Why Sardinia?

I am in Sardinia for the whole month of September. But why here? If you're going to ride on the road, surely there are better known, glitzier and more vertiginous destinations. The Alps, Pyrenees, Dolomites, the South of France and even the Voges mountains come to mind, as they are regularly featured during the three Grand Tours broadcast worldwide every year in May (Giro d'Italia), July (Tour de France) and September (La Vuelta a Espana).

But in 2007, I recall watching the first stage of the Giro d'Italia, utterly transfixed in the massive GC (general classification) shakeup that happened on the first Team Time Trial stage. Riders were getting tailed off on a very hilly course on what appeared to be a beautiful tropical island. 

The Italian team Liquigas competing in the 2007 Giro d'Italia opening TTT

A bunch of guys struggling up a steep hill is NOT your typical photo of a Team Time Trial stage. There was chaos and panic amongst the teams, but I recall thinking, "that looks like an awesome place to ride".  Impression made.

Fast forward to the summer of 2023, and my wife Anita and I had enjoyed another great concert by Pink Martini and the next morning we found ourselves at coffee shop in Hyannis which happened to be showing beautiful drone shots from tropical location on a very large TV. We were guessing the location - Anita thought it was someplace in the Caribbean, and I was convinced it was Sardinia. The owners confirmed it was indeed Sardinia. Sixteen years later, Sardinia had my attention. Again.

And thus was hatched the idea of visiting the Island to ride my bike and experience the local food and culture for a month. For a cyclist, Sardinia works better than the high mountains during the shoulder season, because the possibility of snowy mountain weather is non-existent. (see this article about Storm Boris!) And while there are amazing restaurants in the mountains used by the Grand Tours, these regions are generally not known for their specific food culture. One of the appeals of Sardinia was to learn about the local cuisine by eating my way around the Island.

Location: Sardinia, Italy

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