ABOUT WIDE OPEN ROAD
GREAT RIDING. GOOD FOOD. BETTER TOGETHER.
ABOUT WIDE OPEN ROAD
Wide Open Road is a small, Australian-owned cycling tour company creating carefully crafted cycling holidays through Japan, Europe and Australia.
We've been exploring the world by bike since 2001, seeking out quiet roads, spectacular landscapes and the places that make each region special. From mountain passes and coastal roads to tiny villages and hidden local favourites, our itineraries are designed to take you beyond the usual tourist routes.
For us, a memorable cycling holiday is about much more than the kilometres. It's discovering a family-run restaurant, staying somewhere interesting, sharing a great meal after a rewarding day on the bike and enjoying the company of people who love cycling and travel as much as we do.
Our groups are small and welcoming, our approach is personal, and our routes are designed with the flexibility to ride at your own pace. Many guests return year after year, travelling to new destinations and making lasting friendships along the way.
MEET CLARE
Wide Open Road is owned and operated by Clare Holdsworth, a Melbourne-based cyclist with a passion for travel, regional food and discovering beautiful places by bike.
Clare first joined a Wide Open Road tour as a guest in 2005 and took over the business in 2008. Since then, she's spent countless hours exploring roads, researching itineraries, discovering local restaurants and finding those special places that make a cycling holiday memorable.
A qualified physiotherapist and certified AusCycling Ride Leader, Clare brings years of cycling, travel and tour experience to every itinerary. She believes that some of the best moments of a cycling holiday happen off the bike — over a long lunch, wandering through a village or sharing stories around the dinner table.
Meet the team
Clare
Director
Initially a customer on a WOR Holiday in 2005, Clare took up the reins in 2008 and hasn’t looked back. She is based in Melbourne and has clocked up tens of thousands of kilometres exploring the regions that Wide Open Road pass through. She brings her passion, experience and knowledge of cycling, travel, food and wine to provide that magic mix of a WOR Cycle Tour. She is also a qualified physiotherapist, certified Cycling Australia Ride Leader, speaks French and loves an al fresco long lunch after a great ride. @wideopenroadcycletours
paul (aka Pepe)
TOUR - CREW LEADER
Pepe has been a member of the WOR crew since 2012, when his first European road ride was the epic climb to Alpe d’Huez. He’s been hooked ever since, crewing on our rides through France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and Australia. Nine years later and he’s now a WOR lead, having cycled all our tours numerous occasions as well as traveling and cycling extensively in other regions of Europe. He brings the wealth of his customer service knowledge to the team. He is also a qualified musculoskeletal physiotherapist.
Roofi
Tour - CREW
Roofi, from Melbourne, has crewed for Wide Open Road on our Barcelona to Nice, Nice to the Alps and Vic Alps Tours. Roofi also joined us as a customer on our Milan to Venice tour in 2016 – so he has a great perspective on how our tours operate! A keen cyclist with a triathlon/ironman background, Roofi won the crew award for ‘tidiest van’ – just don’t mention the goat milk! @i.roofi
JANICE
TOUR - CREW
A Kiwi with a strong cycling passion for all things cycling (including expanding the ever growing network of cycling infrastructure in NZ). She’s a proficient climber (and 3 Peaks Finisher!) and has a passion for learning about different cultures and sharing experiences with like minded travellers. A self proclaimed Foodie, she’s also on the hunt for the best pain au raisin in France and has a secret expert knowledge of fromage francaise!
Emma - tour mechanic
Emma has been with WOR since 2015 and has crewed with us as riding/driving mechanic on multiple Europe Tours and our upcoming Gold Coast to Byron & Beyond Aussie Tour. Emma lives in Anglesea and works in a bike shop 1 day a week. Super strong on the roadie, lately gravel and CX have become her thing. Sitting next to Emma at dinner? Just ask her about her dog Marlow! @em_______k
Yoshi - JAPANESE EXPERT
Yoshi is our Japanese expert and crews for us on our Japan Tours. Originally from Nara prefecture, he now lives in Brisbane. He’s an avid cyclist (don’t try and keep up with him on the flat!) and still visits his family regularly in Japan. Yoshi loves sharing his experience and knowledge of Japan and Japanese culture with you. Ask him about his favourite Konbini foods!
DAVE - tour crew
Dave has been riding with WOR since 2016 – when he cycled the Col du Peyresourde in a Collingwood jersey on Tour day! In 2024 he officially joined the WOR team to help develop our Japan: Kyushu Tour itinerary – with a keen interest and knowledge of Japan and has subsequently crewed for us in Europe as well. While he loves cycling, food is his passion. Any questions about local gastronomy or if you need some help to sniff out some great sashimi or plat du jour – he’s your man!
alfie - tour mechanic
Alfie is a lifetime mechanic and a wizard with bikes! He’s also a super strong cyclist and to top things off he speaks a bit of French, with his extended family living in Paris. He’s been with the WOR gang since 2017 and has joined many of our Europe and Australian tours as mechanic, keeping us all rolling (and cleaning Clare’s bike when she asks nicely and buys him a beer!).
