BikeandTaste’s first real experience was a fusion of extraordinary cycling routes with the irresistible exuberance of multiple World Champion Paolo Bettini, mouth-watering cooking lessons, breathtaking views, geothermal beers and followed by sunset toasts, smiles and even new friendships.

Now it is a pleasure to share our trip to Tuscany between photos – lots of photos – hot pumpkin, night baths, and iced tea.

Wednesday – to the base.

When Patrizia, Krisztina and I got out of the car we felt like we had stepped out onto a planet very close to the sun. June overflows from everywhere: the sun-scorched hills, the glistening olive trees, the blood-colored poppies by the roadsides, and patchy brooms everywhere. We were hungry and it seemed only natural to reach the Ganesh-the center of Pomarance’s social life-to get Caesar’s ‘schiaccia’, with the guarantee of searing deliciousness, we devour in big gulps as the temperature rises above thirty degrees outside and we enjoyed being greeted with the usual simple and sincere welcome here. 

Later, as the afternoon air cooled the shady rooms of the Monastery, we prepared our welcome gift. BikeandTaste’s musettes – the first ever – are filled with little gadgets for our guests coming from all over Italy to ride these roads with Paolo Bettini. Here he was as tanned as ever and ready to take stock of the days’ programs. Dinner was held in a small illuminated village where the occasional sound of cats chasing each other broke the silence. In the evening, that cool air comes down and makes you forget the canicular temperatures of the day. 

Thursday – viva la pappa col pomodoro

While Paolo and Luca went out on their bikes with guests, we got ready with cameras on our shoulders, to document the cooking lesson reserved for the travel companions. It was all about a full immersion in Tuscan cuisine with chef Federico Frosali who told us how the simplest recipes can often require more attention than complex ones. It was only ten o’clock in the morning, but the smell rising from the pot where the ‘pappa al pomodoro’ was cooking, was already making us hungry. Three hours had passed by the time we got a taste of it. In the meantime, we had been kneading and sealing tortelli. The pappa was incredibly yummy – why has it not yet been declared a national heritage? – and the same goes for the ricotta and spinach filling that melted in our mouths. I also wondered how the julienne carrots that accompanied the filet could be so good, but that is a secret ingredient in the recipe that Chef Frosali personally sent to each of us. 

If the afternoon was created for siestas, ATCommunication couldn’t afford to sleep during its busiest time. We set up an office overlooking the bell tower, with the addition of iced tea and pistachio ice cream. Camera memory cards are hotter than a summer hit while everything else kept us glued to our laptops until dinnertime. Fortunately, Alessandro knew what we needed to recharge our batteries. Gin and tonic anyone?

Sunday – A very green day

A Ganesh croissant and a cappuccino are the basic ingredients for tackling the morning grilling at the Green Fondo, an event that returns after a two-year absence – blamed on the pandemic, of course – and that dayy it was back to its former glory. Pomarance was buzzing, people were asking for photos of Paolo [Bettini], Jury Chechi and Giovanni Visconti, the stars of the day. Patrizia and I were spinning around like tops for statements and, with seconds to go, sprint to the Lampredotto refreshment area where we had set up yet another walking office on a bench as we waited for the first cyclists. The mood was a mix of what Paolo Bettini always talks about: fun, friends, good food, scenery and even sustainability…all united under the banner of sport. 

It would take me about six hours to get home, fifteen percent battery left on my laptop to finish the news we had planned and download the photos, and about twenty hours of sleep to catch up on the next week, but in the end all of us on the team felt the same way: when you have a goal, it’s always worth pursuing it.