Help me plan my cycling vacation of a lifetime

[BumbleBeeDave]

For at least the past five years I've been dreaming about doing something special for a vacation for next year when I turn 50 in the summer of "09. I don't think I've ever really taken a vacation where I wasn't worried about how much I was spending, so I wanted to do something special for myself for BD50. For a long time I've watched the Tour de France and dreamed about riding through some of that same country, so I've decided it's going to be a trip to do the great climbs of the Tour.

So where do I begin? I know there are various companies that do this kind of thing, but my knowledge of where they go and which ones are well run--or not--is practically nil. I'd like to take my own bike if possible and have it be a trip where I pay the package price and everything is taken care of. All I have to do is go ride and shoot lots of pictures. I'd like to do both the Ventoux and Alpe d'Huez and even a climb in the Pyrenees.

Which companies are best? Where do they go? When are the trips? How long do they last? Cost? Where's their web site? How far in advance would I have to sign up? What kind of program should I follow earlier in the season to insure that I can enjoy the rides rather than get totally shelled? What have your own experiences been?

Suggestions/advice/warnings/tips welcome!

BBD, aka "Mister 8K"

[flydhest]

Dave,
Good for you and I wholeheartedly encourage this instinct of yours. I am not familiar with tour companies in France, alas. The substantive input I can give you is be prepared not to do both a Pyrennean stage and Alps stages. Camps are usually a week or so, and it's a bit far from the Alps to the Pyrennees for a good camp to do both.

My guess is you'll be better off focusing on the Alps. I personally prefer being in the Pyrennees, but I'm fluent in French, have family friends there, and seriously dig goose liver. The Alps are a bit more accessible and tourist friendly in my experience.

[rdparadise]

In 2004 I did the TdF with Graham Baxter out of London. The tour met up in Paris and drove to the south of France before we rode. It was a full 2 weeks and they have three different levels based on cost and amenities. The rent large luxurious coach buses with sizeable trailers to carry the bikes.

Overall it was a great experience.

Would I do it again? Probably not. Why? Each day following the tour required a 2-3 hour bus ride too and from the start/finish of the tour. This made for really long days. The off day we climbed Mt. Ventoux which was great, however, by the time we got dropped off and started riding it was nearly noon time and 90 degrees out. Not my idea of a good time for sure.

Most of the evening trips back to the hotel or changing hotels weren't that bad as it was a good nap time. Dinner typically was 8pm or later because of the drives.

Good luck Dave, it is a lifetime experience.

Bob

[saab2000]

It's not France or the Tour de France climbs, but Andy Hampsten runs trips too I think. They must be awesome from what I have read.

Just an alternative.

I've heard he's a pretty good rider to boot. ;)

[BumbleBeeDave]

In 2004 I did the TdF with Graham Baxter out of London. The tour met up in Paris and drove to the south of France before we rode. It was a full 2 weeks and they have three different levels based on cost and amenities. The rent large luxurious coach buses with sizeable trailers to carry the bikes.

Overall it was a great experience.

Would I do it again? Probably not. Why? Each day following the tour required a 2-3 hour bus ride too and from the start/finish of the tour. This made for really long days. The off day we climbed Mt. Ventoux which was great, however, by the time we got dropped off and started riding it was nearly noon time and 90 degrees out. Not my idea of a good time for sure.

Most of the evening trips back to the hotel or changing hotels weren't that bad as it was a good nap time. Dinner typically was 8pm or later because of the drives.

Good luck Dave, it is a lifetime experience.

Bob

. . . so much as doing the climbs. I've learned my lesson about trying to shoehorn too much in on a vacation. Watching ONE Tour stage on a rest day might be nice, but I'm mainly concerned with going out and riding and having a good time when the countryside is NOT crawling with people.

BBD

[saab2000]

. . . so much as doing the climbs. I've learned my lesson about trying to shoehorn too much in on a vacation. Watching ONE Tour stage on a rest day might be nice, but I'm mainly concerned with going out and riding and having a good time when the countryside is NOT crawling with people.

BBD


Go right after the Tour.

I found late July, early August to be some of the nicest riding during my years in Europe. I have not been to the Tour, but I would imagine it to be a madhouse and trying to do it at even sort of the same time I would think would be tough with traffic, etc.

[BumbleBeeDave]

Go right after the Tour.

I found late July, early August to be some of the nicest riding during my years in Europe. I have not been to the Tour, but I would imagine it to be a madhouse and trying to do it at even sort of the same time I would think would be tough with traffic, etc.

I'm figuring the roads will be quiet and all the stuff painted there will still be fresh . . . I don't want to miss the chance to get a pic of myself riding past the giant phallus and boobs that are usually on the road at every summit! :rolleyes:

BBD

[saab2000]

I'm figuring the roads will be quiet and all the stuff painted there will still be fresh . . . I don't want to miss the chance to get a pic of myself riding past the giant phallus and boobs that are usually on the road at every summit! :rolleyes:

BBD


Oh, the paint lasts a long time. No need to worry about them fading away! :D

[Pete Serotta]

Dave, give Steve or Andy Hampsten a call.....they have some wonderful tours.

Another option is BIKE CAMP (Connie and Davis)...... Please take me along and I will carry your bags, the least I could do as you turn 50. :D :D

[julia]

Dave, give Steve or Andy Hampsten a call.....they have some wonderful tours.

Another option is BIKE CAMP (Connie and Davis)...... Please take me along and I will carry your bags, the least I could do as you turn 50. :D :D

bbdave, talk to me!

the little pig on a bike will take care of you

cheers
julia

[C50]

I would look at Velo Sport Vacations. I went to the 2001 Tour with them and next time I go it will be with them. They were true professionals. Great routes to ride and perfect spots to watch the race with a minumum of bus/travel time. This is just part of the Tour experience but keeping the amount of transfer time down was a huge plus compared to some other experiences I and others have had.

If you don't want to be there for the Tour they do a trip of all the classic climbs as well. I can't recommend them enough. Worth every penny!

