We were hardly busy this tour season but most of the Tourissimo staff and guides were involved in a cycling event that I co-organized: Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race.
The original dates were in late July and, rather than cancelling, we've decided to move it (pandemic emergency permitting) to September 27th - October 3rd. Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race is very demanding for the athletes and logistically complicated. We changed 4 locations hosted by mid-size and small towns moving all the caravan and the race village to be ready for the arrival of the racers. Our team was of course up to the task and we managed to have a great time, too!
Here's a photo gallery of all of us in action.
Riders, both professionals and amateurs, came from 12 countries to race the 7 demanding stages.
You can watch the video story and admire the rough beauty of the Apennines in our race video.
Not only did the race provide the opportunity for team building and morale boosting for Tourissimo staff, it also prepared all of us for running safe cycling tours in the time of Covid-19. We successfully ran this 150-person event while meeting and exceeding all safety protocols that were in place. This hands-on, real-life experience was invaluable to ready our guides to host our guests in Italy when travel resumes.
We are all also looking forward to the 2021 edition of Appenninica MTB Parmigiano Reggiano Stage Race in September!
