WorldTour team Lotto.NL Jumbo

Let's all welcome the new WorldTour team Lotto.NL Jumbo team wishing them (and us) a successful 2015!

RIDE ON LOMBARDY'S ROADS WITH THOMSON BIKE TOURS POWERED BY BIANCHI

ITALY MAY 9-16, 2015

Enjoy the breathtaking panoramas of some of the most legendary roads and climbs in international cycling. Discover Italy’s rich culture and famous food and wine. Test Bianchi bikes' innovation and quality along with to the experience of Thomson. Northern Italy's Lombardy region is the first destination of Thomson Bike Tours powered by Bianchi, an exciting new partnership that offers world-class Bianchi Italian cycling experiences backed by the famed support of Thomson.

The trip, scheduled on May 9-16, 2015, is an 8-day experience through glorious cycling land that inspired the Bianchi brand. Guests will challenge themselves on the iconic routes of the Giro d’Italia and Giro di Lombardia, on a top-of-the-line Bianchi bike: the highly-acclaimed Infinito CV with Countervail vibration cancelling technology.

In addition, guests will have the opportunity to ride the 2015 Granfondo Bianchi-Gimondi in Bergamo. The Granfondo, dedicated to Bianchi, will be one of the highlights of the celebration of Bianchi’s 130th anniversary. Icing on the cake to a week of premium cycling, guests will be treated to an exclusive Bianchi factory tour and a VIP dinner at the brand-new Bianchi Cafè & Cycles Milano.

The inaugural Thomson Bike Tours powered by Bianchi trip is now live and open for booking on the Thomson Bike Tours and Bianchi.com websites.

THE HIGHLIGHTS OF LOMBARDIA TOUR

• Explore the spectacular routes of the Giro d'Italia and the Giro di Lombardia on a Bianchi Infinito CV
• Ride the Granfondo Bianchi-Felice Gimondi (one of Italy's most prestigious gran fondos)
• Conquer the infamous Muro di Sormano- “The Wall” and visit Madonna del Ghisallo, the legendary cycling church and museum
• Cross the Italian border to stay and explore luxurious Lugano, the "Monte Carlo of Switzerland"
• Ride the training routes of some of the worlds greatest cyclists in Lugano
• Go inside Bianchi's world with an exclusive Bianchi Factory Tour and VIP dinner at the stylish new Bianchi Café & Cycles in Milan
• Live it up on Lake Como- we’ll stay and ride out of beautiful Bellagio for 2 days
• Receive a complete Bianchi Reparto Corse kit (in celeste!)

NEXT ON...

Lombardia: a Thomson Bike Tour powered by Bianchi, the first of a series of world cycling adventures that will introduce riders and enthusiasts to the passion and performance of Bianchi. Upcoming editions will explore new destinations and World Tour events that reveal Bianchi’s past, present and future.

BIANCHI AND THOMSON BIKE TOURS JOIN FORCES TO LAUNCH EXCLUSIVE NEW CYCLING TRIPS

Thomson Bike Tours powered by Bianchi is an exciting new collaboration that offers a world class Bianchi Italian cycling experience backed by the famed support of Thomson.

2015 DEBUT WITH LOMBARDIA TOUR IN MAY

The first destination of Thomson Bike Tours powered by Bianchi is Lombardia – a cycling paradise in northern Italy. Guests will challenge themselves on the iconic routes of the Giro d’Italia and Giro di Lombardia, on a top-of-the-line Bianchi bike: the highly acclaimed Infinito CV with Countervail vibration cancelling technology. While enjoying the breathtaking panoramas of some of the most legendary roads and climbs in international cycling, guests will enjoy Italy’s rich culture and renowned food and wine. The trip, May 9-16, 2015, is an 8-day experience that will feature the glorious cycling terrain that inspired the Bianchi brand. As an added bonus, guests will have the opportunity to ride the 2015 Granfondo Bianchi-Gimondi in Bergamo. The Granfondo, dedicated to Bianchi, will be one of the highlights of the celebration of Bianchi’s 130th anniversary. In addition to a week of premium cycling, guests will be treated to an exclusive Bianchi factory tour and a VIP dinner at the brand-new Bianchi Cafè & Cycles Milano.

