Welcome to the January 2009 ExperiencePlus! Bicycle Tour Rambler E-Mail Newsletter

• Dear Folks...
• Featured Tours - The Great Cycling Races of 2009
• Customer's Bill of Rights 
• From Our Customers: Irwin Fefergrad
• Recipe(s)!: Risotto alla Veneta and Spaghetti Carbonara (Risotto Venetian style and Spaghetti with Carbonara Sauce)

Dear Folks;  

It's January and it's cold and it's clear.  Must be Colorado.  All of us in the office wish we were on an ExperiencePlus! bicycle tour in sunny and warm Costa Rica, Chile or Argentina like some of you who are, or will be soon. We've tried to make the most of our situation and managed to survive the cold and do some pretty good bicycle rides on New Year’s Day, January 2nd and even the 3rd!

The beginning of a new year is a great time to resolve to do new things but also a good time to think about what has worked well in the past. With over 35 years experience leading bicycle tours for people across various countries there are a few key things we always keep in mind - what we call our Customer's Bill of Rights. We thought it was high time we re-published them as we continue to make your Bill of Rights a top priority on all of our bicycle tours. 

Speaking of dreaming and resolutions, guess where Lance Armstrong is and what he's dreaming about?  He's in Hawaii on the Big Island getting ready for the January 18th start of the Tour Down Under in Adelaide, South Australia. Lance will also race this February in California as he prepares to try and fulfill his dream of winning both the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France this summer.  Only five riders have won both in the same year:  Fausto Coppi (’49 & ’52), Jacques Anquetil (1963), Bernard Hinault (1978), Stephen Roche (1987) and Marco Pantani (1998). 

We’ll be bicycling in France and Italy and chasing Lance at both the Giro d’Italia and in France this summer.  Why don’t you join us?  In honor of the Giro d’Italia, which begins in Venice and ends in Rome this year, we’ve got a traditional recipe  from each of these amazing cities in this month’s newsletter. Take a look.

Our office in Fort Collins, CO has lots of "company" coming soon! Five of our European staffers and tour leaders are arriving this month to work, strategize, and some will be heading to or from Chile and Argentina to lead ExpeditionPlus! bicycle tours crossing the Andes in two directions! Monica Price and tour leader Michele Boglioni arrive for a month in mid-January.  Igor Baccini, our bike fleet manager comes through on his way back to Italy from our Patagonia Coast to Coast tour.  Bea Tassinari, our Italian office manager will be here, and so will Jonathan Hancock, who coordinates and leads our bicycle trips in France.  So if you have any questions about one of our bicycle tours give us a call later this month and you'll most likely be able to talk to someone who has led the tour. Or, if you are in the area stop in and visit - we would all love to see you.

Let's all do our part to stay happy, healthy and stimulate the economy by resolving to bicycle and travel more in 2009 - Happy New Year!

Monica, Maria Elena and the rest of us at ExperiencePlus! Bicycle Tours

The Great Cycling Races of 2009.

Lance Armstrong has come out of retirement to try to become the 6th person ever to win both the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France in a single year. The last racer to do this was Marco Pantani in1998. Lance launches his season with the Astana Cycling team at the Tour Down Under in South Australia in January, then he'll ride the Amgen Tour of California in mid-February.  He’ll be in Italy in May and France in July. We'll be there for both, please join us!

Read more about our 2009 bicycle tour itineraries that follow these great races.

• Chasing the Giro and Lance in the Dolomites of Italy (May 8 - 14th, 2009)
• Chasing the Giro and Lance in Tuscany and Emilia Romagna (May 21 - 27, 2009)
• Chasing Lance in the French Alps (July 19 - 26, 2009)

We use this "bill of rights" to guide us as we design new trips and improve upon old ones.  After bicycling with people all over the world for over 30 years, we find  these rights still hold true. Some might say these are the ingredients for an unforgettable vacation.  

1. Provide me with a quality bike and let me start bicycling as soon as possible.
2. Give me a scenic route to bicycle every day and let me ride at my own pace!

• Read more about your Bill of Rights.

Irwin has joined an ExperiencePlus! bicycle tour every year since 2005. We thought it was high time we got to know him a little better.

What motivates you to travel to far-off places? The thirst to see other cultures, taste different foods, meet different people, in their own milieu.

Read more from Irwin here.

Every month we interview a few new people. To read past interviews click here and find out who you might be traveling with!

In honor of the Giro d'Italia's historic route this year that starts in Venice and ends in Rome we bring you a recipe from each region.

Check out Tour Leader Michele Boglioni's Carbonara recipe, a traditional sauce from Rome it is similar to what we call Alfredo Sauce in the United States.  

Paola's Risotto alla Veneta also is a simple yet delicious recipe with mussels, olive oil and garlic.

If you would like additional recipes, visit our online recipe archive. You'll find recipes for European and Latin American specialties like Panzanella: a Tuscan Salad, Tapenade, Gallo Pinto, and more.

Happy Cycling until next month!

E-mail us at tours@ExperiencePlus.com with comments and questions. Or give us a call at 800-685-4565.

Subscribe/Unsubscribe Information:

Subscribe: We send the Rambler E-mail Newsletter on the first Tuesday of each month to cyclists and walkers interested in learning more about ExperiencePlus! and our tours. To subscribe to our Rambler newsletter or to change subscribe options for our other newsletters, click here.

Unsubscribe: To unsubscribe from all ExperiencePlus newsletters, click here, fill in your email address and push the "continue" button.