Days start at the hotel in Rimini with breakfast, then the group heads out with a guide. Day two is 90km and 1,160m of climbing through the villages of the Romagna hills to Sogliano, known for formaggio di fossa, a cheese aged in sandstone pits since the Middle Ages. Day three covers 90km and 1,200m around San Clemente, the Sangiovese heartland, riding between vineyards, olive trees and wheat fields, with a stop at a winery for a tasting. Day four is the shortest ride at 70km but the one people talk about: the climb to Monte Carpegna, Pantani's training mountain, with a coffee stop on the way up and free time in the afternoon.

Day five is off the bike. The group goes to Ravenna, once the capital of Italy and the Mediterranean's most important port, now home to eight UNESCO sites and Dante Alighieri's tomb. Lunch and dinner that day are your own. Day six is 77km and 1,200m to San Marino, the world's oldest republic and a separate country inside Italy, with a coffee stop looking out over the Marecchia and Montefeltro valleys. Day seven closes the week with 95km and 1,200m through San Bartolo Park, past Gradara Castle and along the Via Panoramica to Pesaro, finishing with lunch overlooking the coast at Gabicce Monte.

What separates this from a generic Italian bike tour is the guiding and the logistics. You get five guided riding days, a road bike with electronic shifting included in the price, transfers to and from Rimini train station, travel insurance and local assistance. The hotel is a four-star property steps from the beach with room for bikes and riders, and breakfast, lunch and dinner are included on riding days, so the only meals you arrange are the free lunch and dinner in Ravenna.

The region itself is the draw. Emilia Romagna is Pantani's homeland and has a long cycling tradition, and the roads here run from flat Adriatic coastline to hills and mountains within a single week. The operator runs the camp in international groups from April to October, with dates available on request.

Guides are described as expert and the operation has a local team in Italy with support in Portuguese throughout, alongside a booking office in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The camp is rated Advanced, and the operator's own answer on fitness is that you should train regularly: daily elevation gains sit around 1,200m.

What's included

- 7 nights in a four-star hotel - Breakfast, lunch and dinner on riding days - Road bike rental with electronic shifting - 5 days of guided training - Transfer from Rimini train station to the hotel - Transfer from the hotel to Rimini train station - Travel insurance - Local assistance

What's not included

- Flights - Everything not indicated as included - Tourist tax - Free-day lunch and dinner in Ravenna - Massages (available on request) - Bologna airport transfer (available on request)