TOUR DE FRANCE CYCLE CHALLENGE 2
GRENOBLE TO MONT VENTOUX

Saturday 11th to Saturday 18th August 2012

Sports Tours International is the number one provider of travel to the Tour de France. We organise many Tours around the Tour when it is on in July.

To give our riders the opportunity to re-live some of the Tour de France’s most exciting stages outside of the busy July Tour de France period we have put together 2 great itineraries in the month of August.

You can do one or both Tours as they are running back to back. The first Tour is Lake Geneva to Alpe d’Huez from the 4th of August until the 10th of August and the second Tour is the Grenoble to Mont Ventoux from the 11th of August until the 18th of August.
The Grenoble to Month Ventoux is a tour that we put together for the charity ‘Guide Dogs for the Blind’ in 2005 and it was a huge success. This year we are running it under our own banner, and it is based on stages from previous Tours de France

From the city of Grenoble this tour will take you over some classic Tour de France climbs such as Alpe d’Huez, Col du Lauteret, Col du Galibier, Col d’Izoard, Mont Ventoux and the little known climb of the Col de Rochette (where in 2003 Beloki crashed and Armstrong went mountain biking!!).
On certain days there will be the option of alternative flatter routes

Itinerary:

Saturday 11th August:
Arrange your own flight to Geneva. On arrival you will be met by our rep, at 13.00hrs and 18.00hrs we will operate coach transfers from Geneva airport to the 3* Novotel in Grenoble. After the evening meal there will be a welcome meeting which will explain the tour in detail and gives you an opportunity to get to know your fellow riders and reps.
We run another Cycling Challenge from Lake Geneva to Alpe d’Huez the week before this one begins. You may want to combine our Tour de France cycle challenge 1 (Lake Geneva to Alpe d’Huez) with this tour and meet the next group at the hotel in Grenoble.

Sunday 12th August: Grenoble to Alpe d’Huez 105km or 60km
Riding from Grenoble to Alpe d’Huez, there will be the option of a 105km ride which takes you through La Mure and over the Col d’Ornon before arriving at the base of Alpe d’Huez. Alternatively there is a more gentle start to the tour with a 50km uphill ride from Grenoble to Bourg d’Oisans (foot of the famous L’Alpe d’Huez). From Bourg d’Oisans you start the 13km and 21 hairpin bends climb to the ski station of Alpe d’Huez. By going to the Tourist office in Bourg d’Oisans & Alpe d’Huez you can time yourself up the climb and obtain a certificate.

Monday 13th August: Alpe d’Huez to Briancon 90km or 74km
On this day we will leave Alpe d’Huez and head to Briancon. This is a 90km or 74km ride and takes in the 2000mt high Col du Lauteret which features so prominently in the Tour de France. There is also the option of extending the ride a little and climb the famous Col du Galibier; at 2,680mt it is usually the highest mountain on the Tour de France route.

Tuesday 14th August: Briancon to Gap 110km or 85km
After leaving Briancon we face a 70km ride to Gap and climb the 2,340mt high Col d’Izoard, passing through the spectacular scenery of the “Causse Desert” where there is a monument to Fausto Coppi and Louisien Bobet (Tour de France riders from the 1950s). There is the option of a short 85km downhill ride to Gap.

Wednesday 15th August: Gap to Sisteron 75km
Leaving Gap we ride to Sisteron, taking in some small and beautiful climbs along the way.

Thursday 16th August: Sisteron to Carpentras 100km
Leaving Sisteron we cross into the beautiful Provence region with an undulating ride of 110km to the town of Carpentras. We shall spend 2 nights in Carpentras.

Friday 17th August: Carpentras – Mont Ventoux – Carpentras 75km
Our Tour de France cycle challenge finishes by climbing one of the most famous and feared mountains of the Tour de France, the Mont Ventoux. 1km from the summit of Mont Ventoux you will pass the Tom Simpson memorial. This is a circular ride that starts and finishes from our hotel in Carpentras.

Saturday 18th August:
We will leave Carpentras at 07.00hrs for a coach transfer to Nimes and Montpellier airports for your return flights. We arrive at Nimes airport at 08.00hrs and Montpellier at 0930.

COST: £799 SINGLE ROOM SUPPLEMENT: £465 INCLUDES: Airport transfers from Geneva to Grenoble and from Carpentras to Nimes or Montpellier Maps and Route description Energy products throughout the tour Mountain profiles Tour de France history for each stage Vehicle support Transport of luggage 7 Nights Bed & Buffet Breakfast in various hotels based on 2 persons per room 7 evening meals Services of our STI guides, 1 driver and 1 bike guide HOW TO BOOK: Click on the green button below. Adults 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 At time of booking we require a non-refundable deposit per person. The balance of your travel package must be paid, at the latest, 12 weeks before departure to avoid the cancellation of your trip. IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Visas are not required to enter France. You need a passport. We highly recommend that you have adequate insurance for travel and to protect your possessions including your bike. For links to important websites, click here. All other non-UK passport holders must check their own country's entry requirements for France. For details of insurance for the our travel packages, please visit our insurance page. There is additional information about our other Concierge Services on our special web page.

Home