[Climb01742]

dave,
i'd suggest picking a wonderful place in france, a single town/hotel, and spend a week there. a single base for riding from, exploring from, dining from, makes a trip richer and less stressful, in my experience. mrs climb and i did that for our honeymoon in italy. two weeks, two places, two hotels. we spent our time enjoying the trip rather than traveling the trip, if you see my distinction. what you "lose" in scope you more than gain in depth, relaxation and time to ride, eat, rest and explore. everyone is different, of course, but this worked extraordinarily well for us. best of luck planning it. it will be awesome.

[rwsaunders]

It's not France or the Tour de France climbs, but Andy Hampsten runs trips too I think. They must be awesome from what I have read.

Just an alternative.

I've heard he's a pretty good rider to boot. ;)

I like Saab's idea regarding the Hampsten tours, especially after reading the recent Outside magazine article about him. Cycling Plus magazine always seems to feature some nice European routes too.

[Steve D]

I've been looking at tours like this for a while. To me, the Hampsten tours sound the best. One of these days... maybe my 50th (in a couple of more years)...

[jeffg]

:beer: I do not think Hampsten does France, but I do prefer Italy.

That being said, I have done rides/events in the Alps/Pyrenees/Ventoux

If you have to do France, why not do something like the Ariegeoise in the Pyrenees (supported ride with 3500 other folks finishing on the Plateau de Beille), then driving 3-3.5 hours to Provence and hanging there, climbing Ventoux and drinking wine

You could even do the Col de la Bonnette from Provence if you were ambitious ...

[davep]

You want a riding vacation - stop fooling around with these one week tours. Try this http://www.ltu-letourultime.nl/index.php

[OtayBW]

I hear Glenn Erickson puts on a pretty good show as well.

http://www.ecycletours.com/index.htm

[jerk]

dave if you really want pampered and exclusive and not having to worry about anything , I would strongly suggest trek travel. look into it, their tour package is the best of all the tour packages- they avoid the crowds and traffic jams on alps dhuez for example, by flying folks up there in a helicopter!

jerk

[stevep]

you should have a great time.
i say spend a week at each place and stay 2 weeks if ou can.
i think the alps are more specatcular and you can tie the alps into provence and mt ventoux without a ridiculous drive. the prrennes arent that close to say he least.
a lot of the climbs are reasonably quiet even the day before or after the tour goes by. these roads arent all that busy other than tour day from what i see.
stay in briancon ... galibier, lauteret, izoard, sestriere is there also but was a lot of construction when i was there, alpe d'huez , telegraph, deux alp not all that far away. climb yr brains out.

youll have a great time.
go for it.

[Jack Brunk]

you should have a great time.
i say spend a week at each place and stay 2 weeks if ou can.
i think the alps are more specatcular and you can tie the alps into provence and mt ventoux without a ridiculous drive. the prrennes arent that close to say he least.
a lot of the climbs are reasonably quiet even the day before or after the tour goes by. these roads arent all that busy other than tour day from what i see.
stay in briancon ... galibier, lauteret, izoard, sestriere is there also but was a lot of construction when i was there, alpe d'huez , telegraph, deux alp not all that far away. climb yr brains out.

youll have a great time.
go for it.
Sounds like a fixed gear bike is in order :) :beer:

[stevep]

Sounds like a fixed gear bike is in order :) :beer:

exactly.
50-13 should do it.

stand up on the climbs.

[Kurt]

Happy Birthday, welcome to the club! Another option is do it yourself – the below cycling link is ground zero for all the climbs and Russell, the guy that runs it, also runs a tour group that is out of this world – he takes the best action pics I have ever seen. The link also has a forum. Below is a great centrally located place to stay, right across from the park. Also below is imo the best place in all of france to eat that one special meal – lyon is a great city so you could fly into paris, drive to Grenoble, cycle and hit lyon on the way back. Stay in the old section and don’t miss the open air market. The hotel link is what I think is the best place to stay in lyon, which btw is considered to be the food capital of france. It’s the former king of burgundies residence – it does not suck. I would suggest spending time in Burgandy, even if you don’t drink its wonderful, but do drink.

All this aside Italy would be my choice hands down – way nicer people, food and wine across the board. I have been to italy and france a lot, I go to italy every year no matter what and have stayed all over the place. If you want tuscany look no further than Andy, he is the greatest and the places he stays are terrific. Up north Bill (see link) also has a great gig going – no need to bring a bike, for 25e a day he has one – nice Italian bikes in all sizes with trips, compacts or std, campy or shimano. I will never travel with a bike to Europe again – he is based out of a new hotel and there are a ton of routes to keep anyone happy – its one of the best places to cycle in italy, amazing towns.

If you want it all and you do decide on italy, go to piedmont – ask anyone that travels – its to die for, darn good cycling but the very best food and wine you will ever have in your life – stay here in la morro over looking all of Barolo http://www.cortegondina.it/ and go to eat at the restaurant that started the slow food movement in Bra, everything is ~20 minutes away from la morra.

If you do go to france do NOT go before the tour, there are people camping out on the cols for a month and you will be greeting with nothing but traffic and diesel fumes on the popular climbs. Decide if you want to spectator or cycle, that would be my suggestion.

http://www.grenoblecycling.com/

Hotel Angleterre Grenoble
5, Place Victor Hugo
38000 Grenoble - France -
Tél. (33) 04 76 87 37 21
Fax : (33) 04 76 50 94 10
http://www.hotel-angleterre-grenoble.com/

http://www.bocuse.fr/accueil.aspx

http://www.courdesloges.com/

http://www.yourcyclingitalia.com/

[Elefantino]

I'm figuring the roads will be quiet and all the stuff painted there will still be fresh . . . I don't want to miss the chance to get a pic of myself riding past the giant phallus and boobs that are usually on the road at every summit! :rolleyes:

BBD
No. Go during the Tour. By all means do not miss out on the chance to go during the Tour. I have been there after and during, and there is no comparison. For a cyclist, going in August would be like going to Super Bowl stadium ... in March. The venue is the same, but there's nothing going on.