ROB - tour mechanic
Rob aka Bob is a wizard with bikes and super handy to have on board our Crew particularly in remote areas where he can work his magic with limited supplies/parts! He’s a nature and adventure lover - in his spare time he’s enjoying the outdoors - when he’s not working on bikes, creating a new “dream build” or as a Prosthetist/Orthotist. @bare_foot_bob
TAKASHI - JAPAN EXPERT
Takashi, or Taka, originally from Toyama, now lives in Brisbane, Australia. Taka is an avid (and pretty fast!) cyclist and has toured many parts of the world – including Shikoku’s 88 Temple Pilgrimage route by bike and ticked off many of the European climbs. Taka crews for us on our Japan tours and enjoys sharing his knowledge of Japanese culture, cuisine and customs. After a few ‘extras’ before/after the days ride - Taka will join you!
NOEL - TOUR CREW
Noel is from Melbourne and has has crewed for WOR on many of our Europe tours. Noel has been cycling for many years and used to run his own cycling tours, the famous “Deadly Treadlie” Easter long weekend rides – so has experience in tour logistics and management. When not riding his bike he loves exploring the famous climbs, hairpins and scenery of Europe by motorbike!
Why book a cycling tour with us?
A personalised Cycling Experience
Our tours combine carefully planned routes with the flexibility to make each day your own. Fancy an extra Col, a leisurely lunch or a shorter ride? Where practical, we’ll help you make it happen. It’s your holiday, and we want you to get the most out of it.
We are experts at designing and delivering cycling tours, with over 20 years experience. We deliver an exceptional balance of cycling, cultural and touristic interest on all our Tours and provide you with flexibility during the day to ensure your holiday is perfect for you.
EXCEPTIONAL VALUE, PERSONAL TOUCHES
We offer cycling holidays that deliver outstanding value without compromising on quality. From thoughtfully chosen accommodation and memorable routes to regional food and wine, we take care of the details so you can focus on the riding and enjoy the journey.
WELCOMING TO WOMEN, COUPLES AND SOLO TRAVELLERS
Our tours bring together cyclists of different ages, backgrounds and abilities, with a particularly strong community of women riders. Whether you’re travelling as a couple, with a friend or on your own, you’ll find a welcoming group united by a love of beautiful cycling, unique experiences and good company.
EXCEPTIONAL FOOD, WINE & UNIQUE STAYS
For us, a great cycling holiday is about much more than the ride. We have a strong focus on cuisine, local wines and authentic experiences that bring each destination to life. From family-run hotels and traditional ryokan to special meals and hidden local gems, these are the experiences that make a Wide Open Road journey memorable long after the last kilometre.
14,000+
Kilometres travelled by bike on our Tours,
and counting
7
Countries visited. We operate tours in Australia, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Austria and Japan.
1360
Cyclists who’ve been on tour with us. We’re fortunate to have made many friends along the way.
23
Years in operation. You can be assured of experience, passion and knowledge when you choose our services.
Our Partners
It’s great to work with so many wonderful people and organisations across the world!
Travel Associates
We recommend Gannon & Turner Travel Associates to help organise flights for your Wide Open Road cycling holiday. They understand what it means to travel with a bike and can help ensure your journey is as efficient as possible.
The Kilns
The Kilns offer luxury accommodation in one of the best parts of Australia for cycling – situated at the foot of of the challenging 26km climb to Mt Buffalo.
cyclist magazine - aus
We love the magazine and were thrilled when they joined our Vic Alps Tour to and featured it as a multi-page cover story in 2018
HIGH COUNTRY Women’s Cycling
A multi-day cycling festival based out of Bright in Victoria's High Country, this event is a celebration of women's cycling with a focus on fun, fitness, friendship & cycling. They also offer multi-day tours for women.
HEIDEN CYCLE WORKS
If you’ve toured with Wide Open Road, chances are Rob has helped keep your bike rolling smoothly. Now he’s turned his passion into Heiden Cycle Works, building custom frames entirely in-house in Brisbane.
Each bike is tailored to your body, riding style and adventures - not a pro-peloton spec sheet.
AUS CYCLING
AusCycling works across all aspects of cycling and riding in Australia, from grassroots to elite. We represent all disciplines and participants at every step of their riding journey. Clare is a certified Aus Cycling Road Ride Leader.
