RIDE PYRENEES TOUR 10-DAY CYCLING TOUR ITINERARY JULY 23 – AUG 1 Bonjour
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2018 TOUR DE FRANCE RIDE PYRENEES TOUR 10-DAY CYCLING TOUR ITINERARY JULY 23 – AUG 1 Bonjour. Welcome to the Velo Tours Ride Pyrenees 10-day tour to the 2018 Tour de France. On this tour our cycling guests will enjoy the challenge of riding some of the most famous climbs in world cycling including, Col de Peyresourde, Port de Bales, Col d’Aubisque and the legendary Col du Tourmalet. To top it off our host town will host a stage start and finish of Le Tour de France, which means all the tour action will be right outside our front door. There’s no daily grind of changing hotels and transporting from stage to stage. You unpack for the week and live like a local in an incredible 18th century French chalet right in the heart of Bagneres-de- Luchon. Cafes, restaurants, bars and the best cycling in the world is literally at our front door. This year also features two nights in the cycling mecca, Argeles- Gazost. And let’s not forget our special guest, legendary Australian pro cyclist, funny-man, and 2-time Tour de France rider, Henk Vogels. We look forward to taking care of you in France on this truly memorable cycling experience. Daily rides, dinners and one on one with cycling legend Henk Vogels Featured Climbs: Col du Peyresourde Col du Tourmalet Col d’Aubisque Col du Portillon Col de Portet d’Aspet Col de Mente Col de Portet* Superbagneres Port de Bales and more… *Routes & distances subject to change 1 2018 Velo Tours RIDE PYRENEES Tour. Bookings Being Taken Now. Email [email protected] MONDAY JULY 23, 2018 TUESDAY JULY 24, 2018 DAY 1 BAGNERES-DE-LUCHON DAY 2 TOUR DE FRANCE Velo Tours staff will meet you in the arrivals area of Toulouse- Our 2018 tour goes off with a bang from the very first day with a Blagnac Airport at 11:00am for the 90 minute transfer to our Tour de France stage finish on the main street of town! accommodation on the main street in Bagneres-de-Luchon. We will ride early down the Barousse Valley to tackle the mighty Once you are settled into your room staff will help put your bike Port de Bales before all the Tour de France traffic is due to arrive together ready for a short ride through the valley to get the legs in town. We will descend down the Peyresourde into town in time moving. for the tour caravan to arrive and then grab a shower prior to the first rider arriving. The town will be abuzz in preparation for the Tour de France finish tomorrow so our welcome dinner in a great restaurant in town will Dinner will be a walk to another of the local restaurants in town have an amazing atmosphere. amongst the Tour de France atmosphere. No short option. Short option: Van support at all stages of the ride. 40 KILOMETRES 70 KILOMETRES 0 CLIMBS PORT DE BALES WEDNESDAY JULY 25, 2018 THURSDAY JULY 26, 2018 DAY 3 TOUR DE FRANCE DAY 4 BAGNERES-DE-LUCHON Today is a stage start in town so we will immerse ourselves in the Two ride options today. We summit our favourite climb of the carnival atmosphere by checking out the tour buses and watching Pyrenees, the stunningly beautiful Superbagneres to have a the team sign on before heading a few km’s up the Peyresourde coffee and marvel at the view and then on the way down you can to watch the first attack on what is a short and explosive stage of choose to tackle “Hamstring du Hospice” the steep Hospice de Le Tour today. We will then head off to cover part of the route the France. Tour de France did yesterday, but in reverse. Short options: Forego the Hospice de France. Short option: When the group turn up the Portet d’Aspet, a second group can instead begin the Mente and everyone will meet at the café on the top for lunch and the ride back home. 105 KILOMETRES 65 KILOMETRES COLD DES ARES I COL DU PORTET D’ASPET SUPERBAGNERES I HOSPICE DE I COL DE MENTE FRANCE 2 2018 Velo Tours RIDE PYRENEES Tour. Bookings Being Taken Now. Email [email protected] FRIDAY JULY 27, 2018 SATURDAY JULY 28, 2018 DAY 5 BAGNERES-DE-LUCHON DAY 6 BAGNERES-DE-LUCHON Today’s loop over into Spain begins right outside our front door – Today will be a well earned rest day where you can take up the Col du Portillon. This climb is a short 10km but it’s advantage of all the great activities Luchon has to offer. A short pleasantly tough and after we descend into Bossost we will make ride will be offered for those who wish to partake. our way up the valley to Viehla for a coffee and then it’s back down to Bossost for the ride back up the Portillon home to Go to the Thermal baths for a vaporarium and swim for €15 or Luchon. maybe just spend the day shopping for souvenirs or chatting to our mate in the cheese and wine shop just a few doors down the Short option: Forego the climb back up the Portillon by jumping street. The cable car to the top of the Superbagneres is also a in the van. great option. *There will be an option to transfer over to the next valley and ride the final 25km of Stage 17 including the Col de Portet. 