An American at the Giro d'Italia in Northern Ireland

I am going to the Giro d'Italia in Northern Ireland!

This proclamation always elicits a response of puzzlement and then that familiar silent head-tilt as if to say,"Isn't that a long way from Italy?" Yes, the start of the Grand Tour Giro d' Italia is a long way from home in 2014, as the bird flies it is 1660.2 miles away from home soil and all those vineyards. The first three stages of this year's Grande Partenza (Big Start) of the Giro will take place near Belfast, Northern Ireland. Followed by the peloton's return, over a rest day, 1796.4 miles back to Giovinazzo, Italy, where they will resume racing.

Route map of 2014 Giro d' Italia Ireland to Italy

Why?

Why is the race in Ireland or why am I going to the race in Ireland? The race is in Ireland because the Northern Ireland Tourist Board spent a lot of effort and money to bid for the start. The tourist board put up £3 million, Belfast Council added £400,000, Failte Ireland £225,000, Dublin City Council £120,000, and Mediolanum International Funds £150,000. The associated events taking place surrounding the Giro are expected to wash the region in more than £2.5 million of economic activity. The goal, I imagine, is to keep those future tourist and economic pounds/euros rolling into Ireland. The full detailed story is here: Why It's heading for Irlanda

Why am I going? I wanted something new and it's Ireland! My family is from Ireland, I am holding an Irish passport in my hands that needs to return to Ireland, the tourist options before and after the race are very appealing to an American, it is NOT in the height of summer travel in Europe (as is the Tour de France), my dog already has a place to stay with family in California (awaiting the Tour of California), and the trip seemed quite doable. Plus my parents had a boat-load of flight miles just waiting to be used (thanks Mom&Dad!).

I have always wanted to see the Giro, but in my mind going to the Giro in Italy would entail combining days at the race with mandatory epic cycling (and since I am no longer the rider I once was since breaking my pelvis, the appeal has lessened). Add the perceived nightmare of accommodations and travel logistics to the required time off of work of at least two to three weeks and the word headache pops to mind. So when I saw that a Team Time Trial (something I have always wanted to see in a grand tour) would be Stage 1 in Northern Ireland, I thought "I'm going," it was that clear.

Plus after reading through all the website information for fans - this looks like tremendous fun! And I really just want to go listen to Irish pub music and drink Guinness beer.

My preferred map of Ireland. Although my grandmother wouldn't approve, she hated when people assumed all Irish drink, she did not. I do.

Okay this is the real map

About the 2014 Giro

This will be the 97th edition. Since 1996 there have been 7 foreign starts to the Giro d'Italia, but this is the first time the race has left Continental Europe. The Giro traditionally begins on a Saturday, but because an extra rest day was needed to transport the riders and staff (although many teams will have staff for Ireland and a separate staff for Italy) back to Italy, this year the Giro begins on a Friday (the team presentation is Thursday).

Dublin hosted the start of the Tour de France in July 1998. It was the same year the Good Friday Agreement was signed a few months earlier that April. 1998 was also the year of the Festina affair when a team soigneur was stopped on the Belgian-French border with illegal doping supplies found inside his car. The start in Dublin began under tremendous controversy. We have come a long way in sixteen years.

Who will be in the pink jersey (maglia rosa) in Belfast? The leader of the winning time trial team on Stage 1 will be awarded the pink jersey (perhaps Pieter Weening or Wout Poels). The jersey will likely change hands to a sprinter after Stage 2. Marcel Kittel will be racing the Giro in 2014, Mark Cavendish will be racing the 1-week Tour of California instead of the 3-week Giro. I hope to see the jersey on the back of a different sprinter after Stage 3, unless the breakaway manages to stay away.

The second week of the Giro is filled with medium mountain stages. The big mountain stages are saved for the third week of racing, when the real winner of the Giro should emerge from the leaders established after the ITT of Stage 12.

This is Titanic Belfast the location of a large exhibit (the architecture is supposed to represent bows of the ships) built to celebrate the port where the ship Titanic was built. Nearby is a large paved area suitable for accommodating team buses and broadcasting trailers and trucks of equipment necessary for the production of an enormous bike race.

Giro Facts
Dates: May 9-June 01 2014
Route: 2014 Giro d'Italia percorsa
21 Stages
22 teams, 9 riders each, 198 total riders (preliminary startlist)

I particularly enjoyed the section on the official Giro guide stating the preferred "wine" of Ireland was Guinness.

Very creative GiroStart cab graphics in Belfast. All this pink lets a visiting fan and cyclist know they are welcome in town.

Planning to see the Giro d'Italia in Ireland 

I hope this post helps you plan your trip to the Giro d'Italia in Northern Ireland.

The initial part of my trip came together quite easily making me realize being a simple tourist is a breeze, combing tourism with an enormous bike race in a foreign country, is a different beast all together. It was refreshing to find flight mileage available for flights and plentiful hotels or friendly B&Bs (unlike France in July). Natural sites and tourist sites appear both relaxing and entertaining. Realizing I have to drive on the wrong side of the road, not so much. 

Next I started planning for the race and was so pleasantly surprised to see tons of information for fans, more than I have ever seen for any race. Can every other race organizer please learn from what the citizens of Ireland have accomplished! Still I began to wonder - does anyone in Northern Ireland do what I do for local races and events? I need a locals perspective.

