but can't wait to head home for a joyride. Here are his top Italian rides, from pilgrimage trails to e-biking through Rome.

Many visitors come to Italy for the art, others for the food. But wander outside its masterpiece-filled museums and the world-renowned restaurants in its jewel-like cities to find astounding natural landscapes of massive lakes, rugged mountain ranges and idyllic hills dotted with postcard-perfect villages. In short: a cyclist's dream.

Italy's 20 regions are crisscrossed with excellent bike trails, nourishing a thriving cycling industry. We asked Alberto Bettiol, a competitive road cyclist with the UCI WorldTeam EF Education–EasyPost and a Tuscan native, for his top Italian cycling adventures.

"Cycling is popular [in Italy]," says Bettiol. "We have a tradition of cycling since the early 1900s, starting with Learco Guerra and, of course, Gino Bartali." 

Bettiol, who recently competed in the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France and won the 2024 Milan-Turin race, is now representing Italy in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. "Then I'm heading back to Tuscany," he says. "I'm finally gonna have time off… for professional cyclists it's difficult to define 'home' because you're almost always outside. But as soon as possible, I go home to Castelfiorentino."

For Bettiol, being in Italy means tackling its bike trails for pleasure, not points – and refuelling at the culinary pitstops along the way. "It's good to see Florence, Siena, Pisa," says Bettiol. "But in Italy, there are small towns full of history, beautiful scenery and great food. And behind the food there's always a story."

Here are Bettiol's top cycling adventures in Italy.

With its rolling hillside and exquisite Renaissance architecture, Bettiol's native Tuscany is on every Italophile's bucket list – with the hordes of tourists to prove it. Tuscany is also the champion's first pick for cycling experiences, particularly for its picturesque strade bianche (white gravel roads) that wind through the hills.

Bettiol's Giro di Tuscany starts in the medieval city of Siena – famed for its Palio horse race, which thunders twice a year through the cavernous Piazza del Campoon on 2 July and 16 August – then heads south through the russet-coloured villages of the Val d'Orcia valley; Montalcino, Pienza and Montepulciano. "Val d'Orcia is a Unesco World Heritage site," he says. "You can go wine tasting in Montalcino and try Pienza's famous pecorino cheese." 

Pecorino di Pienza cheese is softer and milder than its sharp Roman counterpart, making a delightful companion to Montalcino's toothsome red Brunello wine. Bettiol likes to drop his kickstand at Montalcino's Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona winery. "You can name a wine Brunello di Montalcino only if it's grown in Montalcino," he notes.

A ride through Val d'Orcia can take several hours or even a weekend. "You can't make a mistake if you stay at an Airbnb or agritourism over there," says Bettiol. "They're all beautiful and, I'm pretty sure, all serve food made by grandmothers. That's an experience, too."

While Bettiol mostly cycles on the open road, he's also a fan of a gritty Italian urban bike experience – and it doesn't get much more Italian urban than Rome. "Rome is beautiful," says Bettiol. "You've got to do Rome by bike."

The Eternal City is eternally touristed, but according to Bettiol, whizzing past the iconic monuments (and heat-struck crowds) on two wheels gives the city a whole new flavour. But "Rome is so chaotic," he admits. "You have to pay attention there to avoid the holes in the asphalt. There are a lot of electric scooters and taxi drivers; crazy. It's a busy, busy city."

Nonetheless, Bettiol loves losing himself in Rome's ancient streets and soaking up the bittersweet cacophony of crumbling Roman ruins peeking through Baroque piazzas and Renaissance-era palaces. And, of course, refuelling with Rome's famous traditional pasta dishes. "You have to eat traditional Roman dishes like bucatini all'amatriciana and cacio e pepe," says Bettiol. "I love having dinner next to the Colosseum."

Italy's cycling culture started in the early 1900s, but this ancient pilgrimage route – and now, recreational hiking and biking trail – dates to the 6th Century. Starting in Canterbury, England, the Via Francigena led medieval pilgrims to Rome's holy sights via France and Switzerland and finally snaking through Italy to end in the country's southern Apulia region.

Bettiol has watched pilgrims and cyclists making their way through the section of Via Francigena that passes through Castelfiorentino his entire life. "It's incredible how many people do it," he says. "When you imagine this road being built from Canterbury to Rome, it's incredible. Ancient history. Whether you're religious or not, it doesn't matter because you see these amazing landscapes."

