Italian bicycle manufacturer Bianchi and premium bike tour company Grand Tours Project announce a new partnership to offer performance cycling experiences through legendary destinations.
Grand Tours Project and Bianchi will be offering a variety of innovative “Powered by Bianchi” bike tours that are specially designed for passionate performance cyclists. The first tour – part of a new series “Roads of Legends” – will take guests to some of the most legendary mountain passes in the Alps, from Alpe d’Huez to Stelvio (September 9th to 16th 2018). The tour will also commemorate the extraordinary life of legendary Fausto Coppi, in celebration of 99 years since his birth in Piemonte, Italy.
Highlights of the tour include:
Climb the two highest paved passes in Europe – Col de l’Iseran (2,764m) and Passo dello Stelvio (2,760m)
Visit Coppi’s hometown in Piemonte, explore the house where he was born and which is now a museum dedicated to his life, and ride on his favourite training routes
VIP tour of the Bianchi factory in Treviglio near Bergamo, and a VIP dinner at the Bianchi Café & Cycles in Milan
6 days of riding the Bianchi Infinito CV Disc bike, race proven by LottoNL-Jumbo WorldTour team
Bianchi pro cycling kit (jersey, bib-shorts).
The “Alpe d’Huez to Stelvio, Powered by Bianchi” bike tour is now open for bookings. Other “Powered by Bianchi” bike tours will be announced during 2018.
As part of the partnership, Grand Tours Project will be supplied with a fleet of Bianchi Infinito CV Disc bikes which will be made available to their guests as they ride on the most beautiful roads in Europe and elsewhere in the world. The Infinito CV Disc endurance bike – the “Official Bike of Grand Tours Project” – is equipped with Shimano Ultegra Di2 electric groupset, and is engineered with the revolutionary Bianchi CV system using Countervail® patented carbon material to cancel the road vibrations and provide less fatigue and more control for the rider. The endurance geometry of the frame ensures the optimal riding position for long distances and at the same time the ideal rigidity and reactivity of a road racing bike. The bike is cobblestone proven and is a winner of Tour de France stages.
The partnership will also enable Bianchi and Grand Tours Project to deepen and enrich customer experiences in the world of cycling – such as VIP visits to the Bianchi factory, special events with cycling professionals and privileged access to the Bianchi-sponsored Team LottoNL-Jumbo at the Grand Tours and other races.
“We are delighted to partner with premium bike tour company Grand Tours Project, allowing us to offer new performance cycling experiences. Bianchi is pleased to provide Grand Tours Project with a fleet of race proven Infinito CV Disc endurance bikes, the ideal model to ride on the toughest and roughest roads. We are also excited about the innovative bike tours and amazing destinations designed by Grand Tours Project to provide the ultimate cycling experience”, Bianchi Marketing and Communication Manager Claudio Masnata said.
Keith Tuffley, Founder of Grand Tours Project, noted “Bianchi is the perfect partner for our guests at Grand Tours Project – with a long and illustrious history, a strong Italian heritage, an innovative and high-performance culture, and a leader in beautiful design. Our goal is to provide the best cycling experiences on the most beautiful roads in Europe and elsewhere in the world, so the Bianchi brand is the ideal complement for our guests. Innovation is important for both Bianchi and Grand Tours Project, and we will be co-developing a wide range of new bike tours and new experiences to allow our guests to enjoy even more the wonderful world of cycling”.
About Bianchi: Founded by Edoardo Bianchi in 1885 in Milan, Bianchi is a performance bicycle company and offers to the market a complete range of models for Road, MTB, City-Fitness, e-Bikes and accessories to meet the needs of all cyclists. Bianchi collaborated with Materials Sciences Corporation to develop the innovative and exclusive Bianchi CV vibration cancelling system, thanks to the application of the patented Countervail® carbon material. With its unique fiber architecture and viscoelastic resin, Countervail® cancels 80% of vibrations while increasing the stiffness and strength of Bianchi CV carbon frames and forks. Bianchi is Italian Creativity since 1885.
About Grand Tours Project: Grand Tours Project creates unique and challenging adventures that celebrate the culture of cycling on the most beautiful roads of Europe and beyond. In 2013, and just a few hours ahead of the pro riders, Keith Tuffley cycled all stages of the three “Grand Tours” – the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana … the first amateur cyclist to achieve this feat. Chief Cycling Officer of Grand Tours Project is Alain Rumpf, a former elite rider worked for 20 years at the International Cycling Union (UCI), managing the UCI ProTour and organising the Tour of Beijing. Grand Tours Project is an Official Tour Operator of the Giro d’Italia and the Maratona dles Dolomites.
