Oenone Wood on tour in Italy

Tuscan sunshine in October

Join the Australian star on this luxury tour package

Velo Classic Tours Website

Wood will be the guest of honour during a 10 day fall cycling tour to Tuscany, Italy with the New York based cycling tour operator Vélo Classic Tours.  Wood is the two time defending World Cup champion and is based in Germany during her European racing schedule. She accepted the invitation from Peter Easton, Director of Vélo Classic Tours.

The tour is slated for September 30 to October 9^th, beginning and ending in the Florentine hill town of Fiesole.  Following an introductory first day, the tour heads southward through the Pratomagno hills to Arezzo, before crossing the Val di Chiana plain into Pienza and the rich wine region famous for its Brunello di Montalcino.  The tour then heads north to Siena, before taking in the classic hill towns of Volterra and San Gimignano.  Upon accepting the invitation, Oenone Wood was looking forward to the tour. “I have had a look at the schedule for the tour and it will fit in with my season well, so I am happy to commit to doing the whole tour. I know some of the areas that Peter’s selected from the Giro, but some of it will be new, so it will be a good mix. The climb up to Volterra is always pretty challenging when we race it, so it will be good to have a different perspective of it.”

The trip, as with all itineraries with Vélo Classic Tours, features what Easton refers to as “our 3 pillars- serious cycling, sublime culture, and exemplary service.”  Guests are treated to first class accommodations, including a converted monastery, two Villas, and a new 4-star hotel built by a family member of Easton’s in Volterra.  The trip will also feature gourmet dining- another staple with Vélo Classic Tours- as well as a private wine tasting and cultural excursions to see some of the most renowned artwork and museums, as well as some hidden gems off the beaten path.

Oenone Wood, 25, hails from the Australian Capital of Canberra and turned pro in 2005 with the German squad Équipe Nürnberger Versicherung, the number one team in the women’s ranks.  Before that she raced with the Cycling Australia /AIS Women’s Team and the Australian National Team.  An Olympian in 2004, Wood placed third in the World Championships in Madrid this past September.  In addition to her World Cup titles in 2004 and 2005, she was the Australian Road Champion in 2004 and Australian Time Trial Champion in 2004 and again in 2005, before claiming bronze in this year’s national road race.  She won the Women’s Geelong Tour in Australia in 2004 and 2005, and won Le Tour du Grand Montreal last season, as well as 3 stages in the Tour de l’Aude in France. A consistently strong racer, she heads into 2006 having held the world number one ranking since 2004. (continued)

For more information on the Tour of Tuscany with Oenone Wood log onto www.veloclassic.com or use the contact details below :

Velo Classic

183 Madison Avenue Suite 1111

New York, NY 10016 USA

Tel. 001 212 779 9599

Fax 001 212 779 9787

Mob 001 914 426 5613

Email  info@veloclassic.com

Web    www.veloclassic.com

About Velo Classic 

Easton’s company specializes in high-end bicycling vacations to some of the most desirable destinations in cycling.  He believes women cyclists at all levels do not get enough attention, and he is aiming to change that.  “Our goal is to offer the same opportunities in both cycling and travelling to women as we do to men.  Women make 75% of all travel decisions for couples.  Many of our clients travel as couples, and we are hopeful that this trip will be a starting point for getting more women to decide to travel with us.”