(Sydney, Australia) — Ride & Seek is excited to offer intrepid travelers a chance to follow in the footsteps of the Carthaginian general, Hannibal Barca, on a 1,787-mile cycling tour through Spain, France, and Italy. The 28-day journey takes riders over the Pyrenees, Alps and Apennines on roads featured regularly in the Vuelta a España, Tour de France and Giro d’Italia bike races. Guests will embrace cultural and historical elements of Catalonia, Languedoc, Provence, Piedmont, Tuscany, and Umbria, including culinary delights, as they meander down roads less traveled. The “Hannibal Expedition” is divided into two distinct stages, and guests can choose to participate one or both of them. The tour is slated for September 2-30, 2018 and starts at $6,540. Hi-res photos can be downloaded here. For more information, visit http://www.rideandseek.com/epic/hannibal.
“The Hannibal ride was the greatest thing I’ve done in my life…impeccably, energetically and passionately organized,” said cycling journalist and author Felix Lowe. “I cannot think of a better way to spend a month – I just wish I could do it all over again.”
Stage 1 – Barcelona to Alba (968 miles, 16 days)
Starting in Barcelona guests will cycle up through Cataluña and over the Pyrenees mountain range. The crossing of the Pyrenees is obviously a tough undertaking but the route doesn’t tackle the highest peaks, which makes this stage a relatively relaxed introduction to what’s ahead. Guests enter France through the lovely town of Ceret, which was once home to Picasso, before continuing through the beautiful French countryside of the Languedoc-Roussillon. The second part of stage 1 provides an opportunity to take on a number of iconic climbs – Ventoux, Galibier, Alpe d’Huez, Agnel and Izoard among others.
Stage 2 – Alba to Rome (818 miles, 14 days)
Stage 2 takes riders across the spine of Italy – the Apennines – and through a landscape of vines, castles, agriculture, and beautiful hill towns. Starting in Piedmont, riders will traverse the spectacular Oltrepo Pavese and head into Emilia Romagna. From Pisa, guests venture farther into Tuscany through what can only be described as picture postcard scenes en route to Rome.
“This tour offers total immersion into the landscape, history, and culture as we ride an inspirational trail on the roads less traveled,” said Ride & Seek President Dylan Reynolds. “Our guests will indulge the culinary delights and fine wines of each region while embracing the abundant cultural and historical elements as we cycle our way across Europe.”
About Ride & Seek: We are a worldwide adventure cycling company offering unique historical itineraries with quality lodging, fine gastronomy, and cultural immersion. On our tours, cyclists can not only see and ride some of the greatest roads in Europe but also visit some of the most spectacular sites as well. Providing a cultural insight into the areas we visit both historically and gastronomically is central to what we do. Historical journeys and cultural adventures are our specialties. www.rideandseek.com.