The roads are quiet in the morning, and you can ride as much of that day's stage as you'd like. In 2003, we rode the first eight stages, mostly in part, and it was incredible. And I would not have traded the opportunity to climb l'Alpe d'Huez on race day for anything. (1 hour, 20 minutes, knocked off the road by the Euskatel bus)

If you pick a tour group, make sure you do not pick one that either a) has more than a couple dozen people on the tour (the people we talked with on the Baxter tours, with 100+ people, said it was too much) or b) is Trek Travel.

I know of several who are "right sized" who do an excellent job. And you have access to all the cyclists before or after stages (because they are so easily accessible) or, if you want, you could watch the stages from various key points long the routes (such as KOM spots).

And the caravan, which takes more than an hour to pass, isn't to be missed. It even has pole dancers. Seriously. Pole dancers on a caravan.

Dave, you owe it to yourself to go during ... you only turn 50 once.

PM me. I'll set a fellow journalist straight.

Mike

[jeffg]

you should have a great time.
i say spend a week at each place and stay 2 weeks if ou can.
i think the alps are more specatcular and you can tie the alps into provence and mt ventoux without a ridiculous drive. the prrennes arent that close to say he least.
a lot of the climbs are reasonably quiet even the day before or after the tour goes by. these roads arent all that busy other than tour day from what i see.
stay in briancon ... galibier, lauteret, izoard, sestriere is there also but was a lot of construction when i was there, alpe d'huez , telegraph, deux alp not all that far away. climb yr brains out.

youll have a great time.
go for it.

Steve has some good suggestions ...

But I disaagree the Pyrenees is too far. Tarascon-sur-Ariege to the base of Ventoux is about 4 hours.

I flew from Frankfurt to Marseille with family and mother-in-law, drove immediately to a wonderful gite near Tarascon. We watched France win a world cup soccer match and drank some wine.

Rode the Ariegeoise the next day, got picked up at the finish and drove directly a town near Les Baux de Provence for a family reunion on my wife's side, stayed for a week and climbed Ventoux and the hills of the Luberon.

Awesome.

For pure cycling scenery stay in Corvara-in-Badia and ride the Sella Ring and other Dolomite passes including Tre Cime, Giau, Duran, etc. Weather is more likely to be a bit iffy, but can also be spectacular.

I am boycotting the TdF -- Giro d'Italia all the way!

[TriJim]

BBD --

I'm sure there are several tour operators that can meet your needs. I have had great experience with Sporting Tours (http://www.sportingtours.co.uk/) out of Great Britain. They are the modern version of Graham Baxter Tours. In particular - check out their cycling challenges. I rode the Alpe d'Huez to Ventoux last year and had a blast. They meet you at a central airport (usually Geneva) and bus you to the first hotel, but most of the travel is by bike. You stay in a new hotel each evening as you progress through the mountains. Breakfasts and dinner are taken care of (and always good quality). Lunch is on the road at your convenience. Guides are knowledgable and everyone else in the group is there to ride. Help if you need it, but most mornings it's a new map and see you on the road - not the wine and cheese crowd. Reasonable rates (unless the dollar continues to fall). :crap: Even mix of UK and US cyclists.

Also had great experience last Spring cycling in Girona area with Eurocycler (http://www.eurocycler.com/).

I'm scheduled to ride the Spring Classics week in early April and Etape in July. Let me know if you want more details. "Tours for Cyclists - Organized by Cyclists." :beer:

[stevep]

ive been there 4 times during and around the tour. ive never found this to be true.
yes, they will camp out a couple of days before on some of the cols.
ive never found traffic to be the least problem the day before or the day after the tour goes by... and even early on the day the riders pass you can get around on a bike no trouble until maybe 3 hours before the riders pass.
key advice is dont try to drive a car anywhere near the tour, if you need to get close in a car drive to a point 15 miles away and ride the bike from there. it would be dreadful/hopeless to try to drive a car up onto one of the cols on race day.
traffic jam from hell after the riders go by... easy on a bike though.
and if you go on tour day the finish climb is where its at.
you witness the real tour. the team riders come in a long, long time after the leaders and they are often astonishly spent on a real mt stage.
gives perspective on how hard these days are.


[QUOTE=Kurt]
If you do go to france do NOT go before the tour, there are people camping out on the cols for a month and you will be greeting with nothing but traffic and diesel fumes on the popular climbs. Decide if you want to spectator or cycle, that would be my suggestion.

[stevep]

But I disaagree the Pyrenees is too far. Tarascon-sur-Ariege to the base of Ventoux is about 4 hours.


my thought here was that if the choice was
alps/ provence or
pyrennes/ provence

but alps/ pyrennes would involve too much driving.

the alps were the more spectacular and included the more famous climbs:
galibier, alpe, etc.

but either way the trip should be memorable. the climbing and the roads are fabulous.

[Too Tall]

Rent a room smack dab in middle of Dolomites. No car rental, just get there and go nuts. You'll need a fresh custom bike to go with this deal :)

[Tom]

Either what Stevep said or Velosport's week of the classic climbs. I'm thinking of something similar but I was thinking of the week at Mt. Ventoux. If it was totally up to me I'd ride the climbs.

[93legendti]

For at least the past five years I've been dreaming about doing something special for a vacation for next year when I turn 50 in the summer of "09. I don't think I've ever really taken a vacation where I wasn't worried about how much I was spending, so I wanted to do something special for myself for BD50. For a long time I've watched the Tour de France and dreamed about riding through some of that same country, so I've decided it's going to be a trip to do the great climbs of the Tour.

So where do I begin? I know there are various companies that do this kind of thing, but my knowledge of where they go and which ones are well run--or not--is practically nil. I'd like to take my own bike if possible and have it be a trip where I pay the package price and everything is taken care of. All I have to do is go ride and shoot lots of pictures. I'd like to do both the Ventoux and Alpe d'Huez and even a climb in the Pyrenees.

Which companies are best? Where do they go? When are the trips? How long do they last? Cost? Where's their web site? How far in advance would I have to sign up? What kind of program should I follow earlier in the season to insure that I can enjoy the rides rather than get totally shelled? What have your own experiences been?

Suggestions/advice/warnings/tips welcome!

