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TET italy 2026: the first 2 days
Day 1: From Austria to Oulx – and a Transporter That Wouldn’t Cooperate
Last year, we had ridden the TET Italy from east to west, as far as Bergamo. Then, storms forced us to turn back – but we vowed to return in 2026.
This time, we started with a loaded transporter, the motorcycles, and all our gear. The journey took us down the highway through southern Austria, then along the entire Po Valley to Turin and beyond. The landscape grew ever more expansive, the mountains on the horizon ever sharper. But on the final kilometers, the transporter suddenly lost power. A hiss from the engine bay, a diagnostic tool pointing to the intercooler regulator – probably a leak. We just managed to reach Oulx, a small town in the Italian Alps, with its last bit of strength.
Oulx is nestled in a breathtaking mountain setting: rugged peaks, deep green valleys, and a heat that already burned relentlessly into our skin. We explored the town, ate at a nearby pizzeria, and went to bed early. The next day promised a long ride on asphalt roads – with a large stretch on the French side, heading toward Savona.
Day 2: The Route des Grandes Alpes and Crossing into Italy
The next morning, the transporter was quickly forgotten. The motorcycles were ready, the engines roared to life – and suddenly, nothing else mattered. We rode toward the border, passed Pordenone, and reached Briançon, the gateway to the high Alps. From there, we followed the Route des Grandes Alpes, one of the most spectacular roads for motorcyclists. The scenery was overwhelming: snow-capped peaks in the distance, green alpine pastures, tight switchbacks winding through the rocks. The heat was unrelenting, but it couldn’t dim the joy of riding.
We reached the Col de Bonette, one of the highest mountain passes in the Alps, and continued south. Originally, we had planned to cross into Italy via the Col de Tende. But the heat and the first signs of wear on our knobby tires – a clear warning not to push it too hard on the asphalt – made us reconsider.
Instead, we chose the Col de la Lombarde, a less-traveled but no less impressive pass. The descent to the Italian side was an experience: the road snaked through narrow valleys, past steep cliffs, and over bridges spanning rushing mountain streams.
After about 600 kilometers of zigzagging over mountains, through valleys, and around the massifs, we reached Ormea, a town tucked deep into the Ligurian Alps. But that wasn’t the end of it. Our hotel was further up, so we had to climb once more – just in time before the rain set in. The view from the room was magnificent: vast valleys, jagged peaks, and a sky slowly filling with clouds. Dinner was perfect, and so the second day ended with the feeling of being exactly where we wanted to be..