Race day facts can rarely be found on official Grand Tour websites, they typically leave those details up to local cities. The race organizer's purpose is to promote and market the race itself; they present fancy graphics and videos, and much talk of riders who will attend and who will win. In the case of the Giro, they also use a lot of pink, although a nice color, none of this is of great help to the little guy out on the road. What percentage of fans come from out of town to visit bike races? A lot.

Yes, I plan to discover Northern Ireland. This is Freddie Forte (Strong Freddie) (I'm not sure why they didn't call him Pedaling Paddy) the official character of the Giro Start. Strong Freddie even has a cookbook.

The Giro d'Italia is expected to bring more than 140,000 visitors to Northern Ireland (1.8 mil population)

Northern Ireland has done an excellent job of getting the information out there to fans, although it took some surfing on various websites to make sense of it all.

A lack of detailed information for the cycling fan is traditionally a problem, and is exactly why I began my guide to races like Tour of California (my home state) and USA Pro Challenge (my resident state) and France (my adopted state). Every time I spend 3-hours learning some small detail, I want to share it to save others the time. I want to put my hundreds of hours of research, often learning the hard way how not to do things, to good use.

When it comes to the Giro Start in Belfast, I can happily state Ireland has laid out the red carpet for fans to attend this race.

There is no use reinventing the wheel when it comes to a bike race

Since I am embarking on this trip on my own, Northern Ireland will be another huge learning experience for me. One thing I know for certain is that locals know best. I believe the Irish to be friendly and funny (that is when I can understand them), so I was thrilled to stumble upon a welcoming post by the Old Bleach Cycle Club in Randalstown (http://www.oldbleach.co.uk). In this post the team encouraged visitors to come to the race and welcomed anyone to contact them, so I did. I will gladly accept help from local experts who also happen to be cycling fans and cyclists.

Through the Old Bleach Cycle Club website I discovered the stage guides for the Giro Start Belfast and from there I found much more. A teammate responded promptly to my email and helped answer my questions about where to watch the TTT in Belfast.

The friendly folks from Old Bleach Cycle Club wear these bike jerseys (the pink one is their custom commemorative Giro jersey), if you see them, give them a hug for me.

Schedule and route maps for the start of the 2014 Giro d' Italia:

Giro Big Start Opening Ceremony - Thursday 8 May, Belfast City Hall
17:30, Live outdoor show

Pedal Dancer note: Fortunately I happened to notice on Facebook that I could state my interest in tickets for the event, I then received an email with details to sign up online here (since I am not there in person), in what I imagine will be a huge rush for tickets at 9am on April 24th (2am in Denver!). 

Stage 1 - Friday, May 9 2014, Titanic Belfast - Belfast City Hall
17:45-20:00, TTT 21.7 km (13.48 miles), route map, route profile, official timetable itinerary, stage guide, video tour of Stage 1!

Pedal Dancer note: I had no idea where to watch the TTT in a big city. Thanks to Old Bleach cycle Club and Belfast City Bike Tours, I now have a better feel for the route.

Stage 2 - Saturday, May 10 2014, Titanic Belfast - Belfast (loop route north to Causeway/Antrim)
10:50-16:10, 218 km (135.46 miles), route map, route profile, official timetable itinerary, stage guide, video tour of Stage 2 !

Pedal Dancer note: Seeing a race out on the road is easy, I picked my accommodations to be able to see the nearby final climb for more atmosphere and fun, and less hassle with road closures. 

Stage 3 -  Sunday, May 11 2014, Armagh - Dublin
11:20-16:13, 187 km (116.2 miles), route map, route profile, official timetable itinerary, (better Timetable and road closure schedule reflecting 11:20 start time), stage guide, video tour of Stage 3 !
  
Pedal Dancer note: Attending a start is usually straight forward. Parking is always a hassle and walking a distance to the start zone is a given, but arriving with team buses is fun. From there it is a matter of being closed out of the best viewing by VIP blockades but working my way around it somehow to a place where I can watch the riders roll back and forth to sign-in. I like the activity at a Start and feel it balances the experiences of attending a TTT, finish or seeing the peloton pass over a climb.

Belfast City Hall

Websites and Files:
Giro d'Italia official complete website
Giro d'Italia Start official website
Giro Start Facebook Page 
GiroBelfast.com (news)
Discover Northern Ireland (lots of info)
Northern Ireland Tourist Board
Business Promotion Brochure
Recommended hikes in Northern Ireland

Armagh Start
Timetable and road closure schedule for Stage 3 in Armagh, UK.  Start Village and assembly point at Shambles Market near Saint Patrick's Cathedral. Roads near market close at 7:00, other nearby road closures in Armagh at 8:30. Team buses arrive at 9:30. Caravan departure at 9:40, Peloton Start at 11:20. Finish in Dublin 14:30 caravan, 16:13 peloton.

