Sports Tours International Fall Race Packages Offer Pro Cycling Drama on Italy’s Lake Como in October and in Ghent, Belgium in November

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Released on Wednesday, 13 September 2017 08:25

MANCHESTER, UK, Sept. 13, 2017– Sports Tours International is the official tour operator for an Oct. 7-8 weekend on Italy’s Lake Como that focuses on the 2017 Giro di Lombardia (Oct. 7) that begins in Bergamo and ends in Como. Dubbed Italy’s race of the falling leaves, the event, dating to 1905, is the last of this season’s five “Monuments,” cycling competitions that rank as the oldest and most demanding one-day events on the European pro circuit. Sports Tours International, a leading Europeanprovider of competitive sports event-related vacations, suggests that for those who love bicycling, life doesn’t get much better than this weekend in iconic Como.

Think the excitement of a Saturday morning bicycle ride on the last leg of Giro di Lombardia. Then toss in the possibility of participating in the new-for-2017 sportive Gran Fondo II Lombardia on Oct. 8. This 245km ride covers some of the course on which pro riders test their mettle the previous day.

A weekend package includes transfers on Friday and Monday to/from Milan-Malpensa, three nights accommodation (taxes included) with breakfasts in Como, a guided ride on Lombardia day to watch the race, optional (extra fee) finish line hospitality on a nail-biting finish. The package also includes support from STI’s driver and bike guide, in-resort transfers for guest and bike, secure bike storage at the hotel, the official 2017 Il Lombardia road book, a guided ride on Lombardia day to watch the race, a comprehensive travel itinerary and an STI cycling jersey made by Santini. The per person rate is £549 per person double.Guests can also rent Pinarello Ultegra bikes.

The new Gran Fondo follows on Oct. 8, offering the opportunity (additional fee) to ride the final section of the route of the Il Lombardia pro race the day after watching the professionals. The most famous climb – albeit mythical – that the pros tackle is Madonna del Ghisallo that forms the heart of the pro race and that’s also central to the Gran Fondo that will be introduced on this weekend. A chapel lies at the top of the ascent and is the point where, according to legend, the Count of Ghisallo was saved from bandits by the appearance of an image of the Virgin Mary. As a result of this, the Madonna del Ghisallo became the patron saint of travelers and later the patroness of cyclists. Next to the chapel the Museum of Cycling, opened in 2006, showcases hundreds of memorabilia.

For details please see https://www.sportstoursinternational.co.uk/events/giro-di-lombardia/.

As winter approaches, cyclists and their events often move indoors. Case in point is Ghent 6, on Nov. 15-20. 2017, representing the world of six-day track races. The Ghent velodrome is an intimate venue and the track is only 166m long (to be used in the Olympics, it needs to be 250m). Most spectators will attend for a day or two, with demand highest on weekends.

Sports Tours International’s Ghent 6 Track Cycling 2017 (2017 Lotto Zesdaagse Vlaanderen-Gent) offers tickets for all nights in the legendary “Kuipke” cycling stadium, as well as one, two and three-night lodging package at a Ghent hotel in city center within walking distance of the track. A party atmosphere prevails at the track that seats 5,000.

As reported in The Guardian, “The racing is fast-flowing and near constant over the evening – 26 riders in teams of two, pedalling in a series of races for almost six hours straight, from 8pm to 2am, each covering close to 100km a night – flat out – for six nights. It is the cycling equivalent of the Depression-era dance marathons …”

Optional visits can be arranged to the Koksijde Cyclocross on Sunday and to Brugge on STI’s UK coach tour on Saturday. For more details please see https://www.sportstoursinternational.co.uk/events/ghent-6/.

For more information, available packages, space availability and reservations please visit online: www.sportstoursinternational.com, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or call: (+44) 161 703 8161.

Sports Tours Internationalis Europe’s leading specialist in sports travel. Since inception in 1973 they have hosted thousands of participants and spectators at major sporting events worldwide. With the tagline, Fanatical about Sport, the company’s initial roots came from a devotion to running when founder Vince Regan began taking runners to the NYC Marathon. Since the early 2000s, the company now embraces international cycling events and triathlon competitions, sports training camps and corporate hospitality. Clients often can participate in events with the pros and are encouraged to “unleash your inner hero” or when it’s not possible to compete, there’s the ability to be active spectators along the routes and “watch your heroes.”

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