Over our 11 years of taking UK cyclists to Etape du Tour we have found that a lot of riders are not properly prepared for the rigours of completing the Etape du Tour route. This may be for a number of reasons, either lack of training or under estimation of the severity of the route.

We have therefore put together a unique and very comprehensive weekend training camp which will help you arrive at the 2008 Etape du Tour with all the preparation necessary to achieve your goal.

Our Etape du Tour Training & Preparation camps will be based in the market town of Skipton, gateway to the Yorkshire Dales National Park at the excellent Hotel Rendezvous.

In order to get the most out of a training weekend we have decided to hold them over 2 long weekends (The May Day and Spring Bank holidays), which will enable you to get 2 long rides plus a short Monday morning ride as well as 2 important seminar evenings where we will discuss the 2008 Etape du Tour route and your approach towards it.

The training rides will be guided by local Yorkshire riders who have excellent knowledge of the regions roads and whose on & off the bike experience will be a valuable asset to the weekend.

The weekend INCLUDES an ENTRY to L’ETAPE DU TOUR 2008. (£125)
We have 50 Etape du Tour Entry only places available for each of our Skipton training weekends (May Day and Spring Bank).

The training rides will be guided by local Yorkshire riders who have excellent knowledge of the regions roads and whose on & off the bike experience will be a valuable asset to the weekend.

Our training rides have been designed to simulate an Etape du Tour type route and will include 3 climbs in the Yorkshire Dales national park. We hope to be able to offer 3 group rides catering for most abilities, so whether you are aiming to go under 8 hours or simply avoid the “Broom Wagon” their will be a group for you.
The training rides will be backed up by vehicular support and food & drink stations will be provided by SiS (Science in Sport).

In the afternoon there will be mechanical assistance and you will have free access to the hotels leisure facilities.
In the evening their will be informative seminars where the 2008 Etape du Tour route will be discussed by a panel of experts who have ridden the Etape du Tour, and have knowledge of the 2008 Etape route. We will have a route & profile analysis as well as a list of top tips on how to ride the Etape.
There will also be a very informative seminar by SiS (Science in Sport) on what you need to eat & drink to get you through the Etape.

See below for dates and itineraries.

THE DATES:
We have chosen to run the training camps over 2 long weekends (The May Day and Spring Bank holidays).
We feel that these dates are perfect for training purposes as it is from the end of March when the days are longer, the weather is kinder and people need to start stepping up the mileage in their preparation for Etape du Tour 2008.

MAY DAY BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND CAMP – Friday 2nd May to Monday 5th May 2008

SPRING BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND CAMP – Friday 23rd May to Monday 26th May 2008

Friday afternoon / evening:
Arrive at your leisure to the Hotel Rendezvous, Skipton, North Yorkshire.
There will be a pre dinner welcome meeting to introduce you to the camp personnel and explain how the weekend will be run. This will be followed by a group dinner.

Saturday:
Buffet Breakfast followed by 9am departure of training rides. Our training rides have been designed to simulate an Etape du Tour type route and will include 3 climbs in the Yorkshire Dales national park. We hope to be able to offer 3 group rides catering for most abilities.
All rides will be led by local Yorkshire riders who have excellent knowledge of the regions roads. There will be a back up support vehicle and food & drink stations supplied by SiS (Science in Sport).

In the afternoon you will have free access to the leisure club (swimming pool, sauna/steam room, Spa, gym). There will also be mechanical assistance for those that require it.
In the evening there will be a seminar discussion on the 2008 Etape du Tour (Route analysis, profile examination, equipment choice, tips on how to ride the event).
After the seminar there will be a group dinner.

Sunday:
Buffet Breakfast followed by 9am departure of training rides. Our training rides have been designed to simulate an Etape du Tour type route and will include 3 climbs in the Yorkshire Dales national park. We hope to be able to offer 3 group rides catering for most abilities.
All rides will be led by local Yorkshire riders who have excellent knowledge of the regions roads.
There will be a back up support vehicle and food & drink stations supplied by SiS.
In the afternoon you will have free access to the leisure club (swimming pool, sauna/steam room, Spa, gym). There will also be mechanical assistance for those that require it.
In the evening there will be a seminar discussion on nutrition by Science in Sport, and training advice followed by a group dinner.

Monday:
Buffet Breakfast followed by a steady 2hrs morning ride returning to shower and change before a mid day departure. Alternatively relax at the hotel and enjoy the leisure facilities before departing.

Order a full Graham Baxter Sporting Tours cycling kit (short sleeved jersey, bib shorts, socks and cap) for only £70 (list price £85) when purchased with your holiday booking. See clothing page for clothing details and sizes. Clothing order must be paid in full and sent with holiday booking. The offer does not apply if ordered separately from holiday booking.

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