BBD, aka "Mister 8K"
Dave, check out Breaking Away. I've done their Tuscany, Alps and Dolomite tours--all fantastic. The only difference between the tours was weather and food. The Dolomites had the worst combination of weather and food. Many custoemrs even string 2 trips together, Italy and France: how can you go wrong?

[Kurt]

my exp is on the Col du Galibier, Alpe d'Huez - popular stuff is that there were nothing but cars on the way down ruining a great descent and they of course smelled. how could there not be cars on the road, there is nothing but cars around there. maybe you were having such a great time you did not notice. Its fun, but if you want a downhill to yourself then I stand by my comments.

ive been there 4 times during and around the tour. ive never found this to be true.
yes, they will camp out a couple of days before on some of the cols.
ive never found traffic to be the least problem the day before or the day after the tour goes by... and even early on the day the riders pass you can get around on a bike no trouble until maybe 3 hours before the riders pass.
key advice is dont try to drive a car anywhere near the tour, if you need to get close in a car drive to a point 15 miles away and ride the bike from there. it would be dreadful/hopeless to try to drive a car up onto one of the cols on race day.
traffic jam from hell after the riders go by... easy on a bike though.
and if you go on tour day the finish climb is where its at.
you witness the real tour. the team riders come in a long, long time after the leaders and they are often astonishly spent on a real mt stage.
gives perspective on how hard these days are.




[QUOTE=Kurt]
If you do go to france do NOT go before the tour, there are people camping out on the cols for a month and you will be greeting with nothing but traffic and diesel fumes on the popular climbs. Decide if you want to spectator or cycle, that would be my suggestion.

[93legendti]

my exp is on the Col du Galibier, Alpe d'Huez - popular stuff is that there were nothing but cars on the way down ruining a great descent and they of course smelled. how could there not be cars on the road, there is nothing but cars around there. maybe you were having such a great time you did not notice. Its fun, but if you want a downhill to yourself then I stand by my comments.

[QUOTE=stevep]ive been there 4 times during and around the tour. ive never found this to be true.
yes, they will camp out a couple of days before on some of the cols.
ive never found traffic to be the least problem the day before or the day after the tour goes by... and even early on the day the riders pass you can get around on a bike no trouble until maybe 3 hours before the riders pass.
key advice is dont try to drive a car anywhere near the tour, if you need to get close in a car drive to a point 15 miles away and ride the bike from there. it would be dreadful/hopeless to try to drive a car up onto one of the cols on race day.
traffic jam from hell after the riders go by... easy on a bike though.
and if you go on tour day the finish climb is where its at.
you witness the real tour. the team riders come in a long, long time after the leaders and they are often astonishly spent on a real mt stage.
gives perspective on how hard these days are.

I climbed the Alpe and Galibier in Aug. '98 during the hottest spell in the Alps in some time. We rode midweek. The locals said the temp on the Alpe was a record high. That said, I do not remember any cars, either on the descent or climb.

OTOH, I climbed the Stelvio on a Saturday and I can still smell the exhaust of the 1950's era motorcycles that seemd to pass me every 2-3 minutes.

[ada@prorider.or]

. For a long time I've watched the Tour de France and dreamed about riding through some of that same country, so I've decided it's going to be a trip to do the great climbs of the Tour.



most simple thing to do is rent a camper (wich lot of cyclist do in europa) and go any place you want
hence you have enough cyclist who will join you

[stevep]

im not interested in beating a dead horse here.
these photos were taken on the galibier during the tour on the day the riders crossed the lauteret just below and went on to the alpe.
i dont think there is a moving vehicle in either photo.
sure, there are caravans below parked.
i would hate for someone to miss the specacle for fear of getting in a giant traffic jam.
of course the roads are open. of course you may run into a few cars.
of course you have to be careful. no argument.
im experience these roads are pretty lightly traveled thats all.
in italy there is a lot more traffic although i have travelled in the mts there quite a bit less.

[Elefantino]

im not interested in beating a dead horse here.
these photos were taken on the galibier during the tour on the day the riders crossed the lauteret just below and went on to the alpe.
i dont think there is a moving vehicle in either photo.
sure, there are caravans below parked.
i would hate for someone to miss the specacle for fear of getting in a giant traffic jam.
of course the roads are open. of course you may run into a few cars.
of course you have to be careful. no argument.
im experience these roads are pretty lightly traveled thats all.
in italy there is a lot more traffic although i have travelled in the mts there quite a bit less.
Word(s).

There were half a million people on the Alpe the day we were there. After the stage, we got in behind the some of the guys on the Ag2r team, who were riding back down the mountain. Sure, it was crowded, but I wouldn't trade that experience — the thrill of the chase, the "allez!"s, the dodging everyone — for the world.

You only turn 50 once. I'm just sayin'®

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff235/MTBlood/beating_a_dead_horse.jpg

[Kurt]

[QUOTE=Kurt]my exp is on the Col du Galibier, Alpe d'Huez - popular stuff is that there were nothing but cars on the way down ruining a great descent and they of course smelled. how could there not be cars on the road, there is nothing but cars around there. maybe you were having such a great time you did not notice. Its fun, but if you want a downhill to yourself then I stand by my comments.



I climbed the Alpe and Galibier in Aug. '98 during the hottest spell in the Alps in some time. We rode midweek. The locals said the temp on the Alpe was a record high. That said, I do not remember any cars, either on the descent or climb.

OTOH, I climbed the Stelvio on a Saturday and I can still smell the exhaust of the 1950's era motorcycles that seemd to pass me every 2-3 minutes.


I said before the tour rolls through the popular cols are a nightmare, unless you want to have a bunch of cars ruin your descent.

[Kurt]

im not interested in beating a dead horse here.
these photos were taken on the galibier during the tour on the day the riders crossed the lauteret just below and went on to the alpe.
i dont think there is a moving vehicle in either photo.
sure, there are caravans below parked.
i would hate for someone to miss the specacle for fear of getting in a giant traffic jam.
of course the roads are open. of course you may run into a few cars.
of course you have to be careful. no argument.
im experience these roads are pretty lightly traveled thats all.
in italy there is a lot more traffic although i have travelled in the mts there quite a bit less.

love that climb, you lucked out - I would never roll through there again because of the cars. then again I am not going to france again unless italy gets covered by water or something.

