And in a year such as this, we can’t discount dark horses, men like Nairo Quintana, EF Pro Cycling’s Rigoberto Uran, and Groupama-FDJ’s Thibaut Pinot, who’s out for redemption after his stunning collapse late in last year’s race. In previous years, classics stars would often turn to domestique duties during the Grand Tours, but teams will now be forced to choose between spreading their best riders across multiple events or targeting some races at the potential expense of others. Already have an account with us? Whether you want to ride the iconic climbs of the Tour de France, catch fall foliage in New England, or whoop it up on unspoiled Arizona gravel, these are the absolute-best, unmissable, bucket-list bike trips on the planet. How Do Your Stats Compare to a Tour de France Pro? run through to Il Lombardia on 31 October for men and the Ceratizit Madrid Challenge from 6 to 8 November for women. 8 days / 193 miles / $9,495 / Recreational-plus, Anchored around the world-famous redwood groves in northern California, this excursion offers opportunities for adventure and family bonding that are appropriately larger than life. 12 days / 188 to 191 miles / $3,699 REI members ($4,099 nonmembers) / Recreational-plus, YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Butterfield & Robinson: Japan Biking Meander along the Sea of Japan on the rustic Noto Peninsula—expect relaxing hot springs, abundant tea ceremonies, and peaceful ancient shrines. Needless to say, the revised calendar remains subject to further changes due to the fast-developing coronavirus situation, but the planning and announcement of an updated schedule is at least some good news for riders and fans alike. 8 days / 100 to 115 miles / $1,958 / Intermediate, There’s something to be said for not having to repack your bag every morning. 1 past deep green rice paddies, tea plantations, and the breathtaking Taroko Gorge. Meander north from the Adriatic and explore Friuli—known for producing many of Italy’s best white wines—where locals speak their own language. This year, keep an eye on Bora-Hansgrohe’s Peter Sagan, who’s never won here despite being perfectly-suited to it, Alpecin-Fenix’s Mathieu van der Poel, who gets his first chance to ride the legendary Italian Monument, and Lotto-Soudal’s Philippe Gilbert, who needs only Milan-Sanremo to become only the fourth rider in history to have won all five of the sport’s legendary Monuments. Keep an eye on Jumbo-Visma, who signed former Tour of Italy champ Tom Dumoulin this past offseason to join 2019 Tour of Spain champion Primož Roglič and Steven Kruijswijk, who’s finished fifth and third in the last two editions. Much of the riding is on gravel, doubletrack, or car-free roads. The UCI has announced its revised 2020 WorldTour racing calendars for both men and women after the first half of the season was decimated due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The world-renowned Slickrock Trail offers 11 miles of grippy sandstone with natural adrenaline-pumping features, but Moab has hundreds of miles of trails for riders of all levels. Skip to main content Backroads Bike Tours. The women’s WorldTour calendar, on the other hand, includes 18 events, though a women’s Paris-Roubaix (25 October) is a notable and welcome addition. 7 days / 300 miles / $2,775 / Intermediate/advanced, This week of mountain biking and dirt culture features iconic riding in the Cascades wedged between two local mountain bike festivals (close your eyes and conjure up food trucks, a beer garden, and spirited group rides). This year, we can’t wait to see a possible dual between van der Poel and Team Jumbo-Visma’s Wout van Aert, both world-class cyclocross riders who together have won the last six world championships. The start list is far from complete, but we’re eager to see Italy’s Vincenzo Nibali, the only current rider to have won all three of cycling’s three-week Grand Tours, try to win his third Giro. he men’s Paris-Roubaix will take place on the same day and, with the new spot on the calendar arriving deep into autumn, this year’s Hell of the North could pose a unique set of challenges for riders taking on the harsh cobbles of northern France. 7 days / 154 miles / $2,695 / Intermediate/advanced, YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE H+I Adventures: Cairngorms Adventure Scotland Highlands whisky and singletrack in the only Arctic ecosystem in the United Kingdom—keep an eye out for wild reindeer. The men’s race features over 240km of the toughest terrain in the Flemish region of Belgium, with tight, technical roads, cobblestones, and short steep climbs called “bergs.”, The course is so challenging that it can take years for a rider to master the nuances of the race enough to actually contend to win it. And lest we forget: the organizers have announced that a women’s race will be run earlier in the day along many of the same roads (if you could call them that). Revised 2020 men’s UCI WorldTour calendar. The Tour is always the biggest event in cycling, but this year’s looks to be particularly exciting with unpredictable stages, fewer time trials, and lots of climbing. Highlights include majestic waterfalls, jagged glacial peaks, and emerald-green valleys—and of course, dramatic fjord vistas nearly everywhere you look. By entering your details, you are agreeing to BikeRadar terms and conditions. Until 1 August, you can get your competitive fix with esports racing, such as the Zwift Tour for All and the Digital Swiss 5 (though perhaps some fans may just choose to go without). Get the Cooks Professional Espresso Maker for just £39.99. , for example, is now the second to last race on the men’s WorldTour calendar and overlaps both the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España (which also overlap). 