Part 1 - Lombardy

Chapter Two begins by loosely following the route of the Tour of Lombardy, taking in all the main climbs and adding a few, of course. ( Stages 11 and 12 stopping overnight in Bellagio and Varese, respectively.) Then comes a back-road version of the transition from Lombardy into Piemonte, where we discover more remote climbs up to religious monuments, and conclude with a climb considered “the most beautiful” by many- the Colle di Nivolet. ( Stages 13 and 14, stopping in Biella and then Rivarolo.)

Part 2 - Border Hopping Between France

From here we head south -west towards the French border, notably via the Colle del Finestre and Sestriere, stopping for our rest day in Cesana Torinese, just before the border into France. Stage 16 takes us into France for two stages before arriving back in Italy via the Col de Lombarde on Stage 17. Some delightfully “Big Names’’ feature here such as : Granon, Izoard, Bonette, Vars, Lombarde, Dei Morti.

Part 3 - Liguria

From Cuneo we head due south into Liguria, with its legendary coastline ( over-night stops in Albenga and San Remo) and its narrow, steep and remote climbs linking tiny hilltop villages. No more Big Names here, but so much to discover! Our final stage brings us back into France via the Passo Saline to the Col de Turini climb before we wrap up this T66 Chapter with a series of smaller climbs often included in the final stage of Paris-Nice.