[93legendti]

[QUOTE=93legendti]


I said before the tour rolls through the popular cols are a nightmare, unless you want to have a bunch of cars ruin your descent.

You're right. Sorry.

[Birddog]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet. I would suggest that you leave that Zebra kit in the states.

If you had a traveling mate, then I'd suggest just basing your operations in a town or two close to the classic climbs. You could stay in Bourg d'Oisans for instance and ride the Alpe, Dos Alpes, the Lauteret, the Galibier, Croix de Fer, and some others. Thne you could move on to Briancon and do some more, etc. If you're going solo, then I'd suggest a tour. Just make sure you sign up with one that caters to real cyclists, not your now and then cyclists. I was in Bourg d'Oisan the week leading up to the Marmotte http://www.customgetaways.com/marmotte.htm. The place was crawling with cyclists, great fun.

Birddog

[Louis]

Another thing I can't believe folks haven't mentioned - You really need to contact Sachs Tours Inc. in Chester CT. It's a small one-person operation where they have great insights into the needs of their clientèle, anticipating their most personal desires.

More info here. (http://forums.thepaceline.net/showpost.php?p=499984&postcount=112)

[jbrainin]

I recommend Velo Classics Dauphiné Liberé trip: (http://www.veloclassic.com/FranceDL/index.html) where you get the climbs and the race excitement without the insanity of the TdF.

Alternatively, Trek Travel's Classic Climbs trip (http://www.trektravel.com/trips/france-classic-climbs-explorer) in August allows you to do the climbs without the race.

Given you're looking at a 50th b'day, why not try a USA coast-coast trip? There's almost no way to top that. And you *will* remember it forever.
(PacTour has a nice one on the southern route from 9/6 6- 10/3: http://www.pactour.com/south.htm )

[Elefantino]

http://www.customgetaways.com/marmotte.htm

+ a lot.

Owner Chris Tardy is a great guy who knows France and was able to get us places to ride that others weren't. Chris and our bus driver knew side roads to get us right to where the action was, both on and off the bike. I have sent other friends on Chris' trips and all have been jaw-droppingly pleased.

[BumbleBeeDave]

You guys have given me enough links to keep me busy for a month! But I do have some preferences that are developing . . .

--Two week trip.

--I really would like to take my own Serotta, so I'd want a tour operator who could assist me with that.

--Alps and Ventoux. They sound close enough together to do both in two weeks with really good food and scenery in between. I'm really leery of trying to do too much in a limited amount of time. I've been guilty of that in the past and really want to avoid falling into that trap again. Trying to do France AND Italy in two weeks would be too much.

--Not go during the Tour. I really DO just want to go ride. If I could find an organized trip that maybe included a trip to watch a Tour stage on one of OUR rest days then that would work well, but I don't want to combine the riding too much with the crowds and traffic around the race. It's not really important to me to ride any of the climbs on the same day the Tour comes through.

--Thanks Birddog for the suggestion on clothing . . . different places, different customs. If I wear any kind of pro kit over there is it really considered a no-no? Not that I necessarily care what people think of how I look, I also wouldn't want to deal with native riders constantly challenging me or giving me a hard time because of it. Just want to fit in with no problems. Better to take just local club type clothing?

--As for the Sachs tours, uh, promo video . . . now I understand how he never gets around to doing any welding! ;)

BBD

[khjr]

For a long time I've watched the Tour de France and dreamed about riding through some of that same country, so I've decided it's going to be a trip to do the great climbs of the Tour...I'd like to take my own bike if possible and have it be a trip where I pay the package price and everything is taken care of. All I have to do is go ride and shoot lots of pictures. I'd like to do both the Ventoux and Alpe d'Huez and even a climb in the Pyrenees...BBD, aka "Mister 8K"

I was in a similar frame of mind at exactly this time last year and had never ridden in Europe either. Although I would have liked to have seen the Tour, I found that most riding groups made too many compromises in their riding itineraries to conform with the tour schedule. For me, it was more important to make the ride. I selected the Sporting Tours (formerly Graham Baxter) Tour de France challenge 1 & 2, which is actually 2 tours back to back, linking together in Grenoble. It covered the most territory with minimal backtracking or bus travel. The 2 tours ran for 15 days at the beginning of August, and I rode the Joux Plan, Cols de Jambaz, Colombiere, Aravis, Saisies, Madeleine, Telegraphe, Galibier (from both the north and south approaches), Lauteret (again, from both directions), Alpe d' Huez, Ornon, Les Deux Alpes, Sarenne, d'Izoard, Mt. Rizoule, Garcinet, and then into Provence for a ride up Mt. Ventoux. Support on the tour was somewhat spartan compared to other tour groups, but they hauled our luggage, picked our hotels, fed us well for dinner and breakfast, gave us maps, and were available in the event of roadside catastrophe. That's all I was looking for, and we had a great deal of flexibilty to extend the routes to see a little more or something different (e.g. the 2nd tour started their week with a ride up the face of the Alpe d'Huez, but since I had done that with the first group, I rode up Les Deux Alpes and then up the backside on the Alpe d'Huez via the Col de Sarenne). We rode from point to point every day and I was initially concerned that the unpacking/packing would be exhausting. I found, however, that it was easy for me to settle into a routine and had no problem at all with the constant travel (and I find business travel exhausting, by the way :-). I rode 800 miles through the most incredible scenery that I've ever seen and it was the absolute best vacation that I've ever taken, hence my recommendation. Final advice - make your reservations NOW. The tours fill up fast, and I was lucky to get signed onto the tour as late as Good Friday last year. Also, if you can't sign up, at least get onto the wait list.

I took a ton of pictures too. PM me if you like to see my web photos or get input on how I trained for the ride. The years are stacking up for me too!