THE HIGHLIGHTS OF LOMBARDIA TOUR

• Explore the spectacular routes of the Giro d'Italia and the Giro di Lombardia on a Bianchi Infinito CV
• Ride the Granfondo Bianchi-Felice Gimondi (one of Italy's most prestigious gran fondos)
• Conquer the infamous Muro di Sormano- “The Wall” and visit Madonna del Ghisallo, the legendary cycling church and museum
• Cross the Italian border to stay and explore luxurious Lugano, the "Monte Carlo of Switzerland"
• Ride the training routes of some of the worlds greatest cyclists in Lugano
• Go inside Bianchi's world with an exclusive Bianchi Factory Tour and VIP dinner at the stylish new Bianchi Café & Cycles in Milan
• Live it up on Lake Como- we’ll stay and ride out of beautiful Bellagio for 2 days
• Receive a complete Bianchi Reparto Corse kit (in celeste!)

The inaugural Thomson Bike Tours powered by Bianchi trip is now live and open for booking on the Thomson Bike Tours and Bianchi.com websites.

NEXT ON...

Lombardia: A Thomson Bike Tour powered by Bianchi, the first of a series of world cycling adventures that will introduce riders and enthusiasts to the passion and performance of Bianchi. Upcoming editions will explore new destinations and WorldTour events that reveal Bianchi’s past, present and future.

BIANCHI TO OPEN FIRST ITALIAN "BIANCHI CAFE' & CYCLES" IN MILAN

At the eve of its 130th anniversary (it was funded in 1885), Bianchi is back in Milan – the city where it was first established – for the opening of a new venue, set to become a “must” for those who love top quality bicycles, Italian taste and a sporty lifestyle. Bianchi Cafè & Cycles in Via Cavallotti, just a few steps away of the Duomo and Piazza San Babila, will officially open on Tuesday September 30th, with a press presentation and a inauguration party gathering sports, entrepreneurship, show business and media VIPs.

Bianchi adds a new important page to its 130-year history marked by innovative technology and revolutionary materials (including the new invention Countervail® vibration cancelling technology, tested by Nasa), research of the maximum performance for professional athletes but also commuting riders, a superior attention to details and Italian design.

Bianchi owes the innovation of “Bianchi Cafè & Cycles” to Salvatore Grimaldi, owner since 1997, a real example of Italian entrepreneur climbing his way to the top from 1952, when he left his homeland Puglia (Southern Italy) for Sweden, to date.

“Looking at the traditional shops - Grimaldi said – I realized we needed a special place with a very defined personality, and able to permeate Bianchi’s highend products and Italian style. That’s where we came up with the idea of combining together with bike what Italy is best known for all around the World: creativity, design, art, food, wine… That is why I am delighted to finally bring Bianchi Cafè & Cycles in the very heart of Milan.”

The project started in 2010, when the first Bianchi Cafè & Cycles was opened in Stockholm, followed by one in Japan (Tokyo) and three more in Sweden - in Salen, Malmoe and Vasteras. The one in Milan will be the sixth opening, but the project is set to widen more on a global scale: nowadays, Bianchi has a truly international market, with distribution in every Continent and in over 60 Countries.

Bianchi Cafè & Cycles Milano further raises the bar of the whole project. In fact, the new venue in Milan is characterized by wide spaces, the prestigious and fashion location and a wide range of services, including bicycle shops, technical assistance, bike fitting and fined restaurant cafè. Davide Oldani, Italian well known chef with a real passion for sports and cycling, will bring his very personal touch to the opening of Bianchi Cafè & Cycles Milano.