The Country House Ca' Virginia, which our readers remember well and which also the television audience got to know after the victory in the Quattro Hotel broadcast on Sky networks, is an excellent logistical location (in the opening, photo Ca' Virginia) for the routes we have told you about: the CAAM one (Apennine Cycle Upper Marche) And the Tour of Champions. The first cycle path, in fact, winds for 200 kilometers around Monte Nerone, Catria and Petrano, on the edge of the border with Umbria. The second one is located between Romagna and Pesaro; just think that the structure is located in Borgo Massano, just 18 kilometers from Tavullia, the leading municipality in the Tour of Champions project.
Tailor-made services
Ca' Virginia is right in the middle and so we immediately ask Giacomo Rossi, the hotelier and cyclist who manages the facility, what are the specific services that make it a luxury bike hotel, being surrounded by greenery.
«The specialized services for cyclists – he explains – are a daily laundry with return by 8am. Along with the room linen, we return the customer's washed and dried technical clothing. Then there is a video-monitored bike room, with bike racks and also places to leave shoes or other technical accessories. So the workshop corner, equipped for small spare parts and for first aid mechanical interventions.
«Clearly, in addition to all this, there is the possibility of having Tour maps available and assistance from me, as an expert in the area, in giving advice to those who want to go alone or even organize guided tours. For those who choose to have the Bike Family package there is also the possibility of making GPS or customized tracks".
Then there is a breakfast dedicated to cyclists…
Yes, and this is one of the things that Barbieri liked (the starred chef of the 4 Hotel program who then decreed the victory of Ca' Virginia in the episode of the program, ed.). We have the “Cyclist's Breakfast”, with a structured menu with carbohydrates and proteins, sweet and salty, from cereals to eggs and, last but not least, zabaglione cream, that is egg and sugar, another treat that we don't miss out on identify ourselves in the specialization towards two-wheel lovers.
Are there any other features of Ca' Virginia that aren't specifically designed for cyclists?
Well, we have a wellness and well-being area which is accessible to everyone. No traffic around, but only cultivated fields reaching to the horizon and relaxing hills. And above all, we are un “green energy hotel” which does not produce even a gram of CO2, thanks to the choice to combine geothermal energy with photovoltaic and solar energy.
What do you think of the CAAM and Tour of Champions routes?
They are two areas with a high vocation for cycling tourism. In the Tour of Champions the hills between Tavullia and Coriano are very beautiful, in addition to the Riviera Romagnola. Then there is a secondary ring, the Park Tour, with the panoramic road section inside the San Bartolo Park overlooking the Adriatic.
What about the Apennine Cycle of the Upper Marche?
It's longer and, I'll tell you more, there are also roads that are suitable for gravel, a little more bumpy (not dirt) which allow us, for example, to reach the altitude of Monte Nerone. I also traveled this one a few dozen days ago and it is a marvel that goes up from Piobbico and from there practically takes us to the top of Nerone from the eastern side.
So not just road but also gravel and MTB?
Yes, let's say we leave the MTB as the third point. But for example... the Alte Marche area is wonderful for gravel and already starting from the surroundings of Ca' Virginia I'm studying mixed gravel and asphalt paths that go in that direction and towards Urbino.
How does the guide service work?
It is a paid service for those who request it, however, nothing changes the fact that if some days I happen to decide to go for a bike ride, I tell the customers and, in those cases, anyone who wants to join is free to join. After all, We pedal for pleasure as well as for work…