Links to the tours are below.

http://www.sportingtours.co.uk/touring/geneva.html
http://www.sportingtours.co.uk/touring/grenoble_ventoux.html

[BumbleBeeDave]

I was in a similar frame of mind at exactly this time last year and had never ridden in Europe either. Although I would have liked to have seen the Tour, I found that most riding groups made too many compromises in their riding itineraries to conform with the tour schedule. For me, it was more important to make the ride. I selected the Sporting Tours (formerly Graham Baxter) Tour de France challenge 1 & 2, which is actually 2 tours back to back, linking together in Grenoble. It covered the most territory with minimal backtracking or bus travel. The 2 tours ran for 15 days at the beginning of August, and I rode the Joux Plan, Cols de Jambaz, Colombiere, Aravis, Saisies, Madeleine, Telegraphe, Galibier (from both the north and south approaches), Lauteret (again, from both directions), Alpe d' Huez, Ornon, Les Deux Alpes, Sarenne, d'Izoard, Mt. Rizoule, Garcinet, and then into Provence for a ride up Mt. Ventoux. Support on the tour was somewhat spartan compared to other tour groups, but they hauled our luggage, picked our hotels, fed us well for dinner and breakfast, gave us maps, and were available in the event of roadside catastrophe. That's all I was looking for, and we had a great deal of flexibilty to extend the routes to see a little more or something different (e.g. the 2nd tour started their week with a ride up the face of the Alpe d'Huez, but since I had done that with the first group, I rode up Les Deux Alpes and then up the backside on the Alpe d'Huez via the Col de Sarenne). We rode from point to point every day and I was initially concerned that the unpacking/packing would be exhausting. I found, however, that it was easy for me to settle into a routine and had no problem at all with the constant travel (and I find business travel exhausting, by the way :-). I rode 800 miles through the most incredible scenery that I've ever seen and it was the absolute best vacation that I've ever taken, hence my recommendation. Final advice - make your reservations NOW. The tours fill up fast, and I was lucky to get signed onto the tour as late as Good Friday last year. Also, if you can't sign up, at least get onto the wait list.

I took a ton of pictures too. PM me if you like to see my web photos or get input on how I trained for the ride. The years are stacking up for me too!

Links to the tours are below.

http://www.sportingtours.co.uk/touring/geneva.html
http://www.sportingtours.co.uk/touring/grenoble_ventoux.html

This sounds just about perfect! Can you post any pics here?

BBD

[khjr]

This sounds just about perfect! Can you post any pics here?
BBD

Random sample attached. They are:

(1) Mt. Blanc as seen from the Joux Plan (edge is in foreground);
(2) cresting the Col de Aravis in the early morning;
(3) banana break on the Col du Lauteret (that's me in the yellow);
(4) descending through the morning fog on the Alpe d'Huez;
(5) looking down from the Col de Sarenne;
(6) Mt. Ventoux from the Col des Aires;
(7) my trusty steel bike against the airplane window view from Mt Ventoux. 800 miles, 60,000+ ft of climbing, challenging weather- no complaints from either of us!

[Michael Maddox]

BBD,

I turn 40 next year, and I've been planning to do the same thing. I was most interested in Cinghiale's Dolomite week, but these other links ALL look so inviting.

Need a riding partner?

[paulandmonster]

i rode in china in 81 unbealable im sure its different today. id go vietnam now.id love to do northern italy get my bike blessed at ghiasallo and all but that will allways be there and bad euro rate now id go somewhere really different different culture food etc. i was just in egypt great rate for dollar and unbealable sites. just my opinion

[FMS_rider]

I have started making plans for my 65th birthday ride --a solo ascent of Alpe d'Huez in 2009. Here is a site I have found to be particularly helpful: http://www.steephill.tv/2006/alpe-d-huez/ Note in particular the comments regarding traffic --fortunately my birthday is in early September so I should be able to avoid the zoo. If I had your young highly conditioned body I would go for Mont Ventoux or the Col du Tourmalet, but I think they are beyond my reach at this point. However I were to outfit myself in zebra stripes...

I am also preparing a table of elevation gain, peak altitude, % grade, and length for many of the classic climbs in Europe --I want to do some easier ones before tackling Alpe d'Huez. I will post the table when I am finished.

I am looking forward to hearing your ride report and seeing the beautiful photos you always post!

Have the time of your life!
Lew

[Vancouverdave]

My wife and I did Cinghiale's "l'Eroica" tour in 2006 and enjoyed it tremendously. Hampsten's hospitality and route planning is excellent, and if he does another tour which includes the l'Eroica (historical reenactment/celebration ride with significant gravel road mileage) I'd give it double points--that ride on it's own is worth the trip!

[BumbleBeeDave]

Well, I was laying plans to do this special "trip of a lifetime" in 2009, but then got laid off from my job in September of 2008, so no go.

Now it's a possibility again--a serious possibility. This year.

After reading the whole thread again, I've changed my thinking a bit. I'd like to find a "greatest climbs" package trip that does happen during the Tour. That doesn't mean I want to follow the Tour the whole 7-10 days. But see at least one stage in the Alps. I'd love to ride Alpe d'Huez, Galibier, some others. But I'm open to other suggestions.

I want to just go ride and have somebody else worry about lodging, transport, food, etc. So with all due respect to anybody that's going to recommend renting an RV, please refrain. Might ship one of my bikes, might rent from the tour operator. Looking for feedback on that, too.

Some of the web sites and companies that were suggested in the original thread don't seem to be around any more or the links or names have changed. But here's a few that are. Are there others? Looking for suggestions!

Velo Sport -- http://www.velovacations.com/

They have a "Pyrenees to Paris" trip here that operates out of only two different hotels. Not a lot of transfer time and I like that. . . . http://www.velovacations.com/july-race/pyrenees-to-paris/

Of course, it's not the Alps, but plenty of classic climbs in the Pyrenees, too. They can also design a "custom climb" trip . . . http://www.velovacations.com/custom/climbs/

Sports Tours International -- http://www.sportingtours.co.uk/

Looks like they have a lot of experience and a variety of Tour trips like this one: http://www.sportingtours.co.uk/index.html

But most of these trip descriptions make it sound like the trip is a little riding and a lot of riding the Tour, as opposed to a lot of riding and a little Tour.
This one looks pretty cool, too, but of course it's not during the Tour: http://www.sportingtours.co.uk/index.html?home.html~main

Trek Travel -- http://www.trektravel.com/

Their Alps race access tour is already sold out. But there are others: http://www.trektravel.com/race-france-bike-tour.php

Others?