Helpful Information:
Giro Italia Essential Guide NI ***** (events, road closures, caravan & peloton timing) 
Giro Fan Park Schedule and Guide, located at Titanic Quarter
Giro d’Italia 2014: a guide for travellers, By Telegraph
The Giro d'Italia for Families 
Giro Festival Belfast Schedule
Free (in advance) Tickets to Opening Event, Team Presentation (Buy Tickets link)
Bella Roma! Rome on Film Presented by QFT (Marco Pantani film on May 8th at 9pm)
Get on Your Bike Festival
2-day Giro Causeway Coast Tour, May 8-9th by Belfast City Bike Tours
Belfast Bike hire
Watch it live online at CyclingFans.com or Steephill.TV
Potential audience of 775 million
22 teams are expected representing 12 countries
The caravan will precede the peloton by 1.5 hours when roads will be closed.

Updates from a friend @RexGlobetrotter also going to the Giro d'Italia:
- The Fan Park will be located at Hamilton Dock, beside SS Nomadic, on Thursday May 8th 13:00-17:30 (before team presentation), also Friday, May 9th 10:00-20:00, and Saturday, May 10th 8:00-18:00.
- The Team Paddock will be located at the slipways behind Titanic Belfast - Friday 9:00-20:00. On Saturday the teams will arrive at the Paddock between 8:30-9:30 for Stage 2 Start. 
- There will be 5 large screen TV at Stormont for fan viewing of the race live.

How to watch the Giro live on TV?
BBC NI to broadcast TV coverage live for all 3 stages of the Giro: Friday, May 9th 18:30 BST; Saturday, May 10th 14:00 BST; Sunday, May11th 14:30 BST.

Transportation
Rail & Bus: Translink will operate additional capacity on rail and bus services from to get people home following the event.There will be a shuttle train from Central Station and Great Victoria Street to Titanic Quarter Station. Translink will operate a shuttle bus from Belfast city centre to Titanic Slipways from 09:30 onwards.
Bike parking spaces
Road Closures and Traffic
Train Schedules
Buses are available to Stormont, use the route planner at www.translink.co.uk 
Additional shuttle bus available 8:00 throughout the day at park and ride at Airport Road West (Harbour Estate) and Stormont Estate

Giro Contacts
Website: 2014 Giro d'Italia
Twitter: https://twitter.com/giroditalia @giroditalia  #GIRO
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/giroditalia

Facebook - giroditalia
Facebook - GiroStart

Google plus - Giro d'Italia

Instagram - @giroditalia
You Tube - Giro videos 

Teams at the 2014 Giro d'Italia: Preliminary startlist By ProCycling Stats
Australia: Orica-GreenEdge
Belguim: Lotto-Belisol, Omega Pharma-Quick Step
Colombia: Colombia
Denmark: Tinkoff-Saxo
France: Ag2r La Mondiale, Europcar, Fdj.Fr
Great Britain: SKY Team
Italy: Androni Giocattoli, Bardiani-CSF, Cannondale, Lampre-Merida, Yellow Fluo.
Kazakhstan: Astana
Netherlands: Belkin, Giant-Shimano
Russia: Katusha
Spain: Movistar
USA: BMC Racing, Garmin-Sharp, Trek Factory Racing

And then of course there are these two magazines that came in the mail this week.

Riders known to be racing the Giro in 2014

Nario Quintana, Cadel Evans, Rigoberto Urán, Samuel Sanchez, Daniel Martin, Ivan Basso, Elia Viviani, André Greipel, Marcel Kittel, Tyler Farrar, Wilco Kelderman, Michele Scarponi, Maxim Monfort, Robert Kiserlovski, Johnny Hoogerland, Pierre Roland, Nicholas Roche. It looks like no Richie Porte. Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins are heading to California for the Tour of California. Chris Horner is very iffy after his crash. 198 total riders (preliminary startlist)

Full Giro route map

This Giro route map might look cool for marketing, but does nothing for the tourist attending the race.

The 21 stages in 2014 will include:

• 2 Individual time trials
• 1 Team trial time
• 8 Flat stages
• 4 Medium mountain stages with summit finishes
• 5 High mountain stages with summit finishes

Dates, Cities and distance of 21 stages of the 2014 Giro d'Italia: 

1   9 May, Titanic Belfast - Belfast, 21.7km, Team Time Trial
2  10 May, Belfast – (Causeway & Antrim Coast) - Belfast, 218 km, Flat stage
3  11 May,  Armagh – Dublin, 187 km, Flat stage
R- 12 May, Rest day
4  13 May, Giovinazzo - Bari, 121 km, Flat stage
5  14 May, Taranto - Viggiano, 200 km, Medium-mountain stage
6  15 May, Sassano - Montecassino, 247 km, Medium-mountain stage
7  16 May, Frosinone - Foligno, 214 km, Flat stage
8  17 May, Foligno - Montecopiolo, 174 km, Medium-mountain stage
9  18 May, Lugo - Sestola, 174 km, Medium-mountain stage
R- 19 May, Rest day
10  20 May, Modena - Salsomaggiore, 184 km, Flat stage
11  21 May, Collecchio - Savona, 249 km, Medium-mountain stage
12  22 May, Barbaresco – Barolo, 46.4 km, Individual time trial
13  23 May, Fossano - Rivarolo Canavese, 158 km, Flat stage
14  24 May, Agliè - Oropa, 162 km, Mountain stage
15  25 May, Valdengo - Montecampione, 217 km, Mountain stage
R-  26 May, Rest day
16  27 May, Ponte di Legno - Val Martello (Martelltal), 139 km, Mountain stage
17  28 May, Sarnonico - Vittorio Veneto, 204 km, Flat stage
18  29 May, Belluno - Rif. Panarotta (Valsugana), 171 km, Mountain stage
19  30 May, Bassano del Grappa – Cima Grappa (Crespano del Grappa), 26.8 km, ITT
20  31 May, Maniago – Monte Zoncolan, 167 km, Mountain stage
21  01 June, Gemona del Friuli – Trieste, 169 km, Flat stage

The town of Whitehead north of Belfast where I will be staying to play tourist and fan.

