We ride deep into the core of Sardinia, the region called Barbagia: an area of Sardinia that has had the least external influence and so preserves - with pride - its strong traditions.

The stage is split into two different parts. The first half is quite easy: downhill in the beginning, then flattish as we head towards the center of the island riding eastwards.

The second part is much harder: after the bridge over Tirso lake, we start a series of long and progressive climbs that take us from the western to the central portion of the Gennargentu mountain range, within the Barbagia region.

We'll ride through many small, lazy villages as we approach the most important centers of Barbagia, such as Tonara - known for superb nougat - and eventually Fonni, a winter holiday resort in the heart of a Med island. A comfortable - family run - agriturismo in Fonni and a typical dinner will get us ready for another long day on the bike. 

We leave Posada and ride southwards on a very easy first part of the stage. We cross through the village of Irgoli before we reach Galtellì. A stop in this awesome old town, will immerse us in the history of the island. Galtellì has been awarded the Touring Club Italiano’s orange flag rating for excellence. The streets, traditions and sensations of the old town center inspired the author and Nobel Prize Grazia Deledda when she set her book Canne al Vento here. After a good cappuccino we keep riding to the south.

Soon after after Dorgali we reach the main climb of the day: it's about 20km long and it will take us atop Genna Silana Pass. Unfortunatly for KOM hunters the Strava KOM was set during a stage of the 2017 Giro d'Italia. 

Mentioning is not just a joke: as on that day in 2017 it wasn't just 150 of the best pro riders racing up this climb, but there was also a massive tailwind. This makes any attempt to break the record - for the entertainment of your Strava followers - almost certain to end in failure.

All levity aside, after reaching the top you will be rewarded with a lunch stop right in front of the Gorropu gorge, the deepest canyon in Europe.

A thrilling descent will take us back to the coastline, at Santa Maria Navarrese. Another glorious day of cycling ends in a comfortable accommodation at a three-star hotel.

Mark this day in the calendar: this is the Queen stage of the tour. Today you will accumulate nearly 3000m of climbing with more than a third of that coming in one early stretch, the Talana climb. After years of riding in Sardinia we can say with without hesitation that this is the nicest and one of the toughest climbs we have here.

In fact the ascent, that tops at 1100m on Monte Genziana, starts very low, at only 15m ASL. From there it's about 17km up, the first five km is a nice gradual warm up for when the climb suddenly appears like a wall in front of us, leaving a 'mere 12km', with an average gradient of 6.9% - a piece of cake - and the only 'Hors Catégorie' climb on the island, for those who are more into the pro cycling stats. The Talana is painful for the legs, but also a joy for the eyes: the views will take your breathe away.

What we like best - as cyclists - are those days on the bike where you get surprised by dramatic changes of setting. Today is one of these days! Leaving Orroli, the first 60km are on easy rolling hills, as soon as we cross the SS131 - the main Sardinian highway - we meet a long, totally flat section, crossing the cultivated feilds of the central western Sardinia. Riding through Guspini signals we are once again entering a mountainous region. This is the ancient mining region of southwest Sardinia: an area exploited for diverse minerals from the time of the Phoenicians until the 1970s, and thus neglected by tourism. Since the closure of the mines, nature has worked to reclaim much of this land.  Mass tourism didn't develop here due to the lack infrastructure and... well, you just need to wait and see the amazing outcome of this historical process. From Guspini on, we cycle through one of the wildest areas on the island and end the ride at an awesome beach in Portixeddu. Today you'll again sleep by the sea, at a three-star hotel in Portixeddu.

129.5km | 1,618m | 1,706m | 6h

If someone were to ask me one road to include in a dream cycle tour, I would struggle between the west coast road that cuts through the old mining region between Fluminimaggiore and Nebida, and the long southerly stretch that goes from Porto Teulada to the awesome sandy beaches of Chia. Rather than choose I have combined them to create the last stage of the Ultimate Sardinia.

You will start and finish the day riding these remarkable undulating coastal roads. The middle of the section is easy on flat roads or rolling terrain. It's hard to describe what you'll see without piling up adjectives, and to do so does this stage a disservice. We truly believe this stage should be on every cyclists bucket list. This series of up and downs will bring you past beaches, cliffs and coves with the stunning turquoise sea as your constant companion.

The trip ends in Pula, where the last hotel is! Dinner will be a great occasion to do something that often happens at the end of our trips: arguing about which stage was the best. You will find that this can be just as strenuous as the queen stage of the tour.