GUIDES NAME: CONTI GRAZIANO

AGE: 24/08/1936
Experience - RACE - ACTIVITY COMPETITIVE PAST and PRESENT :
In the 70's I ran local races for the Milan Assicurazioni of Rimini. Its the third year that I'm working as a guide.
LANGUAGES: Italian and German
KM COVERED EVERY YEAR: 10.000 - 12.000
TYPE OF GUIDE: RACE O MTB? RACE

Dear Graziano Before we begin I would like to thank you for your cooperation. What do you think of Riccione Bike Hotels?
Every year the number of guests auments . I ask the cyclists if they are satisfied and if they are happy with their hotel, the routes and every time I receive a positive reply. They have never complained.

The Romagna, the best place for tourists on a bike tour in Italy, the warm welcome, the routes, the fitness, the food and above all the possibility to be always aggiorned with what's going on in your world, these are the ingredients that make this place one the best tourist destinations, what do you think?
If we imagine that at 5km there are the hills of the Romagna and the Marche and at 40km one can arrive at the height of 1400m (Villa grande, 1400 and Carpegna mountain), I can safely say that every cyclist can find great routes to follow. Every time that we arrive at the foot of any of these heights I hear " lovely". Infact from nearly all the hills one has a great view of the sea and this contrast is very popular.

Apart from the results obtained up until now, do you think that sympathy and wiliness have there place in your work?
Every time that we head off I ask if they would like to stop for a coffee break, we take it very easy. We stop for a few minutes and we have a chat and after that we hit the road again. The most part of the groups are very happy with this system on the other hand they are on a bike tour in Italy.

As a cyclist guide , what is your stile? Do you choose your routes with the guests, decide at the moment or do you follow a timetable? Do you like to follow your natural rhythm or do you adapt yourself to the capacity of the other tourists who want to enjoy the Romagna and its landscapes?
Every time I take a route I make it mine. I usually adapt to the capacity of the cyclists. We stop a lot to take fotos. Then seening that the number of cyclists is aumenting, the groups form themselves in base of their capacity.

Would you like to tell us about an outing \ route ( in Romagna, nd ) that you like particularly ( that is not one of the usual ones)?
The most part of the cyclists want to go to San Marino, San Leo and Villa grande, Montecerignone, Mercatino and Croce. We always avoid the traffic. I know all the smaller roads where there is less traffic, on the other hand its 33 years that I'm using the bike I know the roads well.

In your opinion who are the cyclists that are better prepared\ trained? and also the friendliest ones?
The best trained are the younger ones over all the Swiss. The Germans want to see the historic centers of the localities. But on our return I like to do a bit of battle. I am happy and I can see that the guests are also. Usually these are the things that the group enjoys.

Have you any curious stories to tell in regards to the outing with the guests of the Hotel?
There was a German boy who thanked me because when he returned in Germany he won two races. He sent me the foto of the awards and thanked me for the good training he received in Italy.