I just wanted to thank you both once more for putting on such a wonderful tour. Thank you for arranging everything for a worry-free tour. Also, thank you for the personal touches; an amazing unexpected treat. The trip fulfilled my expectations, and I hope to be able to join you two on another tour soon.
Sincerely,
Rufino
In reflecting on the tour and the Maratona during the seat time in the airplane, it came to mind that in fact renaming the Tour from the "Maratona Tour" to the "Limoncello, Maratona, ‘I'm alright Dude,’ Tour" maybe more appropriate! In all seriousness, I just wanted to thank you guys again for a great tour experience. The Maratona was an experience I think all serious cyclists should get to enjoy... riding with 8000 plus other passionate cyclists with the roads closed was awesome!!! And climbing the Stelvio at the end of June in a snow / rain will certainly be an epic story to tell for a long time! You guys do an excellent job, and it is greatly appreciated.
Take care!
Ciao,
Jeff D.
Good Morning Tobias,
Thank you for your kind words and for the
efforts that all the GF staff extended to make
our first Italian tour so memorable. The climbs,
the scenery, the people, the food, the
accommodation, the weather and the expertise of
your entire crew all conspired to make it a
wonderful experience. I'd like to think that I
have a vague idea of the amount of behind the
scenes organization that is required to pull off
a venture like that, and I am particularly
grateful for your attention to detail and
thoroughness on our collective behalf. I copied
all the DVD’s and distributed them about a week
ago. John attempted to select a representative
sample of the photos from the DVD and failed
miserably when compared to the wonderful job
that Carrie did with her slide show. There have
been a number of requests for a copy of her fine
work, so I will pass along your comments
regarding receipt of a copy upon your return to
the lower 49. Once again, many thanks from the
crazy Canucks and best wishes for a safe and
successful summer tour season. Train hard and
smile often.
Regards,
Dave
Hi Tobias,
Thanks again for a great tour – in my mind I’ll likely always think of it by the nickname “The Limoncello Tour” as much as a Maratona tour. Our fun post-dinner gatherings were just as much a highlight of the tour as the spectacular climbs of the Dolomites themselves! I’m convinced that the camaraderie of a good tour is just as important as how many vertical feet one bags. It was a pleasure meeting you, riding with you, and laughing over Limoncello with you, Tobias. I enjoyed the fun and level-headed way you handled the tour, and I’ll be sure to check out prices on Limoncello at my favorite local liquor store. As I sip a glass, I’ll send a silent toast in your honor!
Cheers, Ciao, and Arrivederci,
Glenn
Hi Tobias,
Thanks for the picture. It looks amazing. Your holidays have everything. I am sure, that given the sadomasochist nature of some cyclists; your picture of the Stelvio will bring you additional clients. I wanted to let you know that my family and I enjoyed your tour tremendously, and I personally will keep great memories from this trip. The Maratona was a great experience and all of the riding was superb.
Your choice of hotels was also excellent. I hope to be back sometime soon.
I hope your season is going well and please send my regards to Kaycee and to your wife.
Ciao,
Alejandro
Carrie and Tobias are perfect hosts and have a
talent that graces only a very few in the travel
industry. While I may be able to ride at such a
high level again, I cannot imagine another group
of like-minded travelers who were not only a
nice plus to a dream vacation, they were the
dream vacation, and that’s one of the
astonishing things life happily endows a very
few lucky individuals.
Norm
Hi Tobias, Carrie and Sean,
I just want to say again how much fun Niall and I had on
the Grandfondo Pinarello trip! It was truly one of our best
vacations and honestly, that's saying a lot since we have both
been on some major adventures all over the world.
Cheers,
Roxanne and Niall
Tobias,
... I’ve been meaning to write to you to let you know how
much we enjoyed the trip. Based upon your web site descriptions and pictures, my second hand
knowledge of the Granfondo, and my other European bike adventure, I had very high expectations.
My expectations were exceeded!
...
... And speaking of
“well organized, very efficient, and high quality” I should
conclude with a few words about our hosts, Tobias and Carrie
Panek, and their company Granfondo Tours. The web site does a
very good job of emphasizing the tour strengths of the company.
This is about enjoying long hard climbs, spectacular mountain
vistas, and hours in the saddle. Our routes were very well
selected, well mapped and explained every day, and well chosen
to alternate a challenging day with a recovery day. After a
week, we were all ready to ride the Granfondo. The routes were
extremely well supported, and had long and shorter options so
that everyone could find an enjoyable length and degree of
difficulty. Including local guides like Gaetano and Massimo was
terrific! This vacation is first and foremost a bicycling
adventure, and is so well designed that both those who came to
race and those who came to tour had a wonderful time ...
... The entire tour unfolded with an easy rhythm that
mixed incredible variety with plenty of free time to take an impromptu ride, stroll to the piazza
for gelato, or just hang out on your balcony and enjoy the magnificent mountain vistas. If I start
to tick off the activities – the walking tour of Verona, the days in Venice, a boat ride on Lake
Garda to Catullus’s Roman villa, the visit to “Otze the Iceman” in the Bolzano Natural History
museum, the trip to the hot springs – the tour sounds hectic before you include the bike riding.
However the organization and pacing was perfect, the trip was extremely relaxing, never feeling
rushed. But with all the great times spent together at meals and seeing the sites, the bike
rides up Perre Fosse, over Stelvio and Gavia, through the Alps and Dolomites are still the part
I rejoice in, every day ...
... Riding with you is the very best way to enjoy Italy!
... I don't know how to convey to you what it's like to climb the
passes on this tour. These are some of the most legendary climbs in cycling, and for good reason--they
're very tough (but attainable) and stunningly beautiful. It's been five months since I was there,
but I don't go two days without daydreaming a little about those climbs--they're that good. Like I
told one of my cycling buddies: if you love cycling, climbing, and the mountains, your life will not
be complete until you've cycled the Italian Alps...
The tour was the best
time my wife & I have ever had Thanks Tobias I still can not believe how great our time in Italy was!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tom
After I'd completed the Medio Fondo I sat outside a cafe with my wife,
a couple of hundred meters before the finish line. I was
really impressed with your group, who were also sitting
there, as they cheered through every single rider that completed the Gran Fondo, even though they didn't
know them. A very kind and sporting gesture.