BBD

[Bruce K]

Dave;

Check out www.destinationcycling.com - the home of Destination Cycling

Marti Shea and her husband Joe are great folks and they have a couple of different tours that just might fill the bill.

Dauphine Libere and TdF both with the big climbs you are looking for.

If I were ever going to do a tour like that I would go with these folks.

BK

[572cv]

our friend Velotel, whose posts are certainly the most regularly mouthwatering on the forum. His site has a wealth of fun and thoughtful information about the rides in the Alps and the surrounding areas.

http://velotel-touring.com/index.htm


BBD, last September, we did a trip to the Vercors and did the Alpe-d'Huez/Col de Sarenne one day. It is all magnificent cycling country. Hope you can pull it off this year !

[maxn]

if it's a race stage viewing that you are after, I highly, highly recommend the Dauphiné Libéré. I rode out to see two stages my first year here and really loved it. There are way fewer people which means you can get a lot closer. For example, my buddy and I rode to the finish line at St. Laurent du Pont after work and got there with ~15 minutes to spare… and were able to stand twenty feet from the finish line. The TdF is another story, and I really enjoyed watching that in person as well (esp, stage 18), but it's a zoo.

If you have specific questions, send me a PM and I'll do my best to provide answers. Maybe we could even get a euro-paceline crew together to ride the Alpe d'Huez!

p.s. I've seen Trek tours getting set up on Lautaret a few times and they look very well organized (and had a sweet trailer/van).

[soupless]

Have not been to Europe with them, but I've done three trips with Trek Travel and each one has been astounding. Simply wonderful. Worth every penny.

You'll get access to Radioshack/Nissan too, and for a small fee you can upgrade to a 6.9 ssl w/ di2.

[Cat3roadracer]

50? I thought you were about 37. Ride with me and Quackenbush to Middleburgh some time. It will be a ride of your life and won't cost you a dime.

[choke]

Eros Poli (http://www.eros-poli.com/en/) runs several tours including one that goes to the TdF. I've read a few reports on his tours at Italian Cycling Journal and the people seem to have been very satisfied.

Since you mentioned the Pyrenees, PyrActif (http://www.pyractif.com/index.html) looks to be great value for the money. They also have a TdF and 'Classic Alps' package.

[rustychisel]

Dave, hear what you're saying about RVs and you're getting lots of conflicting advice & opinions, so here's one more.

However you organise it, do it once and you'll want to do it again.

The advantage[s] of renting a motor home are many.. you get around yourself, you can find a corner that appeals to you and stop there. For lunch. Overnight. Heck, take a few days. No-one cares. Ride your bike, store it inside when you drive etc. As an aside, you'll be able to rent one immediately after the TDF, not during.

Hence, if it were me I'd look to get into Paris a day or two before the final stage, take a TGV somewhere to see a stage of the Tour, get to the Champs Elysees for the last day, then get the hell out on the road a day or so after that.

Organised tours are good because - as you point out - they cosset you and feed you and house you and transport you and your bike, but you're working to their schedule, not they to you. That's the single biggest complaint I hear from friends who have signed on for such tours. Otherwise they're great.

As an aside - or perhaps not - organised tours are also great at taking your money. They're costly, but it really is a question of what sort of holiday and what sort of cycling you want to do. I hesitate to say it but have seen a group of fat cyclists delivered by their coach to a point 3km below the summit of the Lauteret, given their $20,000 bikes so they could 'ride' up to the chalet at the road junction and then give each other 'high 5's' on their epic ascent. I don't think you want that sort of tour.

I would always opt to do it myself; few things I've done have approached the pleasure of 'getting lost' somewhere in France. Few things have been as hard as riding the Ventoux on a 110º day.

Best

[Buzz]

BBD

Drop Eros Poli an email at lesamis.erospoli@gmail.com and tell him what you are looking for. He's the best! Tom Byrnes, Pete and other forumites have ridden with him here in the States and he is a friend.

I have done several trips with him (all amazing) although not a Tour related trip that you are looking for. But, you will get something that is far far beyond just cycling with him as your guide and host.

He has a TDF trip this year that includes Mt. Ventoux. Who better to climb Ventoux with than the guy that won a stage there and is known in France as Monsieur Ventoux?

Here are a couple of stories that someone who did a TDF tour with him wrote for the Italian Cycling Journal: http://italiancyclingjournal.blogspot.com/2010/07/one-good-framedeserves-another.html
http://italiancyclingjournal.blogspot.com/2010/08/who-wins-polka-dot-jersey.html

I have also done a trip with Andy Hampsten at Cinghiale.com and that was a blast and super highly recommended as well. However Andy doesn't do a Tour related trip and his trips usually book up well in advance. But, another option for you.

Don't put it off. Beg borrow or steal if you have to in order to get yourself over there. Good Luck!

PS I have an S & S coupler bike which I have taken to europe but now I just have Eros arrange bikes for us. He has an association with Pinarello so we get brand new from the factory Pinarello's for a reasonable rental fee. So much easier all the way around.

[velotel]

our friend Velotel, whose posts are certainly the most regularly mouthwatering on the forum. His site has a wealth of fun and thoughtful information about the rides in the Alps and the surrounding areas.

http://velotel-touring.com/index.htm

Sadly I've not added anything to my site in a very long time. But by chance recently I started working again on it, though nothing new published, yet. Got buried by the work on the house. Some new stuff will start arriving one of these days. The original idea for the site was to create custom tours for people, no minimum number of participants, dates and itineraries created to meet their wants. Also costs minimized. Something to keep me occupied in my retirement. But that kind of slid by the wayside as I never had the time plus people seem to want fully organized, all known in advance tours. But if you want, BumblebeeDave (bumble bee?) I could organize exactly what you want if you're coming over with a couple other people. Only in southeastern France though, that's the area I know.

