Who rides with you
Giacomo Rossi, the bicycle as a mother tongue
The great cycling enthusiast at Ca' Virginia is me, Giacomo Rossi. I have always loved two wheels — gravel, road and mountain bikes — and I am here for anything to do with a holiday in the saddle: from the weather forecast to technical questions about the routes, their difficulty and the right kit.
Since 2011 I have been a qualified “AMI BIKE” guide, a qualification recognised by CONI and UISP. When we ride together I show you the most exhilarating views in the Marche and the Montefeltro; every evening at the biker's corner, from 19:00 to 20:00, we plan the next day together with GPS tracks, detailed maps and updates on weather and road conditions.
Ca' Virginia is a serious bike hotel, a partner of Italy Bike Hotels and winner of the bike hotel episode of Bruno Barbieri — 4 Hotel, filmed across the Marche and Romagna. Not a hotel with a few bike racks: a house built around people who travel by bicycle.
Pantani's mountain
The Cippo di Carpegna, one of Italy's landmark climbs
We are in the land of the Cippo di Monte Carpegna, in the Sasso Simone e Simoncello Nature Park: the training climb Marco Pantani used to prepare for his victories, and which he himself ranked among the hardest in Italy alongside the Mortirolo and the Stelvio.
The Cippo proper tops out at 1,020 metres. Carry on for another six kilometres to about 1,400 metres and the view opens onto San Marino, the Tuscan-Romagnol Apennines and, on clear days, the Adriatic coast. It was the stage of the Merckx–Fuente battles at the 1973 and 1974 Giro.
For anyone chasing vertical metres, everything else is close by: Monte Nerone can be ridden up to around 1,300 metres, Monte Catria to around 1,500, Monte Petrano to around 1,200. Then there are the Passo della Spugna, San Leo and the Valmarecchia, La Panoramica looking down on Fiorenzuola di Focara with its cliff, and the Urbino loop. For gravel riders, dirt tracks and white roads between badlands and medieval villages.
The climb, in figures
The Cippo, measured
- 2.3 km
- The Cippo climb proper
- 270 m
- Elevation gain, from 750 to 1,020 metres
- 13%
- Average gradient
- 18%
- The final ramp
Figures for the Cippo di Monte Carpegna, in the Sasso Simone e Simoncello Park.
Services for cyclists
Everything you need, before and after the ride
On request we arrange pick-up and recovery, a support vehicle, sports and recovery massages with a physiotherapist, and transfers to and from the nearest railway station and airport. We work with specialist bike shops and workshops nearby.
In the kitchen, a generous buffet breakfast with protein and carbohydrates to leave on full legs, and the inn's dinner when you get back.
The facilities
Point by point, what you find in the house
- Secure, CCTV-monitored bike room — space for at least twenty road bikes, with racks and bike stands
- Charging points for e-bikes
- Workshop corner with a repair stand and basic tools for quick fixes
- Equipped bike wash area
- Daily laundry service, with a laundry bag for technical kit
- Rental on request, muscle bikes and e-bikes — road €27 per day or €160 per week, gravel and pedal-assist trekking bikes
- GPS units on loan or for hire with the routes already loaded, plus GPX tracks, custom ones included
- Shower and luggage storage after check-out too, for one last ride
The rhythm of the week
Guided rides and days built around you
Every week we run two guided rides, often at two levels of difficulty, always with an AMI guide. The routes are chosen the day before together with our guests, adapting pace and intensity to the group: from the Villages and Castles ride to Pantani's mountain, from the Furlo Gorge to the Urbino loop. On request we bring in local guides, qualified and experienced cycling guides and coaches.
On rest days there are yoga and Nordic walking on request, the outdoor saltwater pool, the SPA Il Fienile and cultural visits — Urbino, the Bicycle Museum in Pesaro, San Leo, San Marino, Gradara. Clubs, federations and cycling schools have dedicated rates, a room for presentations and a bike room for twenty bikes and more.
Routes to ride on your own
For those riding solo, a few mapped routes with distance, elevation gain and difficulty. The guided tours are always different: chosen the day before with our guests, on two levels, throughout the cycling season.
| Route | Distance | Elevation gain | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Panoramica (Fiorenzuola view, San Bartolo Park) | 84 km | 709 m | Moderate |
| Frontino – S. Sisto (Mercatale, the lake) | 85 km | 722 m | Moderate |
| Frontino – S. Sisto – Montecchio (Montefeltro loop) | 120 km | 1,167 m | Moderate |
| Villagrande – Soanne – Carpegna | 105 km | 1,581 m | Hard |
In the saddle in the Montefeltro
Frequently asked questions about the bike hotel
Is Ca' Virginia really a bike hotel?
Yes, and it is our identity. Giacomo Rossi has been a certified AMI guide since 2011; we have a CCTV-monitored bike room with a workshop corner and e-bike charging points, road/gravel/e-bike rental, guided rides, massages with a physiotherapist, agreements with specialist shops and workshops, and transfers to and from the station and the airport. We are a partner of Italy Bike Hotels and we won the bike hotel episode of Bruno Barbieri — 4 Hotel.
How hard is the Cippo di Carpegna climb?
The Cippo proper climbs 2.3 km from 750 to 1,020 metres, averaging around 13% with a final ramp at 18%. The full ascent through the village of Carpegna is longer, about six to seven kilometres at an average of 10%. It was Marco Pantani's training climb.
Can I rent a bike at the hotel?
Yes, on request: road bikes (€27 per day, €160 per week), gravel bikes and pedal-assist trekking e-bikes. We also lend or hire out GPS units with the routes already loaded.
Are there guided rides?
We run two guided rides a week, often at two levels of difficulty, always with an AMI guide. The routes are chosen the day before together with our guests, adapting pace and intensity to the group.
Where do I keep my bike and my technical kit?
In the CCTV-monitored bike room, with racks, bike stands, e-bike charging points and a workshop corner for quick repairs. There is an equipped wash area and a daily laundry service with a laundry bag for technical kit.
Which are the finest routes in the area?
The Cippo di Carpegna, Monte Nerone, Monte Catria, Monte Petrano, the Furlo Gorge, the Passo della Spugna, San Leo and the Valmarecchia, La Panoramica above Fiorenzuola di Focara and the Urbino loop. For gravel, white roads and dirt tracks between badlands and medieval villages.
