Saturday
7th to Saturday 14th August 2010 -
Fully Booked
This
tour is a new tour that we put together for Guide Dogs
for the Blind in 2005 and 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 L’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
7th August 2010:
Arrange your own flight to Geneva or contact ourselves for
prices. Easy Jet, www.easyjet.com operate cheap flights
to Geneva from the following airports Liverpool, East Mids,
Bristol, Newcastle, Bournmouth, Belfast, Sheffield, Edinburgh,
Luton, Stansted, Gatwick.
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 in detail about the
tour.
You may want to combine our Tour de
France cycle challenge 1 (Lake Geneva to Alpe d’Huez) with this tour and meet
the group at the hotel in Grenoble.
Sunday
8th August:
Grenoble to L’Alpe d’Huez 105km or 60km
Riding from Grenoble to L’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 L’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 L’Alpe d’Huez. By going to the Tourist office
in Bourg d’Oisans & L’Alpe d’Huez you
can time yourself up the climb and obtain a certificate.
Monday
9th August:
L’Alpe d’Huez to Briancon 90km or 74km
Today we leave L’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
10th August:
Briancon to Embrun 70km or 52km
Leaving Briancon we face a 70km ride to Embrun 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 52km downhill ride to Guillestre.
Wednesday
11th August:
Embrun to Sisteron 90km
Leaving Embrun we ride to Sisteron, taking in the small climbs
of St Apollinaire & Rochette (site of Beloki’s
spectacular crash and Armstrong riding through the field)
which featured in the 2003 Tour de France. On the Col de
Rochette there is a plaque that makes the spot where Beloki
crashed and Armstrong went mountain biking.
Thursday
12th August:
Sisteron to Vaison la Romaine 100km
Leaving Sisteron we cross into the beautiful Provence region
with an undulating ride of 100km to the town of Vaison la
Romaine. This is the longest ride of the tour. We shall spend
nights in Vaison la Romaine.
Friday
13th August:
Vaison la Romaine – Mont Ventoux – Vaison la
Romaine 74km
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 Vaison la Romaine.
Saturday
14th August:
We shall leave Vaison la Romiane at 07.00hrs for a coach
transfer to Geneva airport for your return flight. We will
arrive at Geneva airport at 12.00hrs. For those people who
have earlier flights they will have to spend an extra night
in Geneva and fly the following day.
