About Alison Testroete, Presidentessa of Lucca Cycling Club

Ciao! I'm Alison Testroete

Former professional cyclist and Canadian National Champion with a decade of experience curating cycling experiences.

Ciao! I'm Alison Testroete

Former professional cyclist and Canadian National Champion with a decade of experience curating cycling experiences.

As a born and raised Canadian, Italy captured my heart in 2010 when I came to race for a Lucca-based professional team. I felt like Princess Peach surrounded by Marios and Luigis in a game we call life. 

Yet what forever stuck with me was the innately effortless beauty — the kind of beauty that uplifts, calls forth emotions and inspires one to action. There’s a rare sense of freedom that comes through endless roads, warm weather and the cultural acceptance for cycling.

The Italians, especially the Tuscans, are playful and welcomed me in like family. I came here with wide eyes — not knowing what I’d find — and I stayed for the beauty, the sunshine, and for my newfound family of cyclists as crazy and passionate about the bike as me.

But how does one become a Top Guide?

Mountain biking found me in high school, when a younger kid saw my Specialized Rockhopper and recruited me, first to the trails and then the races. Soon enough, I was hooked.

In my three years of racing pro, I took to the podium in the U.S., in Europe, and for my own National Championship. Yet, when I first found Lucca through a teammate, I had no idea that life was about to take a sweeping turn.

A few unglamorous broken bones and the tragic death of a beloved teammate shook me to the core. In those painful moments I understood:

life is meant to be lived, not regretted.

Around the same time, I happened to stumble onto a growing new market for cycling travel — not bike touring, but actual road cycling. I met exactly the right people to help channel my strengths into pursuing this unique and perfectly unconventional life.

Based in Lucca, Tuscany, we're here to inspire unforgettable cycling experiences in Italy. My small team and I guide rides in Lucca and host turnkey cycling trips across Italy.

If you’ve read this far, I hope this is just the beginning. The best way to stay in touch is by signing up for my email newsletter. Once a month, you’ll hear from me about la bellezza d'Italia in bicicletta.

Thanks for scrolling by,

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PS - If you're curious about my journey in Italy, learning Italian and how I ended up in Lucca, follow this link. For my journey as a multi-passionate entrepreneur, follow this link.

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