(New York, NY) The strikingly beautiful region of Lombardy in Northern Italy was the center of the cycling world this past fall, with the city of Varese hosting the professional Road Race World Championships in late September and the start of the 102nd Giro di Lombardia three weeks later, the final classic on the professional racing calendar in Europe. Plans are in place for the fall of 2009, as the city will again host the Tour of Lombardy, and the neighboring Swiss Canton of Ticino will host the World Championships in the city of Mendrisio. One professional who makes her home in Lombardy has both events on her calendar, but for different reasons. Bigla Cycling Team’s Veronica Andréasson hopes for a spot on the Swedish National Team for the women’s world championship road race in Mendrisio and, while normally cheering on boyfriend Gustav Larsson during the Tour of Lombardy, for 2009 she will enjoy a different role as the featured guide on Vélo Classic Tours Lake Como and Il Giro di Lombardia tour October 13-19. The only luxury tour operator offering an itinerary to the Tour of Lombardy, Vélo Classic Tours has again combined what they do best- world class cycling, professional race viewing, authentic culture and exemplary service while including a local professional cyclist to give guests an inside look at the rich cycling history and culture of northern Italy. “It’s a pleasure for me to be a guest rider on this trip. Lombardy, and in particular, the area near Varese, is perfect for cycling, with the beautiful roads around the lakes, the different types of climbs for training, the people are very friendly and its close to skiing in the winter- I am Swedish after all! I like to skate ski in the winter for cross training” says Ms. Andréasson, who lives in Besano, Italy for most of the year, a small village in the heart of cycling country in Lombardy. “I believe we offer the premiere tour to Lombardy, combining the presence of a local professional as your guide, professional race viewing and an amateur Gran Fondo event, which is a truly unique Italian cycling experience. All of this can help guests understand the sport at every level- personal preparation for a ride, learning first hand from a pro what success involves at the elite level, how this can be a model to use at ones own level of participation within the sport, and the excitement of riding a professional race course and seeing a race live” says Vélo Classic Tours owner Peter Easton, who introduced his guests to women’s professional cycling in 2006. A member of the Bigla cycling team, Veronica was born and raised in Varberg, Sweden, and moved to Italy to pursue her career as a professional cyclist in 2005. In 2007, she signed with the Bigla squad, a Swiss registered team whose base is in Rancate, just a few minutes from her home and very close to the Mendrisio world championships course. “2002 was my first year in a professional team. I was with Team Powerplate, a Dutch team, but it wasn’t a good experience for me. It really was too early in my development as a cyclist, and I didn’t enjoy Holland. I just wanted to go home, and I left after only a few months. Team Bigla has always been a team I wanted to join because of its professionalism, and in 2007 I signed with them. I think (team owner) Mr.Bösch is one of the biggest cycling fans in Switzerland and this provides a relaxed feeling in the way the team works. Sometimes it’s not just the results that are most important.” Veronica also does guest commentary for RAI TV, and is as natural in front of camera as she is around people. “I have been able to work together with RAI during some stages of the Giro d’Italia and also during the World Championship in Varese. The people of RAI are very professional in their work and cycling is so popular in Italy. My Italian is getting better, and it’s something I would enjoy doing more of, now and when my career is over”. The Lombards are very proud of their past, and cycling is widely popular, as the number of current and former professionals from the region will attest to. The region hosts numerous professional races, both men’s and women’s, and is home to the chapel of Madonna del Ghisallo, the Patron Saint of Cycling, and its cycling museum. The northern lakes are stunningly scenic and the provinces of Varese and Como offer ideal terrain for cycling. The 7 day/6 night trip begins in Como and guests will enjoy riding the shores of Lake Como as well as the earlier climbs that make up the Tour of Lombardy course. A ride over the Passo d’Intelvi into Switzerland takes guests to the shores of Lake Lugano and through the vineyards of Ticino before finishing in Varese. Ms. Andréasson’s training and racing roads highlight the following day’s ride, including the Trofeo Alfredo Binda World Cup course. For race day, guests will enjoy VIP access at the start of the Tour of Lombardy in the beautiful gardens of the Villa Estensi, and then have exclusive access to the course for race viewing at multiple locations, including the Madonna del Ghisallo and the finish in Como. The trip concludes with participation in the Gran Fondo Giro di Lombardia. The amateur event offers two distances- 114 and 143 kilometers-and both cover the final 70 kilometers of the Tour of Lombardy race course, including the climbs of the Madonna del Ghisallo, the Civiglio and the San Fermo. “Riding the Gran Fondo Giro di Lombardia offers our guests the opportunity to enjoy the history and culture of both Lombardy and one of Europe’s oldest cycling events, with the professional expertise and local knowledge from Veronica, both at the race and during the Gran Fondo. It’s the perfect way to end our trip, and our tour season” says Easton, who offers tours to 4 of the 5 Monuments of Cycling, and is currently targeting Milan-San Remo for his 2010 schedule. Vélo Classic Tours has been specializing in luxury, award winning bicycling vacations to the most desirable destinations in Europe since 2001. Their Tour of the Basque Country was named one of Outside Magazine’s Best Trips of 2008. They are the only U.S. company to offer itineraries to the Spring Classics in Belgium, which features former professional Scott Sunderland; their French Alps tour to see the Dauphiné-Libéré stage race with former professional Marcel Wust was one of Outside Magazine’s top trips for 2006, and their Giro d’Italia trip includes former professional Andrea Tafi; For more information and a complete 2009 trip schedule, visit www.veloclassic.com or call 212-779-9599. (USA)