Though the trail spans a whopping 1,700km and crosses all manner of Alpine, forest, lake and hill terrain – including some of the oldest roads in Europe – modern-day pilgrims and adventurers have it immeasurably easier than their humble predecessors ever did. The Via Francigena now teems with sponsored hostels, bed and breakfasts, Airbnbs, restaurants and well-stocked service stations. "Everything is tracked," says Bettiol, referring to the trail's various GPS checkpoints. "So you don't get lost."

Website: https://www.viefrancigene.org/en/

Instagram: @viafrancigena_eu

"Another part of Italy that I really like is the Langhe area, south of Turin," says Bettiol. "There are hills that remind me of Tuscany, but steeper. And there's beautiful wine. Beautiful food, too!"

The Langhe area is found in Italy's lower Piedmont region, between the River Po and the Ligurian Apennines; swoon-worthy countryside ideal for a romantic weekend, says Bettiol: "Bike in the morning and wine taste in the evening. Perfect."

Bettiol's cycling adventure for two starts in the town of Alba, famed for its white truffles. "That's where the uphill climb begins," he says. "It's this landscape full of steep hills, vineyards and little towns with little castles on top of little hills." Among the city's detours are the historic Ferrero Factory, producer of Nutella; the heavenly aroma wafting through the streets. "You can also visit Turin," says Bettiol. "It's not so far. It's an important city, the historical city of Fiat."

But Bettiol's favourite Langhe area pit stop is the five-star Relais San Maurizio in the town of Santo Stefano Belbo. "It's not so cheap," he warns. "But it's beautiful. It's an old hilltop monastery converted into a relais [luxury chateau]. You're surrounded by vineyards and you have breakfast in this old deconsecrated church. There's a spa with water from the Black Sea. There's a Michelin star restaurant, too. First you suffer on the bike; then you relax."

The crystalline lakes of Northern Italy are famously home to celebrity villas, but where tourists see a cheeky selfie, Bettiol sees a week-long bike trip.

Bettiol suggests starting from Lake Maggiore; studded by the three Borromean Islands, once owned by the ducal Borromeo family. Next, hit Lake Lugano and, a brisk 39km pedal later, Lake Como. "George Clooney's villa, of course, all the actors' [villas]," says Bettiol. "But once you get to Lake Como, going north, you'll find Bellagio. That's a little town; it's a famous, historic climb to get up there." Huff up 9km from Bellagio to the sanctuary of La Madonna del Ghisallo – the patron saint of cyclists – and the Museo del Ciclismo, where Bettiol says, "you'll find old jerseys and learn about the sport's history".

Finally, heading 180km south-east, is Lake Garda. "The biggest lake in Italy," says Bettiol. "The loop is more than 200km. You find beautiful towns, like Sirmione. Then you go north into the Trentino region and eat polenta (savoury cornmeal); perfect in the wintertime when it's cold. There's lots of bars up there; it's great for cyclists."

For accommodation, Bettiol recommends the five-star Lefay Resort & Spa on Garda Lake in the town of Gargnano, and his two-wheeled chariots of choice are a regular road bike, e-bike or electric road bike. "The lakes are big," he says. "So you can go faster."

When summer hits, tourists come to Italy; Italians head north to the Dolomites.

The Dolomites – a mountain range arching through north-eastern Italy – are the quintessential Italian escape for their excellent gastronomy, endless outdoor adventures and cool summer temps, rarely breaking 25C.

"You have to be prepared because the climbs are long and tough," says Bettiol. "But I love the Dolomites." 

Bettiol recommends taking a week to enjoy the area's climbs and mighty mountain passes. "You start with Sellaronda," says Bettiol. "Then Passo Pordoi, Passo Valparola, Passo Sella. If you go to Val di Fassa you can go to San Pellegrino. We go there every year with the Giro d'Italia."

Bettiol also loves Livigno in the heart of the Valtellina Valley, affectionately called the "Tibet of Italy". "There's great cycling there, and you'll find professional riders," says Bettiol. "Like me; I've been cycling there since 2011. And you're close to Tirano, where you can catch The Bernina Express." This train chugs through Switzerland's most jaw-dropping Alpine landscapes, splendid gorges and epic glaciers; a delight to ride instead of pedal.

"When I retire from cycling, maybe I'll work in tourism," muses Bettiol. "I like explaining these things to tourists. I love to see the enthusiasm on their faces. So maybe when I finish my professional career, I'll start this new adventure."

BBC Travel's The SpeciaList is a series of guides to popular and emerging destinations around the world, as seen through the eyes of local experts and tastemakers. 

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