Pedal Dancer's plan for the 2014 Giro d'Italia:

May 6: Arrive into Dublin, pick up a rental car and attempt to change my brain pattern to be able to drive on "the wrong side of the road." Drive north to Newry where my Grandfather Peter Mallon was born in County Armagh, proceed through Belfast to Whitehead where I am staying at a friendly B&B along the coast north of Belfast for five nights. From here I can take a 35-minute train into Belfast. Less time than it would take me to find a parking space in the city.

May 7: Be a tourist in the beauty of Northern Ireland. Drive to the Giant Causeway for a hike, visit the Bushmills distillery (yes, I am a whiskey drinker), climb across the Carrick-a-Rede rope-bridge, see The Dark Hedges, drive down the Glens of Antrim continuing the loop drive back to my B&B in Whitehead.

May 8: Train (train schdule) to Belfast. Pick up my team presentation tickets at Visit Belfast Welcome Centre (which I hope I get by signing up on April 24th at 2am!/ 9am in Belfast here). City Bike Tour with Belfast City Bike Tours to preview the TTT course by bike. visit Dave Kane Cycle and Il Pirata restaurant for a coffee. Attend Team Presentation at City Hall at 17:30-21:00.

May 9:  Train to Belfast, watch the TTT practice 10-12pm in Belfast City.  Titanic Belfast Exhibit & Giro Fan Park.Visit the team bus area, watching the riders warm up. Caravan parade at 16:30. Stage 1 - TTT begins at 17:45. return to B&B in Whitehead.

May 10: Watch the final Class 4 climb (with 23.6 miles to go) of Stage 2 at Knocknaguillagh (Bla Hole) nearby my B&B (road closes at 1:00, caravan 14:00, peloton 15:30, road reopens 16:30).

May 11: Drive to Armagh for the start of Stage 3 at The Mall/Shambles Yard. Team buses arrive at 9:30am. Caravan departs at 9:40, Start at 11:20. Drive SW to Galway Bay area to the small town of Doolin where I will stay at a B&B for two nights. Local pub music in the evening.

May 12: Walking Tour of the Cliffs of Mohar and local sites. Rent a bicycle if weather permits. More local pub music.

May 13: Be a tourist in County Clare (my Grandmother Julia Griffin was actually born south of here in Tralee, County Kerry); return to Dublin.

May 14: Fly back to Los Angeles where the Amgen Tour of California will already be under way with it's entourage traveling from northern California to southern California. A number of key riders will be racing in California in preparation for the Tour de France.

Now this looks fun!

Stage 2, 2014 Giro d'Italia

But this looks a bit intimidating - Stage 1

Where do I go in this big city to watch a bike race? I mean I would hate to end up by an "eyesore."  £605000 Funding Package to Tackle Eyesores before the Giro

If you are an Irish local and can offer me tips, please comment on my Pedal Dancer Cycling Facebook page - thank you, I appreciate your help!

See you at the Giro - in Northern Ireland.

I got to hold the trophy!

There is even a garden guide of what to plant, in a pink palette of course. Giro Pink Planting suggestions. I tell ya, they have thought of everything!

Promo video #1:


And yet Another promo video #2. And another one promo video #3.  I am a sucker for these videos, they get me so pumped up for race time.

I have updated the Pedal Dancer Guide Page: GIRO ďITALIA

So You Want to Ride in Europe?

Article for Team Evergreen Newsletter

I wrote an article for Team Evergreen Cycling newsletter about planning a bike trip to Europe. Monica Kurtz, who manages the team's newsletter, had contacted me about writing for the newsletter. When I read the results of a recent Team Evergreen survey showing that second on a list of interests was riding in Europe, I volunteered to write about that topic. The project is like trying to condense my entire blog into one article, so I decided to write a four-part series.

Part I: So You Want to Ride in Europe?
http://teamevergreen.org/so-you-want-to-ride-in-europe-2/

Here is the article:

Cycling in Europe is a dream that can become reality.

Have you dreamed of traveling to Europe to ride a bike? Cycling over mountain peaks and up steep climbs featured in cycling magazines or on television during the Grand Tours. Hearing greetings and calls of encouragement in five different languages from fellow cyclists who have gathered from far and wide to converge on the most spectacular roads imaginable. Feeling the awe of majestic scenery and the rush of sweeping descents

This is what riding a bike in Europe is all about.

I write a cycling travel blog called Pedal Dancer and in this piece I offer tips and encouragement for you to complete what will become a very possible thrilling, worthwhile bike trip to Europe.

I first traveled to Europe thirty-two years ago. I also lived abroad in SE Asia for five years. For twenty-five years I have been enamored with adventure travel, ever since my first such trip down the Mahakam River in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. For the past thirteen-years my passion has focused on cycling trips to France, Italy and Belgium, but mostly France. I have been to the Tour de France six times.

