Orroli, our start location for today, is a famous village and an ideal border between the south of Sardinia and the wild, central sub-region called Barbagia. Pass this border and everything changes dramatically.

For example, the Sardinian language spoken here is still understandable by us southern Sardinians, but right after - to the north - is like Arabic. Cycling after Orroli changes incredibly too, and follows the same ratio as language: from the typical southern roads, with rolling hills, we'll get in the land of proper mountains. There are three challenging - medium distance - climbs in the beginning, the first to Villanovatulo, the second to Seulo and the third to Gadoni. They're different in gradients and views ad yet all awesome. Cars are unusual. The longest climb of the day is a first category col that comes after the tiny village of Belvì, goes through Desulo and tops at the Tascusì pass.

The second longest is the famous climb up, second category col, to Mt. Bruncu Spina, on one of the two highest paved roads reachable on a road bike. We ride up to 1561 meters. The climbs, again are never too steep. The average incline for both climbs is between 4 and 5%. There are few descents as well as steep but short sections of up to 12%.

At the end of the day we'll have put 2800 meters up into our tired legs. At the end of a day like this what's better than lodging at a top class accommodation and having dinner at an Agriturismo a few hundred meters from the top of Mt. Bruncu Spina? The dinner will reward a great day of cycling.

This third stage survives the big changes introduced in the newest Epic Sardinia – there’s no point in throwing out a winner! Again a wonderful loop that explores the mountains with some of the wildest landscape on the island.

We'll see how the Gennargentu can be sweet, offering low inclines for most of the ride.

But we'll also see that it can be bloody hard if you don't respect the last climb to the S'Arena col, to conquer the second highest top on the island.

The killer ramps in the last kilometer have some short sections with more than 20% inclines. Even though for a short bit, they’re more like a wall than a road up. We start from the Agriturismo at Fonni at 1100 m above sea level for an anticlockwise loop. After a very long way down, the first climbs are not particularly long or steep. The longest is right outside Tonara and continues all the way up to the crossroad at Rifugio S'Arena. This is a second category climb and is nearly 14 km long, with an average incline of 4%.

The last challenge begins at the road to S'Arena. The elevation chart shows it as the very steep, red colored peak. At the top we'll gather the group. The first to arrive there will, of course, cheer on those who still have to make it to top. That's what we call the comradery that contributes to the magic of cycling! And that's why the Epic is so – Epic.

An up ad down section will take us back home.

After a glorious ride, we’ll spend another night at the same Agriturismo outside Fonni, and we’ll enjoy a superlative Sardinian dinner.

At SardiniaCycling, when we organize our road cycling stage tours, we always include the less known roads, or put another way, the not to be missed roads, the real jewels.

Less known only because they are too challenging for many of the cycling tour companies who aim to offer leisure cycling. We followed suit when we first started our business. But then we found this stage to be one of our most successful of our tours.

Many of our returning friends asked us to plan a tour including again this amazing ride across the Gennargentu mountain range. So here it is.

At the beginning of the stage, there’s a 14km and pretty easy 4% climb to the Correboi pass. A piece of cake! But at the top of the Pass, we’ll go down, and after the first 25 km we’ll enter a special, semi-abandoned road.

Here we’ll enjoy the magic loneliness of this corner of Sardinia where mobile phones surrender to these 40 kilometers of mountain paradise.

After ups and downs, among springs, wild pigs, free-ranging sheep and cows, with eagles and hawks and vultures above our heads, we’ll reach the little mountain village of Seui. And after so much time in the wilderness, Seui resembles a city! And while back in civilization, we can enjoy a cappuccino, a good pause to talk about what we’ve experienced. After a long descent we’ll have a rather easy climb and a final flattish bit to Seulo where we can prepare ourselves for another tasty Sardinian dinner at a small family hotel.

Back to the Sea could be the title of the fifth stage. For those who think that this will be easy, well, it’s not. During this stage we’ll experience some of the most fascinating and challenging hills. Right after Sadali we’ll have a really tough climb, split into two parts.

The first five kilometers incline between 6 and 10%.

The little town of Esterzili at the middle of the climb offers us opportunity to catch our breath. Then it’s up again on one of the toughest stretches of the Epic. Five kilometers with inclines above 13%, some at 24%. That's the main climb of the day. But there are two more. One at km 37 and the other at km 50. These are not killers.

On the top of the Passo Sarcerei at 1100 m above sea level, we'll be able to view the beautiful Blue Mediterranean.

A super long, winding and thrilling downhill on excellent asphalt is a beautiful way to say arrivederci to the addicting Gennargentu wilderness.

The Bari Sardo beach awaits where we’ll more than likely enjoy a fish dinner. We’ll overnight at a four-star hotel right on the beach.