Lauren Hefferon, Director
Lauren Hefferon founded Ciclismo Classico fourteen years ago with a dream to combine her passions for Italy, cycling, graphic design, cross-cultural exchange and outdoor education into a life-style. Lauren has designed and planned all of Ciclismo Classico’s cycling itineraries based on her 20 years of bicycle travel experience that includes a seven-week teenage bike camping tour from Rome to London, a three month solo bike tour through Europe and over 15,000 miles of racing and bike touring throughout Italy.
While studying anthropology at Cornell University, Lauren traveled to the Andes on an Earthwatch research scholarship. After graduating she continued her world travels on a Rotary Scholarship to study painting and sculpture in Italy. What began as a year abroad, quickly evolved into a three year sojourn and an incurable passion for a culture. While living in Florence, she joined a local cycling club and spent most of her time racing and touring around the Italian countryside. She researched her Italian roots in the Marche region and discovered dozens of her “nonna” Beatrice Fracassini’s clan.
An entrepreneur at heart, Lauren worked as a free-lance illustrator and designer before founding Ciclismo Classico. She soon realized that the best way of combining her love of cycling, Italy and people was to start a bicycle touring company. In 1988 Ciclismo Classico was born, a labor of love that perfectly combines her diverse interests of bicycling, adventure travel, photography, graphic design and teaching.
Ciclismo Classico started with 18 clients on two tours in Tuscany. Today Lauren, her husband Mauro Rugiero and their dedicated and extremely talented staff have developed over 30 different cycling and walking itineraries throughout Italy and their company has escorted over 5000 cyclists and walkers from all over North America. Her plans for the future include expanding her current walking tour offerings, adding several cross country ski tours, Mt. bike tours and expanding her very successful family tours. Her newest and most exciting adventure has been chasing and entertaining her five-year old son Lorenzo and three-year old Valentina who have both been guests on their Tuscan Fantasy, an idyllic villa-based learning adventure for families and friends.
Lauren’s “work” is never boring. She can be found pedaling in Tuscany with dozens of curious cyclists and she oversees every aspect of Ciclismo Classico’s operations from designing and marketing tours to writing and designing the Ciclismo Classico brochure and the Pasta Times, the company’s quarterly newsletter. Her stunning photographs fill the pages of Ciclismo Classico’s dreamy annual catalogue.
| David
Italian General Manager and SBS (Super Boy Scout) Davide Marchegiano handles all aspects of our Italian operations, including the hiring and management of our Tour Leader Team. He is an innovator at heart, since he became a trendsetter at age 12 when he converted his mother's bike into a mountain bike – virtually unknown in Italy at the time! A native of Piedmont, a philosopher and a passionate cyclist, Davide oversees all tour operations and ensures that our bicycle fleet remains the best.
| Marcello
Ask Marcello what he loves most about leading trips like Tuscany & Elba, Island Hopping and La Bella Sicilia, he'll say "absolutely everything." That's why he has been on our team since 1997. And Marcello has become a master at all things we like to deliver for our guests, from fitness to wine tasting. In addition to being a professional cyclist, he's also a personal trainer, masseur, teacher and sommelier – and comedian extraordinaire. Bravo Marcello!
| Marisa Caruccio, Director of Reseach and Development
Marisa has been an integral part of Ciclismo Classico¹s success for the past nine years. Our in-house Internet, database and systems whiz, Marisa drives our web page development. Her painstaking attention to detail assures that the high quality of our tours is constantly maintained. Marisa is a first generation Italian who has lived throughout Italy and warmly shares travel stories and knowledge of her favorite country. She helps design and lead our hiking tours including our Amalfi Stroll & Roll, which involves many of her family and friends.
| Mauro Rugiero, Co-Director
Mauro is our in-house native Italian diplomat and cultural liaison. After earning an Italian law degree in Florence, he joined forces with Lauren and now oversees our company's finances and Italian operations. He works closely with our guides and skillfully negotiates with all of our Italian hotels, restaurants and other service providers. Our in house Calabrese, he is an expert in Italian history and political theory and enjoys provocative conversation.
| Simonetta Piergentili, Director of Trip Fulfillment and Guide Development
Simonetta manages the countless procedures and details that make every tour run smoothly and efficiently. Born in Le Marche region, Sim is a natural coach and motivator, she drives our guide recruitment and selection process and leads our team meetings. Sim is an accomplished marathon runner who "switches gears" to lead our tours in Sicily.
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