On the eve of the 2025 Vuelta a España’s gran salida, I touched down in Turin, Italy. It’s a city that, despite being the land of my mother’s ancestors, had somehow slipped through the cracks of my Italian adventures. I’d wandered the streets of Siena, inched through the canals of Venice, embraced Milan’s energy and took in Rome’s incredible history, but Turin? It remained a mystery.
Before this trip, curiosity got the better of me. I searched for my mom’s maiden name and found plenty of matches in the region. For a moment, I considered reaching out—maybe even meeting distant relatives—but decided to save that adventure for another time. The idea was tempting, but stepping into the unknown can be daunting. It’s not something I do easily. But the real draw was the promise of cycling through Piedmont with Tourissimo, a company that promotes active travel in Italy. It would be a week of winding roads, breathtaking scenery and the thrill of riding a Bianchi through the very landscapes that shaped the legendary Fausto Coppi and his brother Serse.
Wandering in Turin
After checking into my hotel, I couldn’t resist exploring Turin’s city center. It was alive with excitement as the Vuelta organizers were setting up for the team presentations. Hosting a grand tour start is a big deal, especially when it’s not your own country’s race. It was Turin’s chance to shine, to show the world its charm and hospitality. And with a history of hosting stages of the Giro d’Italia and the 2006 Winter Olympics, Turin knows how to present. The Olympics, many say, transformed the city, polishing its image even more and putting it firmly on the international map.
It sounds rudimentary but when you have guests with different tastes and restrictions, it really is an art to get it right every day.
Walking the side streets in the rain, I soaked in the city’s energy and ducked into a small bar blasting house music from a station called Berlin Beach Party. Being Italy, my first choice for food and drink was closed, despite its schedule indicating otherwise, so I opted for the energy of Judafire, a couple pints, some fresh focaccia and a library of cool art books and magazines. Sitting in the window, thumbing through pages of photography, I looked out at the street and the wonderful energy of young adults rolling their own cigarettes and enjoying cocktails on a weeknight. It made me appreciate the ease of Europeans and their ability to live without inhibition. This ease would ultimately characterize the entire trip with Beppe, Heather and Milena of Tourissimo and the two female adventurers from the United States and Switzerland who joined us.
After two nights in the city center, I walked to the Hotel Principe di Torino next to the Po River to meet up with Beppe and Milena and dial in our bikes. Once settled, we took a casual ride in the hills above Turin. It can be somewhat intimidating to ride in areas you’re not familiar with because you don’t know the terrain, the length of the climbs, the bends in the road or the condition of the road surfaces. Tourissimo outfitted us with Bianchi bikes spec’d with a Shimano drivetrain, plenty of gearing in the back and 700x30c tires. It was the perfect setup for this short, punchy ride, which was an appropriate way to ease into the week.
Just minutes from the city center, we went into a different world. Looking out on the great city, we got an education from Turin native Beppe and from Milena, whose vibrancy and appreciation for history gave us insight into where we were riding—whether it was what we were looking at from Monte dei Cappuccini or what was to the left or right architecturally. It was a good primer at around 15 miles and 1,700 feet of climbing, followed by a stroll along the Po and dinner in the main square in the cool breeze of a perfect Turin evening.
The grand tour experience
The Vuelta had previously started five times outside of Spain, but this was the first for Italy, and, to be precise, Reggia di Venaria Reale in Piedmont, a spectacular UNESCO World Heritage site and the former palace of the Savoy family. After a casual 15-mile ride to the start, we got cleaned up, watched riders sign in and were treated to a VIP section that included holding a replica of the stunning Vuelta trophy to view the sendoff. It was the beginning of what would be an amazing Vuelta, the third in line (in history) of the grand tours but in many respects just as tough as the Giro and Tour.
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