February 26 :: Montalcino, Italy

February 26 :: Montalcino, Italy :: 64km / 218km total

We set off at 7am, the earliest yet, for what should be the longest ride of the trip. Brrrr it was cold as we descended the hectic switchbacks out of Siena, heading South. Soon we left the city environs and were pedalling along a beautiful, quiet, rolling country road. The scenery in Tuscany continued to be fantastic, a constant 9 out of 10 in all directions. A big climb into the semi-mountainous hill country had everyone straining, but eventually we rolled into the large non-tourist town (yay!) of Buonconvento for lunch.

After some less-than-spectacular food we rolled off prepared (?) for the final assault on Montalcino. A dramatic, brutal winding climb brought us up to the hilltop town, cycling up switchbacks that wound beneath Montalcino's fortress walls. Montalcino was surprisingly empty of tourists, compared to the previous tourist hilltowns that we'd been in. We checked into our hotel, walked the fortress walls, and settled in for the night.