I have learned a lot over the years, and like any well-seasoned traveler, much has been learned through mistakes. More has been learned through hours and hours of studying maps and scouring the Internet, most has been learned by simply getting out and doing it. If cycling in Europe has been a dream of yours as well, I am here to offer the encouraging words of you can do it.

Let’s begin by considering the six questions you should ask yourself before embarking on your cycling dream vacation:

1. What has always captured your interest about riding in a foreign country?
2. What are the Top 3 things you really want to do on your bike trip?
3. Who will you be traveling with?
4. Will you plan your trip yourself or will you join an organized tour?
5. What do you know that you truly dislike about travel?
6. What is your budget?

These are key planning questions that will quickly help you determine the type of trip that best suits you. Below I will delve deeper into each of these topics to offer guidance. Today’s piece is Part I of a IV part series about making that trip to Europe a reality:

Part I – So You Want to Ride in Europe

Part II – Recommended Rides in Europe

Part III – Planning your trip (itinerary, transportation, bikes and tips)

Part IV – Selecting a Cycling Tour Company

What has always captured your interest about riding in a foreign country?

Be honest with yourself – do you want to ride 110-miles a day and bag every peak on the continent? Or do you want to include time for food and culture or other sports?

Tip: What can you picture yourself doing on this trip? Conquering an epic ride, sitting at a cafe table having a beer after a good ride, trying to learn some French before your trip so you can order dinner for the table, or perhaps you have envisioned yourself standing in the mass of fans along the road at the Tour de France. Just as we set annual cycling goals – knowing your personal travel goals before your trip is very important.

What are the Top 3 things you really want to do on your bike trip?

Each traveler should state their personal Top 3 things they would love to do on their vacation. No one is allowed to say, “I’m good with whatever,” that is being a non-participant. No one should – or would truly – put down a couple thousand dollars and want whatever. Everyone has expectations and these should be voiced. Once you have a list – know that it is easy to make sure that everyone’s Top 3 are met. Much of travel is about expectations, and also flexibility. It is good to understand that the whole is often better than its parts, so don’t stress out about every detail.

Tip: I plot out each Top 3 on the master itinerary and then begin to fill in the gaps. It is a nice way to tend to every participant’s needs, and your own.

Tip: If you plan to attend a big bike race while in Europe (Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, Paris-Roubaix, etc.), then two to three days of being a fan at these big events is enough. I wouldn’t recommend trying to see stage after stage. Make time for your own bike rides, your own spontaneity, your own Top 3.

Tip:Keep it simple. For years I wanted to be one of those fans I saw huddled along the barriers in the rain at the Tour of Flanders. My dream wasn’t to cycle, my dream was to be with those people. So that is what I did – I was on the sideline on the Oude Kwaremont. Everything else during that trip to Belgium (riding, beer tasting, Paris-Roubaix) was icing on the cake because I accomplished my one simple goal.

Tip: Be creative with your Top 3; consider a scenic drive, a hike or city walk, a museum, music, local market, wine tour, recommended restaurant, cultural festival – you know all those silly things Rick Steves lists in his travel guides. These activities make a vacation feel well rounded as a tourist and promise good memories.

Tip: A great activity to include in your itinerary (or center your trip around) is participation in one of the many cyclosportives (cyclo sportif or gran fondo) citizen rides. These very challenging timed event rides are more like races for the thousands, and very popular in Europe.

Who will you be traveling with?

Pick your travel companions carefully. People have drastically different expectations of what Europe means to them. The people on the trip determine your priorities, car rental size, hotel flexibility and quality, level of physical activity and most importantly – mood.

Tip: A non-cyclist who enjoys exploring small towns or taking hikes while you are out riding a bike can be a tremendous asset for shuttling riders and collecting snacks from local markets.

Tip: Independent, flexible, adventurous travelers who tend to see the glass as half full will come in very handy when plans suddenly go awry or change.

Tip: Have a communal wallet or credit card for all expenses. Fund the account before you go and settle afterwards.

Tip: Be sure to share emergency contact lists among group members.

Tip: You will definitely need to train to ride well in Europe, but any level of cycling can be found in Europe. Don’t be intimidated. If you don’t want to take on the 15-17% sections, destination lunch rides can be just as pleasurable. The numerous cycling tour companies cater to all levels of ability and have support vehicles.

Will you plan your trip yourself or will you join an organized group?

When it comes to planning you have three options: 1) Do-it-yourself, 2) Share the duties within the group, 3) Join an organized tour group.

Let me warn you that Option #1 offers the most control but demands hours of planning. When I say hours I mean 60-140 hours, depending on how complex your itinerary is and how much you will need to learn about an area.

Option #2 involves an approach of splitting up duties between the travelers in your group. My brother has a group of friends who have traveled together through various countries. They split up the trip by days. This can also be done by region or by type of activity (sport, hotel, restaurant, car rental, etc.). The planning load is divided, but this approach takes excellent communication between members to make sure the puzzle pieces fit together.

Option #3 requires that you give up almost all control because you must meet the tour group’s arrival and departure times and towns.