6 days / 144 to 241 miles / starts at $3,499 / Intermediate, YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Pure Adventures: Quebec Bike Tour This self-guided adventure hits a foliage gold mine in late September to early October. Daily rides range from 12 to 40 miles, mostly on quiet country roads that traverse lush jungle, rice paddies, shrimp farms, and rustic seaside villages. This 12-day cultural excursion goes from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi. The race can’t be watched live (at least not yet), but last year Trek partnered with Voxwomen to provide a one hour wrap-up show after each stage, a major step forward for an event that deserves a much wider audience. When it comes to the actual planning, you could DIY, but between transporting gear and scouting routes, lodging, and sustenance, you’re usually better off going with an outfitter that has insider intel and experience with the unique logistics of bike travel. Prepare to be gobsmacked by sweeping ocean views as you tackle 16,000-plus feet of elevation change along this 340-mile stretch of Highway 101. For example, Deceuninck-Quick Step’s Julian Alaphilippe won last year’s men’s edition, giving us an early glimpse of the panache that would make him one of 2019’s biggest protagonists. Our well-traveled editors looked at hundreds of bike tour companies from around the world and scrutinized their itineraries for average tour size, traveler reviews, value, custom options, and quality of the rental fleet. The final half of this 255km race includes about 55km of Northern France’s worst cobbled roads, so it’s packed with drama and always produces a worthy champion—even when it’s a dark horse. 8 days / 124 to 315 miles / $8,495 / Intermediate/advanced, Editors’ Choice photo credits: Trevor Raab (Bentonville); Scott Markewitz (Sedona, Asheville, Moab, Vermont, Whistler, New Zealand); Jake Szymanski (Big Sur, Oregon Coast, Taiwan); Natalie R. Starr (Western Colorado); Donalrey Nieva (Hudson Valley); Jess Daddio (Stokesville); espiegle/Getty Images (Patagonia); AsianDream/Getty Images (Copenhagen); Augustus Farmer (Pyrenees, Switzerland); Chiara Redaschi (Tuscany); Atlantide Phototravel/Getty Images (Amsterdam); Lars Schneider (Norway), The Travel Gear We Never Leave Home Without, The Secret to Turning Kids Into Lifelong Cyclists, Scotland’s Secret Huts Are a Bikepacking Dream, What We Love About the 2020 Giro d’Italia, This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. Owned by retired pro Christian Meier and his wife, Amber, The Service Course offers carefully curated guided rides that will help you understand why so many pros live in this sunny Catalonian gem—empty farm lanes, perfectly twisting climbs, and coastal roads tracing the edge of the turquoise expanse of the Costa Brava. Miles of challenging singletrack around glacial peaks in Torres del Paine National Park attract trail riders from all over the world. The Tour is always the biggest event in cycling, but this year’s looks to be particularly exciting with unpredictable stages, fewer time trials, and lots of climbing. You can unsubscribe at any time. Sign in to manage your newsletter preferences. Adventure Cycling is offering guided tours with a variety of tour models and skill levels, including self-contained, inn-to-inn, fully supported, and van-supported trips. For the first half of the trip, you’ll stay in a boutique hotel in downtown Seattle, hit farm-to-table restaurants, and ride singletrack in lush woodland. This part of the world gets magical when the stands of oak, birch, and maple turn color in September and October. Coronavirus and cycling: what are the new rules for exercising? And while we’re still waiting for final details to emerge (they always arrive at the last-minute), we expect to see van Vleuten taking the start in a bid to win her third title in a row. Epic cross-country trail riding and a world-renowned bike park make this a bucket-list destination for mountain bikers. And it’s going to be quite a spectacle, with about a season’s worth of races crammed into the next four months. After a nearly five month hiatus because of COVID-19, the 2020 road season is finally about to get started. That’s especially true if your home base is the cycling paradise of Girona, Spain. 2019 Giant Trances are included. And this trip—which heads north on quiet roads from Lisbon, through the wine lovers’ Douro Valley, and ends in Port—taps that native brain trust to show riders a side of the country that is at once authentic and luxurious. 8 days / 104 to 148 miles / from $9,995 / Recreational-plus, YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE Butterfield & Robinson: Napa & Sonoma Luxe Biking Private Private tastings, gourmet meals, and luxury hotels in America’s most famous wine regions. Here’s a rundown of nine races we’re dying to see. After all, the eight days that bridge the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix comprise cycling’s Holy Week. Start each day with an exquisite breakfast at La Fabrica—an eatery owned by the Meiers, and linger over afternoon coffee and pastry at their Espresso Mafia café. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, Chasing My Father’s Ghost Through the Swiss Alps, Why Every MTB Rider Should Consider a Singlespeed, 5 Things You Need to Do After a Bike Crash, On Riding a New Road Just Because of Its Name, How to Ride a Pump Track and Why You Should, How These Cyclists Pack for a Long-Distance Ride, How to Tell if You’re Ready for a Century Ride, Not into Everesting? How to Watch: NBC Sports Gold Cycling Pass. 7 days / 380 miles / $7,950 / Advanced, YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE In Gamba: Chianti Classico Nobody does pro-style pampering like In Gamba does, and this is the company’s most classic offering—a unique blend of exquisite riding, food, wine, and atmosphere.