Outside Magazine picks Ciclismo Classico tour as best of Western Europe for 2004

Arlington, MA March 31, 2004 -– Ciclismo Classico, the premier specialist in cycling/hiking adventure tours, wins Outside Magazine's coveted Best of Western Europe Trip Award for their newly launched Bike Across Italy Part Two: Biking the Southern Hills trip. In the same month, Men's Journal awards it the esteemed Best Trip on the Planet! In addition to this trip, Ciclismo also launched two more new trips that are quickly becoming the favorites of Ciclismo fans far and wide. Both the Celebrity Chef Piedmont Tour with Chef Michael Romano and the Top Guide Training in Tuscany: leadership for life are the hottest selling tours for 2004.

"I was thrilled when I received the call from Outside Magazine letting us know we won their Best European Trip Award. Being a part of the Magazine's Trip of a Lifetime issue is a huge honor for me since the Best Trip Award is like the Oscar® of our Industry," said Lauren Hefferon, Founder and President of Ciclismo Classico. " The Men's Journal award was the icing on the cake." She continued, "I really have my guests to thank for this. They were the inspiration and catalyst for this one of a kind experience that our Bike Across Italy Part Two trip offers."

Fueled by guest's popular demand to create Bike Across Italy Part Two: Biking the Southern Hills, director Lauren Hefferon designed a Southern Italian sequel that she will personally lead in June of 2004. Following the winning recipe of their classic Bike Across Italy tour, this new 12 day adventure, a route that has never been offered by any tour operator before, will follow an intriguing Southern route moving East to West, covering four enchanting regions: Puglia, Basilicata, Campania and Calabria.

The newly created Celebrity Chef Piedmont Tour features Chef Michael Romano of New York's City's famed Union Square Café. On this exclusive tour guests will sample the best Piedmont has to offer and runs during Italy's famous truffle festival through the Alba region of Italy. Michael, an avid cyclist and four-time Ciclismo Classico alumnus, will demonstrate his prowess on the bike and in the kitchen as he prepares a special dining experience in cooperation with local Italian chefs. Michael has been the recipient of several prestigious awards including one of Food & Wine magazine's "Top 10 Chefs in the USA" and Best Chef in New York City by the James Beard Foundation.

Hefferon's knack for creating innovative travel programs is demonstrated in Ciclismo's third award winning (and sold out) program for 2004: Top Guide Training in Tuscany: leadership for life. Paving the way once again, Ciclismo Classico is the first tour operator to develop a unique and stimulating bicycle leadership training course that combines practical instruction with an exciting cultural and social immersion. Guests will be provided a true to life experience as Ciclismo Classico demystifies tour leading with their exclusive Leadership for Life Training.

Lauren explains the inspiration for this new educational program, "In the post 9/11 climate, people seem to be less satisfied with their standard career paths and are realizing that they should be working at something they love. The majority of people that sign up for this tour have reached a certain level of success in their careers and want a change; they want to take their passion of biking to another level." She continues, "In reviewing post trip evaluations, I quickly recognized our guests were fantasizing about being guides and idealized the life of a bicycling tour guide. The trip we created is for all our guests who ‘dream of having our job.'"

Ciclismo Classico proudly leads the bicycle touring industry standards with the most authentic and professionally run biking tours in adventure travel. Ciclismo Classico's mission is to offer the most diverse selection of high-quality, educational and dreamy itineraries that celebrate the Italian landscape, art, language, music, folklore and, of course, beloved cuisine. Ciclismo Classico's commitment to providing
legendary service combined with exclusive cultural experiences continues to energize and transform our loyal guests. For more details on the Ciclismo Classico family, including 26 bilingual guides and 30 diverse itineraries, please visit their website at www.ciclismoclassico.com or call (800) 866-7314.




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