Tuscany, Italy

Tuscany – the land of the Bartalis, Cipollinis and Bettinis of the world. This hilly terrain will shake the winter blues from your limbs, it’s best to explore these lands in autumn and spring when temperatures are a little warmer. Some of the mountain passes are closed during the winter months.

Locals will give you a warm welcome into Italy’s cycling heartland–it’s in their blood. This area is also famous for its strade bianche, or in English – white roads. Italy’s youngest one-day race, now a fixture each March, the Strade Bianche has already cemented itself into the WorldTour calendar thanks to these white gravel roads. They also join up a ton of villages and towns that otherwise wouldn’t meet that easily; they’re a great way to take in the scenery with little traffic.