aboutus

At Controvento (Let’s go), we firmly believe that the only thing better than meeting your needs is exceeding them. Our mission is to provide you with exceptional, personalized service from the very beginning as you embark on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. We are dedicated to fostering a friendly and collaborative relationship, ensuring that you are thrilled to plan another extraordinary trip with us.

Our ability to offer these extraordinary cycling and hiking tours is rooted in our passion, meticulous attention to detail, and extensive local knowledge gained through years of cycle touring experience.

We eagerly anticipate sharing our favorite off-the-beaten-track spots and local hidden gems with you; or engaging in discussions about local history, arts, and the vibrant cultural scene.

Food and wine are an integral part of any travel adventure in Italy, where we are renowned for our passion for La Dolce Vita, or “Sweet Life” or “Good Life.” La Dolce Vita fully embraces life’s pleasures, including delectable cuisine, fine wines, exquisite fashion, and beautiful art. In La Dolce Vita, the quality of the food and the company of the people we share it with are equally important as the act of eating itself.

We will listen attentively to your passions and interests and assist you in discovering La Dolce Vita as an integral part of your cycling and hiking travel experience with us.

All that remains is to meet our crew and Controvento!

Andrea Gennari

Founder / Cycling Guide

Andrea has a long, rich history on two wheels, from the very young age as a red-hot sprinter and teenage sensation for Marche’s first professional cycling team. Now, having a few Giro d’Italia behind him, he surely can call Italy’s roads and mountain passes his office workspace.

Andrea left cycling and was running his own business with his bike in the garage. One day, a friend challenged him to get back on his bike and ride 30 km. He did, and has never looked back.
For more than a decade, Andrea has been the cycling manager for Hotel Dory in Riccione. Hotel Dory is the original cycling hotel, and has been named as offering the best cycling holiday in Italy.
Andrea’s care and attention to detail ensures that every ride will be a real treat. We admire seeing him working and guarantee you will have some of your most memorable rides with him.

Livio Salvatori

Cycling guide / Mechanic

life, and he hopes that he will connect with others who have fallen in love with this amazing means of transportation. He loves to pedal and experience the outdoor world, connecting with nature and discovering its peace, quiet, and beauty. His background is in mountain biking, and being from Rome, he also knows that city like “the back of his hand,” or, the gears of his bike!
Honestly, we really do admire his southern accent. When he speaks, it’s like he is singing a happy tune, even if he is just ordering a pizza or arguing about football. Perhaps that just makes him even more Italian.

"I hope to appeal to everybody. For some, the goal is to simply enjoy the artistic, cultural, and culinary richness of Italy. For others, we can explore challenging trails and discover breath-taking views. I am sure that with my years of experience, and with your passion and desire, you will not be disappointed."

Michele Pinna

Cycling and hiking guide

Michele is from Iglesias in Sardinia, where he lives with his wife and their adorable three children. He is a professional Trekking and Biking guide and very passionate about his island’s history and heritage. He was a competitive cyclist, has a degree in cartography and took part in the survey of the Santa Barbara Mining Path for the government association in 2014.
His interest in nature and his love of exploring encouraged him to consider doing it professionally. Since 2017, he has been accompanying tourists as they explore the beautiful countryside of Southwest Sardinia, by foot and on two wheels.

His particular interest is in mining and the industrial heritage of the island, a theme that characterizes Sardinia. He also loves to promote the agro-pastoral areas of Sardina, such as the Medaus and the Carigniano Vineyards.

Laura Besseghini

Alpine Guide

Since Laura was very small, the immense passion for mountains has always been present in her life. She explored it on foot, on skis, on rocks or ice falls... Every season and every terrain has its own charm.

At 20 years old, the attraction for competitions took over, initially for ski mountaineering and lately for ultra-trail. Consequently, she became aware that we can do everything we dream of, and anything is possible with perseverance: the ability to have fun and the search for new challenges.
After completing her studies as an interior designer, she realized that she wanted to make her love for the mountains a lifestyle and, why not, a job. “The possibility of passing my passion to others is a privilege and I feel very lucky to be able to share it”
She recently became AMM of the Collegio Guide Alpine Lombardia, E-bike guide, Natural-running instructor and Nordik Walking instructor.

Jasmin Widmann

Hiking Guide

Jasmin is a hiking guide based in Alta Badia, in the heart of beautiful Dolomites, UNESCO World heritage site.

As a nature and mountain enthusiast she loves to practice sports and being outdoors. She admires her valley where she lives and always looking for new adventures.
When she takes her guests on hiking tours she passionately talks about the history, culture and traditions of people who live there, but most of all the importance of protecting and preserving the unique character and the eco-system of this stunning mountain range.

She speaks Ladin, Italian, German and English.

About Us

Our mission is to offer you exceptional, personalized service from the very start as you design this once-in-a-lifetime adventure. We are dedicated to fostering a friendly and collaborative environment, ensuring that you are thrilled to plan another extraordinary trip with us in the future.

WHO WE ARE

We believe there is only one thing that is better than meeting your needs. And that is: exceeding them. Our mission is to provide you with quality.