You’re reading about a past BikeStyle Tours trip to the Tour de France. You can also view photos from this trip, see preliminary details of our 2008 trips, and register to receive full details of the 2008 Tour de France when they are released.
TRIP DETAILS:
Duration: 10 days (9 Nights)
Dates: Tuesday 10 July 2007 to Thursday 19 July 2007
Start-Finish: Paris
Accommodation: 3 and 4 Star Premium Hotels
Group Size: Maximum 40 people (5 Staff)
Cost: USD* $4219
*Approximate. We charge for our trips in Australian dollars, so the figure above is a conversion from the $AU price.
Who Is This Trip For:
Anyone with an interest in cycling who wants to see the biggest of the Grand Tours, the Tour de France. This is our main focus for this trip. We cater for cyclists of all abilities by providing riding options each day. All our rides are escorted and they vary from “serious” to “relaxed”. We ride on quiet scenic roads and where possible we ride on the race course ahead of the race. We also cater for people who do not ride bikes with visits to the race and other attractions but an interest in seeing the Tour de France is important as it is the main focus of the trip.
Our trip will take in 8 days of the race including all the Alpes stages and beautiful Burgundy and its vineyards. We will have a blend of riding on rolling roads past vineyards to spectacular Alpine scenery. We will test ourselves on the many of the major climbs of this year?s tour including, Col de la Colombière, Col de Tamié, Cormet de Roselend and Col du Galibier. We will also have the opportunity to ride the infamous Alpe D’Huez which whilst not part of this years race has been the scene of many battles in previous races.
Tuesday, 10 July 2007 Stage 3 Waregem - Compiègne
There will be someone to meet you at the Airport and assist you to your transport which will transfer you to our 4 star hotel close to the Airport. We recommend a mid morning to early afternoon arrival to prevent the possibility of having to wait for your room to be made ready.
We have found from experience that the first thing most cyclists want to do is to have a short ride to shake out the cobwebs after the plane trip. The area around the airport provides a good base for this.
The first job will be to assemble your bike and Bikestyle staff will be available to assist if you have any problems. You may have chosen to rent a bike from us in which case we will have it available for you on arrival at the hotel. All you will need is your pedals and essential clothing.
As a result of tighter luggage restrictions and the difficulties of travelling with a bicycle, Bikestyle Tours has a range of hire bikes available for rental. They are equipped with both Shimano and Campagnolo and we have a variety of sizes on hand. For more info see our Bicycle Hire Page.
There will be the option of a ride in the afternoon (we will provide a ride map and suggestions) and there should be time to rest up before the welcome dinner in the evening. Should you prefer to see the sights of Paris the hotel shuttle runs frequently to the terminals from where it is an easy trip by RER train or bus into the city centre.
If you’re not too tired it may also be possible for us to go and see the finish in Compiègne in the afternoon.
Tonight there is a welcome dinner where you can meet the staff who will be looking after you on the trip and of course your fellow travellers with whom you will be spending the next 9 days.
Wednesday, 11 July 2007 Stage 4 Villers-Cotterêts - Joigny
The race course passes to the east of Paris en route to the finish in Joigny today. We will leave the hotel on the bus and head across to the race route where we will be able to ride part of the course to either the feed zone or the final sprint where we will stay and watch the race. This is beautiful riding country and it will ease us into the trip and prepare our legs for the coming days!
After seeing the Tour we will travel to Dijon and our hotel for the night.
Our bus is equipped with a modern audio/video system and we will have a choice of watching some movies, possibly of bike races.
Dinner will be provided tonight at the hotel.
Thursday, 12 July 2007 Stage 5 Chablis - Autun
This morning we will ride directly from our hotel to Autun where we will see the finish of today?s stage. The 90km ride is through some of the most famous vineyards in the world.
The Burgundy wine region starts just south of Dijon at Marsannay-la-C?te and runs southward to just short of the city of Lyon. Burgundy is home to some of the most expensive wines in the world, including those from such famous houses as Domaine de la Romanée Conti, Domaine Leroy, Henri Jayer, Emmanuel Rouget, Domaine Dugat-Py, Domaine Leflaive and Domaine Armand Rousseau.
As the capital of the Burgundy region, Dijon reigns over some of the best wine country in the world. Many superb vineyards producing vins d’appellation contrôlée, such as Vosne-Romanée and Gevrey-Chambertin, are within 20 minutes of the city center.
The town center is one of the best preserved in France where over half of the buildings are more than 200 years old. There are a surprisingly large number of splendid churches and cathedrals there, including St. Benigne, Nortre-Dame, St. Etienne, and St. Michel.
Our ride from Dijon to Autun will follow the route des Grands Crus, a wine-lover’s dream, passing through an idyllic countryside of exquisite vineyards, rivers, villages, forests, and twelfth-century churches. We will pass by such famous names and areas like Gevrey-Chambertin, Côte de Nuits, Beaune, the oldest covered market in France at Nolay and then into the Morvan region to Autun.
Autun was one of the most important cities in Roman Gaul. It has retained remnants of its theatre, temple and traces of its Roman fortifications.
We will see the race finish in Autun before heading back to Dijon for the night. It should be a sprinters dream today and one of the last chances before heading into the mountains.
The evening is free to sample the delights of the local restaurants.
You may wonder why we don’t provide all the evening meals. We used to do this but we found that people preferred to be adventurous and try the local product! While hotel food is quite good, it can become a bit much every night. It is great to take a walk and find a restaurant to your liking and sample some of the local food that the area is renowned for.
Friday, 13 July 2007 Stage 6 Semur-en-Auxois - Bourg-en-Bresse
Today we will ride directly from the hotel to the start of today’s stage in Semur-en-Auxois (70km approx). Starts are good fun as you get the opportunity to get close to the riders as they’re presented to the crowd and sometimes it’s possible to mingle amongst the team vehicles.
After the race is underway we will board the bus for our transfer to Chambery and our accommodation in the centre of Chambery.
This will be the base for our first three nights in the Alpes.
Dinner will be provided tonight at the hotel.
Saturday, 14 July 2007 Stage 7 Bourg-en-Bresse - Le Grand-Bornand
The 14th of July is Bastille Day and it usually brings out the best in the French cyclists who see it as a great honour to win on their National Day. This year there is a change in tradition from the usually difficult but not mountainous stage to a dedicated mountain stage. The race will finish at Grand Bornand but only after climbing the Col de la Colombière in the final kilometres.
Our long ride will leave Chambery and ride through the beautiful Northern Alpes, along Lake Annecy to Grand Bornand at the base of the Col de la Colombière . We have ridden these roads over the years and they are beautiful, some of the best scenery in the Alpes.
Those wanting a shorter ride can go by bus to Annecy for a look around this beautiful town and then ride from Annecy around the lake to the finish at Grand Bornand.
It will be a spectacular finish to this first mountain stage on the 14th July. Maybe a Frenchman will win?
After the race finishes it’s onto the bus for our trip home.
The evening is free to sample the delights of the local restaurants.
Sunday, 15 July 2007
Stage 8 Le Grand-Bornand - Tignes
Today we all head for Albertville and the Cormet de Roselend where we will see the race today.
The longer and shorter rides will leave directly from the hotel on bikes and go to Albertville. From here the option is to climb the Cormet de Roselend. The bus will meet us in Albertville where riders can choose to join the race route for the 40km to the top of the Cormet de Roseland, go part way or stay in Albertville. After the race passes by we will all return to Albertville where the bus will be waiting to transfer us back to Chambery.
The evening is free to sample the delights of the local restaurants.
Monday, 16 July 2007 Rest
Today as the riders enjoy a well earned rest we will focus our day on L’Alpe d’Huez which has been part of many Tours in the past. We will first take the bus to Grenoble where we will stay in the center of town for the next two nights. It is 55km from here to Bourg d’Oisans at the base of the climb. From here it is a short 13.5km to the ski village at the top of the climb. The bus will go to Bourg d’Oisans for those wanting to ride only the climb.
Even though it is not a race day you can expect many riders from all over the world joining you on the climb. You have the choice of riding out from Grenoble to Bourg D?Oisans or travelling to the base of the climb on the bus. There will be plenty of time for photos and both options are available on the return journey but why would you travel by bus as the trip to Grenoble is all downhill.
Alpe d’Huez is probably the most famous of the mountain climbs on the Tour de France. The climb is 13.8km at an average gradient of 8.1% with 21 hairpin bends each marked with panels honouring the winners of each stage that has finished there. The Tour de France first finished a stage on L’ Alpe d’Huez in 1952 when the stage was won by the Italian cyclist Fausto Coppi. Whilst the race route varies from year to year, L’Alpe d’Huez has hosted a stage finish almost every year since 1976. Having finished there for the 22nd time in 2001 the authorities have had to start again at the bottom with a double panel honouring Fausto Coppi and Lance Armstrong. As the most legendary climb in recent Tour history, the Alpe has been the scene of chaotic crowds in the past 10 years. In 1999 Giuseppe Guerini won the stage despite being knocked off his bike by an over-enthusiastic spectator who stepped into his path to take a photograph (the photographer later sought out Guerini to apologize). The 2004 Tour de France route featured an individual time trial up Alpe d’Huez, which became a chaotic scene crowded with nearly a million fans, some who could not resist pushing their favorite rider toward the top. Armstrong won the stage but his time was 46 seconds slower than the official record set by the late Marco Pantani of 36 minutes, 50 seconds.
The evening is free to sample the delights of the local restaurants.
Tuesday, 17 July 2007 Stage 9 Val-d’Isère - Briançon
Today is one of the hardest days of the Tour for the riders as they climb the Col de l’Iseran, Col du Telegraphe and the Col du Galibier. The race will be strung out after the Col de l?Iseran so the Telegraphe and Galibier will provide the prime viewing spots. It is here where the attacks will be made and the grimacing faces of the riders will provide some excellent photos. From the top of the Galibier it is all downhill to the finish in Briançon.
We will all leave Grenoble on the bus and travel to the base of the Col du Telegraphe where cyclists wishing to tackle the Col du Telegraphe and the Col du Galibier can start their ride. It’s 135km to Grenoble but once you crest the Galibier it’s a 96km virtually all down hill run back to the hotel. All up this provides a challenging 35km of climbing with an average grade of 6.7%. If however you don’t want to go all the way you may wish to go to the top of the Telegraphe and return promptly to the bus after the race passes by for a lift back to Grenoble. Once the cyclists depart the bus we will continue on as far as possible up the climb to get a good position for non cyclists.
On the ride home from the Galibier you will pass by the Memorial Henri Desgrange, the founder of the Tour de France and beautiful Alpine scenery including Col du Lautaret, the famous Glacier of La Meije, the Barrage du Chambon and Bourg d’Oisans. It will be a long but rewarding day for those who choose the long ride.
The evening is free to sample the delights of the local restaurants.
Wednesday, 18 July 2007 Stage 10 Tallard - Marseille
Today we will leave Grenoble and head back to Paris arriving back late afternoon. There will be time to check in and pack up your bike before the farewell dinner where you can say goodbye to your newfound friends.
Thursday, 19 July 2007 Stage 11 Marseille - Montpellier
All good things must come to an end and it is time to say Au Revoir. Bikestyle staff will be on hand to help you back to the Airport for you journey home or perhaps you are continuing your holiday in Europe.
You’re reading about a past BikeStyle Tours trip to the Tour de France. You can also view photos from this trip, see preliminary details of our 2008 trips, and register to receive full details of the 2008 Tour de France when they are released.
