The Italian & French section of our Cycle Legs journey has been designed by AllTrails in collaboration with Experience Plus, a local company with a 40 year history in the industry. They know the area intimately and will take you on the back roads, where possible, showing you the sights and involving you with the people, culture and environment while you achieve your goal of cycling through this magnificent country on your way toTurin. This bicycling journey begins in the eternal city of Rome where you will be greeted with a welcome dinner, then travels up through picturesque Tuscany and over the Apennine Mountains to Emilia Romagna. We see some really important cultural and historical sites such as San Gimignano, Siena (optional), Pisa (optional) and the val D’Orcia and its towns (UNESCO world heritage site and one of our local guides' favourite places in all of Italy). These are some of the most visited Italian sites (the val d’Orcia has Montepulciano and Montalcino, renowned for their red wines). The finale of this leg comes with our arrival in Turin, designated the first capital of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861, the home of the House of Savoy, and the leader in uniting Italy under one flag (also home of automotive industries like Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Ducati). Along the way we will learn about the unique features and customs of 9 of Italy's 20 regions as we pedal along quiet roads through country towns, past medieval and renaissance castles and cities. Of course there will also be ample opportunities to sample some of each region's finest wines and foods. Join us for this pioneering bicycling expedition. Our departure date from Rome is on the same day as the start of the 2013 Tour de France. Some of you might be heading home after arriving in Turin but most will carry on with us on Leg 23 from Torino to Paris where we cycle some of the famous Tour de France routes before heading into wine country then catching the final day of the Tour in Paris around the streets of Champs-Elysees.