75 KILOMETRES 60* KILOMETRES COL DU PORTILLON I COL DU PORTILLON PLA D’ADET I COL DE PORTET SUNDAY JULY 29, 2018 MONDAY JULY 30, 2018 DAY 7 BAGNERES-DE-LUCHON DAY 8 ARGELES-GAZOST Today we will take a break from the mountains and appreciate a Today we pack the van and begin epic day on the bike. We start little more of what the Pyrenees has to offer. We will head out on with the Col du Peyresourde, after which we will descend past the a wonderful ride through beautiful green fields and under lush tree lake in Genos and then stop in Arreau for a pastry before heading canopies on our way to Saint Bertrand de Comminge for coffee up the Aspin. We will stop for lunch in Payolle and then it’s up the and crepes. Once we are home we will begin to pack up ready for Col du Tourmalet. After a photo opp on the summit we will our departure for Argeles-Gazost tomorrow and our hero day on descend to our hotel in Argeles-Gazost for a well earned beer. the bike – the Peyresourde, the Cold d’Aspin and the Col de Tourmalet! Short option: Choose the climb most important to you and then transfer in the van to the base to begin your day from there. 70 KILOMETRES 120 KILOMETRES COL DU PEYRESOURDE I COL D’ASPIN N/A COL DU TOURMALET 3 2018 Velo Tours RIDE PYRENEES Tour. Bookings Being Taken Now. Email [email protected] TUESDAY JULY 31, 2018 WEDNESDAY AUG 1, 2018 DAY 9 ARGELES-GAZOST DAY 10 DEPARTURE Our final ride day of the tour will be a another epic one. From our After a sleep in and great breakfast we will transfer to Toulouse front door we ride another famous Tour de France double, the Col Blagnac airport between 10 and 11.00am. The trip will take du Soulor and the Col d’Aubisque. approx 2 hours so we ask that you book your flights to depart after 3pm. It was on the Aubisque that Octave Lapize famously called the Tour de France officials “assassins” when he arrived muddy and exhausted on the summit during the first ever mountain stage of Le Tour in 1910. Our final farewell dinner will be a fun night of awards presentations and many wines to celebrate your achievements on your 2018 Tour de France cycling holiday. Short option: Do one or both of the climbs and then transfer back in the van. 60 KILOMETRES 0 KILOMETRES COL DU SOULOR I COL D’AUBISQUE N/A OUR BASE IN BAGNERES-DE-LUCHON Our base in Bagneres-de-Luchon is a 2 star, 4 storey chalet built in the Napoléon era and has all the typically French features, including the original timber flooring, wooden staircase and traditional French-style decor. The secluded, private garden area is just 50 metres from a vast array of bars, restaurants, thermal springs, swimming pool, mini golf course and day spas. With great shopping, bike shops and the added bonus of being a regular mecca for mountain biking, Bagneres-de-Luchon is the perfect location for the ultimate cycling holiday. 4 2018 Velo Tours RIDE PYRENEES Tour. Bookings Being Taken Now. Email [email protected] OUR SPECIAL GUEST Legendary Australian cyclist Henk Vogels was our special guest on the 2016 Alps Ventoux tour and will join us again in 2017, on our Ride Pyrenees tour. Henk is one of Australia’s pioneer professional cyclists and rode the Tour de France twice among other Grand Tours and legendary European classics. Over a career spanning two decades Henk rode for some of the World’s biggest pro-tour teams including GAN and Davitamon-Lotto, recording 18 pro victories along with two top ten finishes in Paris Roubaix. Currently a cycling analyst and commentator for SBS Henk will be joining us for the Ride Pyrenees tour between his broadcast commitments on the Tour de France. Henk will ride side-by-side with you in our group on ride days and be very much a part of the social aspects of the 2017 Tour.