One of my students at school this week was writing in French on the subject of health and fitness. As part of the text she expressed her dislike for pasta. I couldn’t believe it and (kindly) lambasted her for her culinary preferences. I asked her if she had ever tasted fresh pasta in Italy and she admitted that she hadn’t. I’m sure that if she every gets the chance to do so, she will undoubtedly change her mind. What’s all this got to do with cycling? Well (tenuous link coming up…), I received an email this week from a group representing hotels which are based in and around the town of Cesenatico, the birthplace of Marco Pantani no less. Cesenatico is on the Adriatic coast of Italy between Ravenna to the north and San Marino to the south. As soon as I clicked on the link to their website I wanted to be transported back to Italy and to be cycling under the endless blue skies of the Italian countryside. Just as I could taste the fresh Italian pasta when discussing it with my student, as I looked around the website I could feel the warm rays of sun on my skin, the breeze on my face and the see the picture-perfect views in my mind. Goodness, this is all very poetic. Have a look at this screenshot of the homepage of the website and you can make up your own mind.

The following text is from the website:

“We are a group of hoteliers in Cesenatico who share a love of sports, wellness and cycling in particular. We ourselves are cyclists and we often take our friends/guests on rides to discover the territory. Our hotels have always been set up for cyclists because we know first hand the needs and demands of sports enthusiasts. GIROHOTELS™ was formed to provide even more services, to combine our experience and incorporate the best cycling mechanics and technicians, so we can offer a perfectly organized, superlative sports holiday.”

It sounds very tempting doesn’t it? Just like a bit of fresh Italian pasta straight from the kitchen of an authentic Italian restaurant… Mmm… Here is the website for you to explore. It has lots of practical information about cycling in the Cesenatico area and isn’t just endless advertising for the hotels (although clearly they would love you to stay!). Here are a couple more screenshots: