Open roads, smooth tarmac, untapped gravel excursions and empty coast roads were all in evidence, combined with more history than you can poke a very large (preferably sesame seed coated) bread stick at.
Epidavros in the eastern Argolis region of the Peloponnese was our base, being close to the elegant town of Nafplion, the classical theatre of Epidavros, the canal and ruins of Corinth, and the best mainland beaches of the Saronic Gulf. And, with the bustling capital Athens (and its airport) just a 90-minute drive away, we also ticked off a childhood dream of visiting the Pantheon.
Pro stars Wout van Aert and Mark Cavendish have both used the region as a training ground. It offers a mix of coastal roads and tough - but not too tough-climbs, the reward at the summits being widescreen views of Argolis, distant Greek islands and the rugged mountains that dominate the Peloponnese's interior.
This story is from the August 2023 edition of Cycling Plus UK.
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This story is from the August 2023 edition of Cycling Plus UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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Air Apparent - Pollution hasn't gone away. It's still there in every lungful, even if we can't see it in the air or on the news. But there are reasons to breathe easier, thanks to pioneering projects using cycling 'citizen scientists'. Rob Ainsley took part in one...
The toxic effects of pollution have been known about for years. 'Just two things of which you must beware: Don't drink the water and don't breathe the air!' sang 1960s satirist Tom Lehrer.Over recent decades, though, pollution has dropped down our list of things to worry about, thanks to ominously capitalised concerns such as Climate Change, AI, Global Conflict, Species Collapse, etc. That doesn't, unfortunately, mean the problem has expired. Air quality often exceeds safe limits, with far-reaching and crippling effects on our health.
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