The tour guides tell you what you are doing and when. This option is great for those who have no time or interest in planning. Tour operators are pro at what they do and have learned from their own past mistakes, continually improving upon the product. You benefit from their wisdom, plus the people who run these tour companies are near saints. If you want to witness good people skills – they got it in boatloads. The down side of Option #3 is that it will cost you big bucks. By big bucks we are talking $450-$1300 a day.

Tip: I read itineraries by the Bike Tour Companies for ideas in timing (how much is too much) and recommended rides, even hotel suggestions or the cities where they prefer to stay or visit. Tour Companies are a valuable shortcut in planning.

Tip: I compile all my dates, reservation info and links onto an excel spreadsheet, building the itinerary day by day. Parts of this file can then be compiled and left at home for loved ones with contact information and travel plans.

Tip: Option #1 and Option #3 above can be combined. You could enjoy a few days on your own, join a tour group, and then travel more on your own. I did this on a cycling tour to Tuscany, Italy, and was able to enjoy Florence and Sienna before and after my guided bike tour.

Tip: Out and back trips are a great way to keep hotel reservations simple. You can travel with your bike inside the car (keep it covered well with a blanket; roof racks are scarce in Europe) and start your bike rides from different locations returning to the same hotel or bed & breakfast.

Tip: The decision to bring your own bike or rent a bicycle will greatly influence your travel flexibility and even the airport you select, so this should be one of your initial decisions in the planning phase.

What do you know that you truly dislike about travel?

Vacation is a time to be enjoyed regardless of travel goals, so don’t force yourself into something you know sets your twizzle twirling. Am I right? If you like business class – fly business, even if your friends only have miles enough for coach class. If you hate traveling by train, then fly all the way to your destination. If you hate the congestion of big cities – stay in the green countryside even if you won’t find any Michelangelo sculptures nearby. If you need time alone to regenerate – let everyone know you need to walk alone to get a morning croissant.

Tip: Packing light is super important when traveling abroad, but be sure not to skimp on cycling jackets or leg/arm warmers and gloves. Nothing will spoil a dream ride faster than being unprepared for cold weather. It’s better to bring one of everything rather than four of the same. I have some packing lists and packing tips available at PedalDancer.com under the France Cycling page.

Tip: Read about customs, road signs, and travel details prior to your trip. Learn at least basic greetings in the language of the country you will be visiting.

Tip: Sort out your communications at least two-weeks prior to traveling: international phone, GPS device, adapters and cords, and a PIN credit card if possible. I have some informative travel posts available at PedalDancer.com under the France Travel page.

What is your budget?

Traveling to Europe is expensive. Sorry. The days of the dollar have passed. You can expect about $250-$400/day solo, less if traveling with one companion, even less if traveling with a group – but as your group grows so too does the wine or beer consumption, so add some more back in. The longer you stay the lower your cost per day because airfare costs are spread out, but hotel, food, car, and gas costs continue to add up. A 9-to-14-day cycling trip is just right.

With the euro, it will feel like you are adding about 20% to the cost of everything. Although car rental is reasonable and bus travel is not outrageous, gasoline and trains are expensive, as well as air travel. The closer you are to big cities or Switzerland – the higher your costs. You can find a variety of hotels at the same prices as in the U.S. but the quality varies much more. Camping is also an option and inexpensive gear is available for purchase from large sporting chains. Remember most international luggage is limited to 50lbs per bag.

Tip: Miles! You can use your flight miles and credit cards points for air travel, hotels, car rental and more.

Tip: Always consider the cost to include your bike case as luggage when booking airfare because luggage costs are not included (and range from $75-$300 one way). Bags and bike cases can really raise the overall price of your transportation (although you may be able to write off the travel cost later depending on your credit card perks).

Tip: Save on restaurants. I often eat a simple breakfast or eat at the hotel/B&B/chambre d’hote, if included. I snack for lunch (on the bike), or enjoy a nice 3-course lunch (cheaper than dinner) at a restaurant on non-ride days. For dinner I will picnic with a nice bottle of wine, buying supplies from a local market. I usually only have one or two nice dinners out and several simple salad and pizza nights.

Tip: I try to pick moderately priced hotels run by local mom & pop sorts – they offer a good feel and often give excellent hospitality and local tips, plus they may have bike storage space. The exception to this rule is booking a hotel room upon arrival, or prior to departure, near airports. In this instance always go with a big chain for a better location. If I book a hotel room at any point during the trip – I always look for clean, simple and modern. Trust me on this one, you can’t smell those elaborate upholstered hotel rooms while booking online, plus those hotels are not the places where bike riders belong. I do like to splurge on a nice hotel for a night or two in special locations.

Tip: Gites or apartments are good options if you plan to stay in one location for a week or so. You will save on food costs and feel like a local.

Tip: Look for cycling lodges or hotels that offer half-board. Half board means that breakfast and dinner will be included with your hotel room rate for an additional amount per person. They are often good deals with good food.

Many more specific details touched upon in this piece will be offered in the next three parts of this series:

Part II – Recommended Rides in Europe
Part III – Planning your trip (itinerary, transportation, bikes and tips)
Part IV – Selecting a Cycling Tour Company

Stay tuned for more travel tips on how to plan your cycling adventure to Europe and where the most popular rides are located.

All photos by Karen Rakestraw Pedal Dancer®, or Mike Rakestraw.
Thanks to Monica Kurtz for editing this article and selecting which photographs to include.

A simple explanation of America

Does anyone know where Colorado is?

It was 2010 and I sat at a large table of dinner guests at a Bed & Breakfast in the small town of Guchan, in the French Pyrenees. The hostess asked her guests this question, speaking in both French and English, "Does anyone know where Colorado is?" A gracious gesture to include me in the dinnertime conversation as the only American and English speaking guest at the table, I thought, finally we get to talk about me.

Not a word.

Not one of the guests, both French and German, knew where Colorado was located? Are you kidding me? Colorado! You know John Denver, cowboys and indians, great skiing, the Denver Broncos! The Rocky Mountains! Anyone heard of Austria?

I smiled graciously as we changed the subject, back to something in French, as I recall.

When traveling in France I often answer questions about the state where I reside. I explain the temperatures and plants in Colorado are very similar to the Midi-Pyrenees. The population of the city of Denver is 620,000 people. The population of Colorado is over 5 million. These numbers are staggering to a local French person living in the Pyrenees where many have never left the valley they were born into. Or to those persons who have fled an exhaustive life in Paris (a city of 2.2 million with a bustling urban area of 10.4 mil) for the countryside.

Wait until they hear the population of New York City is over 8 million, or that Los Angeles County (where I grew up) is 10 million! No denying it - everyone knows where Paris is, yet few know where the STATE of Colorado with it's 5 million people are located. This is the main reason why I always try to include maps when I describe a cycling route or race. The first thing I want to know is WHERE IS IT. 

Seems I spend much of my life looking for things.

Pedal Dancer® has an international readership, so I never assume someone knows a location, because I have learned - dinner guests in France do not know where Colorado is located and it took me years to locate Mont Ventoux. Still I laugh at myself trying to simplify maps down to the basics. What if I were talking about the United States, how would I map out America to explain regions to a visitor?

The result - my whimsical (extremely simplified) attempt in explaining the United States to a visitor (tip: Colorado is in the middle, and people ride bikes all over this great country):

Really serious regions of the United States.  click image to enlarge

Do you think this map would help people decide where to visit America? Or am I over-simplifying things? My only other tip would be to NEVER take a Greyhound bus across this big country. And Las Vegas is a really weird place.

Population of France: 65.43 million
Population of the United States: 313.9 million
Population of Guchan, France: 157 gracious individuals

The World's 20 most bike friendly cities:

1. Amsterdam, Netherlands
2. Copenhagen, Denmark
3. Utrecht, Netherlands
4. Seville, Spain
5. Bordeaux, France
6. Nantes, France
7. Antwerp, Belgium
8. Eindhoven, Netherlands
9. Malmo, Sweden
10. Berlin, Germany
11. Dublin, Ireland
12. Tokyo, Japan

The best biking cities in the United States:

1. Boulder, Colorado
2. Portland, Oregon
3. New York City, New York
4. Washington, DC
5. Minneapolis, Minnesota
6. Tucson, Arizona
7. Austin, Texas
8. Missoula, Montana
9. San Diego, California
10. Louisville, Kentucky

The Netherlands

Recommended viewing: the difference between Holland and the Netherlands

Now that StradE BianchE is behind us - the race was Saturday and Italian Moreno Moser (Cannondale) won - we have another year to learn how to spell that Italian race correctly (the mispellings were rampant and entertaining).

We can now move on to dispelling another common error - please don't use "Holland" for the Netherlands.

This link above came from my dear-old friend Annelies yesterday, who is Dutch but lives in Belgium now. Annelies and I lived together in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, Indonesia, oh about 24-years ago. Having friends who live around the world is a pure joy and broadens my life and knowledge tremendously.

I have fond memories of the influence of food and language between the Netherlands and Indonesia while living in Indonesia (a previous Dutch colony). Like many travelers I also have a love of geography and zanny facts (12 below from National Geographic and other sources) and make constant discoveries of how misinformed I can sometimes be.

• Netherlands is the most densely populated country in the world, followed by Belgium, then Japan.
• If it were not for the massive dikes and sea walls to hold back the sea, 65% of the country would be flooded daily. More than 2,400 kilometers (1,491 miles) of dikes shield the low, flat land—almost half of which lies below sea level.
• 60 percent of the country is farmed, with super-efficiency, by just 2 percent of the workforce. Only the U.S. and France export more agricultural goods. Products: Grains, potatoes, sugar beets, fruits; livestock; tulips.
• Amsterdam is the capital and largest city. Rotterdam is the world's largest and busiest general-cargo port.
• According to Forbes.com Amsterdam was the 17th most visited city in 2012. Tourism is a big industry in the Netherlands.
• Three of the top 10 most famous paintings in the world are by Dutch Artists. Night Watch (Rembrandt), Girl with a Pearl Earring (Johannes Vermeer), and Starry Night (Vincent van Gogh). I have been fortunate to see all three.
• The story of Hans Brinker, the little boy who held his finger in the dike, is complete fiction. A story created by American Mary Mapes Dodge in 1865 (the year our Civil War ended and our 13th amendment was passed to end slavery. I guess she needed a distraction).
• Some well-known Dutch cuisine include: hutstop (beef stew), erwtensoep (split pea soup), bitterballen (meatballs), pickled, salted herring, smoked eel, Edam, Leiden and Gouda and Limburg cheese, ontbijtkoekm and poffertjes (cakes), and my favorites - pancakes (for dinner!) and speculaas cookies!
• I am an American who lives in the United States, they are Dutch who live in the Netherlands (no caps on the t). 
• The average height of American males is 5ft 10in, the average height of Dutch males is 6ft 1in. And thus why I probably should move to the Netherlands, since the average height of males in my family is 6ft 7in (that's not a joke).
• Dike vs dyke: According to grammarist.com, in American and Canadian English, dike is the preferred spelling of the noun referring to (1) an embankment used to prevent floods, and (2) a low wall dividing lands. Dyke is the preferred spelling in all other main varieties of English, but in America means a lesbian. 
• Netherlands and Nederlands - same country, again, it depends who is saying it. 

A map of the Netherlands. Nice to look at, really difficult to pronounce click image to enlarge

A photo by NASA shows the dikes as long white lines holding off the North Sea. By the look of this map, commuters would need a bike and a boat to get anywhere.

Connecting geography to cycling

Spring means the Classics in the world of cycling and the Netherlands has Amstel Gold - 14 April 2013, the only Classic held within it's borders. The Blanco Pro Cycling Team is a Dutch professional cycling team. Eighteen of their twenty-nine ProTour riders are Dutch. Nineteen of their twenty Continental team riders are Dutch. I like the idea of a semi-national team, in a time when so many teams are of mixed nationalities.

Niki Terpstra (OPQS) is the current Dutch National Road Race Champion. We should all know the name Marianne Vos - the current Olympic Gold Medalist, World CX, World Road, World TTT Champion, Dutch National Road and CX Champion. Makes me wonder why anyone else dare show up to race when she is listed on the roster. Marianne Vos is arguably the best female cyclist of all time, (Marianne Vos: Is she the world's greatest cyclist? By the BBC).

Spring is 17 days away and tulip bulbs will be blooming soon enough. We can thank the Dutch in the Netherlands for that.

Tulips in my neighbors garden last May

I hope you learned at least one new fact from this travel post. I enjoy creating simple geography lessons because every time I go to Europe, no one knows where the heck Colorado is located! We're east of Las Vegas baby, over the big mountains. And we eat Rocky Mountain Oysters - just kidding! (What are those?)

p.s.
Please note (Willie) how I did not even mention beer in this entire post, although they have that too, obviously, or they wouldn't have the Amstel Gold race. [Amstel brewery was founded in 1870 in Amsterdam, named after the Amstel River, it was bought out by Heineken International in 1968 and produces 36 million liters of beer a year]. But since I'm back on the topic of beer, I forgot to mention in my post two days ago that 21-year old American Joe Dombrowski's favorite meal is pizza and wine, not beer - what are they teaching that kid in Europe? He's probably using a fork and knife to eat his pizza these days as well, which according to New Yorkers should always be folded and eaten by hand! Vive la cultural différence.

Related posts by Pedal Dancer: 2013 Cycling Classics race calendar

And from 303Cycling.com: Boulder based Bikes Belong studies the Netherlands for Better Bike Cities. Also view Cycling Tips: Strade Bianche in Photos

Road Trip!

The year's travel adventures begin

I'm on a road trip from Colorado to California. Yesterday I visited my traditional rest stop on my journey west across Colorado - Utah - Nevada - California. I stopped at the well-known mountain bike Kokopelli's Trailhead, located just outside of Fruita, Colorado (west of Grand Junction). And yes, there were mountain bikers coming and going along the trails. 

Kokopelli's Trailhead, Colorado

I'm traveling again

As my friend Wilma wrote to me yesterday, "Traveling is the one thing in my life I wish I could do more." I believe she speaks for many of us. 

This blog will take on a more personal tone in coming weeks as I again write about my travel adventures over 3 weeks in California and then 12-days in Belgium being a fan at the Tour of Flanders and the Paris-Roubaix, with a quick visit to Italy tucked in between the two races. 

Remember the origins of Pedal Dancer began when I had friends who traveled to Belgium to see the Classics in April 2010. It expanded when I wrote about my 5-week trip to France in July 2010 for my family back home in the USA. I am grateful to my family who makes all my journeys possible and to my friends who fuel my desire. Also for my mobile work, and to my boss, who happens to be my brother - an understanding avid cyclist, cycling fan, and world-wide traveler.

True blog writing will resume, mixed in with posts about the Classics and other races. And Bikes.

When I tell friends "I am going to the Classics in Belgium," most reply, "Oh I have always wanted to go!" Those same friends who had been to the Classics (mentioned above) were kind enough to offer many tips to make my trip even better. There was of course the one friend who sincerely wrote, "Are you coming thru [my town]?? we could meet for lunch or dinner or something... before I strangle you and bury your burned body in the desert... remember our pact about giving each other shit when traveling?..  you've crossed the line!!  THREE WEEKS!!!! then Belgium???? I hate you!!!"

For all these levels of kindness, and inspired by a picture I sent to a friend yesterday,  I will be tweeting (from @karenrake) random photographs from my travels titled - "Wish you were here." Come along on my journeys, I truly Wish you were here!

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