Following the Tour or perhaps it's more like riding stages of the Tour is kind of an odd deal to my thinking. I've seen some of these tour companies that follow the Tour and it's amazingly hectic. Always pressed for time, always rushing for the next segment. Obviously a lot of people like all that but for myself, never struck me as a holiday. Riding a big stage col the day before the stage arrives on the other hand can be pretty cool. As some folks have already said, huge numbers of people are already camped out along the road. What's neat is they're out there cheering the recreational riders coming up the road. What the heck, there's not much else for them to do I suppose but whatever the reason, it's kinda of cool having all these people cheering you along. Gives a small, very small in fact, taste of what it must be like for the racers. For sure there's more traffic on the road and lots more cyclists on the road the day before the Tour comes but not, in my experience, enough to hinder my ride. Just more people to pass in the downhill.

For me the real reason to be in France during the Tour is that you can ride all morning into the early afternoon then spend the rest of the day watching live coverage of the race on the tele. Excellent coverage I should add. In french of course but you won't miss all that much if you don't understand what they're saying. Lots of blah, blah, blah just like most sport commentators no matter the country.

My advice for you in contemplating a cycling trip over here is being super clear on what you want. If the objective is riding to the max day after day and bagging as many big cols as you can and you're fully prepared physically for that, that's one scenario. But if you want to ride great roads, bag some of the famous cols, enjoy France and what the villages, towns along the way have to offer, and have the time to just relax and as they say smell the flowers (then again riding through the vast fields of lavender you don't have to worry about smelling the flowers, the air is saturated with their delightful odor), that's an entirely different scenario. For me the latter is a vastly more enjoyable scenario. Ride hard when you want, be lazy when you want, change plans when the weather in the mountains turns nasty.

Creating a tour yourself is vastly easier than lots of people imagine, especially if you're coming over with a few others. Rent a car or small van to meet your needs, drive to one town and set up in a hotel for a few days and ride loops out of there. Then move to another town do it all over again. But admittedly that's more complicated than just joining a tour. What I wanted to do, and maybe will pursue again some day, is something between the fully organized tour and the free-form, do-it-yourself tour.

And finally for a few ideas on cols to ride, some of the most memorable rides I think you could do would be : the 3 col tour out of Barcelonnette; la Bonette (also out of Barcelonnette); from Monetier les Bains down the valley then up the south side of Izoard and back to Monetier; the Galibier from Monetier (for me aesthetically and visually the south side is vastly superior to the north side - up and down - but the north side is truly a climb like few others); the Col du Mollard, Col de la Croix de Fer, Col du Glandon loop is another good one to name just a very few. Note those are all loops with start/end the same. A 3-day loop around Mt Blanc is hard to beat. A multi-day tour crossing Cormet de Roselend, l'Iseran, Mt Cenis (descent to Susa may be the best of them all), le Galibier, Croix de Fer or Glandon (the latter much more aesthetically pleasing to climb than Croix de Fer), and finally Alpe d'Huez.

Only trouble with all those scenarios is that you'd be completely missing out on some of the best riding France has to offer, the small roads and cols in the hills of the Alps. But hey, time is limited, just have to decide what you want. I've been here 17 years and still haven't ridden all I want to ride.

[Lionel]

Don't follow the tour. IMO you will be disappointed. The best way to watch the tour is on french TV in the afternoon after a good ride in the morning, I agree with Velotel on that....

If you are planning on 2 weeks I would spend the first one in Barcelonette and the second one near Mont Ventoux. From these 2 base camps you have amazing riding.

[eros poli]

Drop Eros Poli an email at lesamis.erospoli@gmail.com and tell him what you are looking for. He's the best! Tom Byrnes, Pete and other forumites have ridden with him here in the States and he is a friend.

I have done several trips with him (all amazing) although not a Tour related trip that you are looking for. But, you will get something that is far far beyond just cycling with him as your guide and host.

He has a TDF trip this year that includes Mt. Ventoux. Who better to climb Ventoux with than the guy that won a stage there and is known in France as Monsieur Ventoux?

Here are a couple of stories that someone who did a TDF tour with him wrote for the Italian Cycling Journal: http://italiancyclingjournal.blogspot.com/2010/07/one-good-framedeserves-another.html
http://italiancyclingjournal.blogspot.com/2010/08/who-wins-polka-dot-jersey.html

I have also done a trip with Andy Hampsten at Cinghiale.com and that was a blast and super highly recommended as well. However Andy doesn't do a Tour related trip and his trips usually book up well in advance. But, another option for you.

Don't put it off. Beg borrow or steal if you have to in order to get yourself over there. Good Luck!

PS I have an S & S coupler bike which I have taken to europe but now I just have Eros arrange bikes for us. He has an association with Pinarello so we get brand new from the factory Pinarello's for a reasonable rental fee. So much easier all the way around.

grazie Buz :beer:

[eros poli]

[QUOTE=Lionel]Don't follow the tour. IMO you will be disappointed. The best way to watch the tour is on french TV in the afternoon after a good ride in the morning, I agree with Velotel on that....

If you are planning on 2 weeks I would spend the first one in Barcelonette and the second one near Mont Ventoux. From these 2 base camps you have amazing riding.


I suggest you colde la Bonette....2802 mt!!! col de la Cayolle and a beautifull ride: barcelonette-Savine le Lac-Embrunn-Crèvoux-col de Vars-La Condamine Chatelard-Barcelonette..140km

[Lionel]

I suggest you colde la Bonette....2802 mt!!! col de la Cayolle and a beautifull ride: barcelonette-Savine le Lac-Embrunn-Crèvoux-col de Vars-La Condamine Chatelard-Barcelonette..140km
Absolutely. Awesome rides. Bonette is my favorite climb. period.

[BumbleBeeDave]

These are some great suggestions and I will follow them up!

And this?!?!

" . . . have seen a group of fat cyclists delivered by their coach to a point 3km below the summit of the Lauteret, given their $20,000 bikes so they could 'ride' up to the chalet at the road junction and then give each other 'high 5's' on their epic ascent. I don't think you want that sort of tour."

I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry! What a shallow, empty experience this would be!

BBD

[Keith A]

Dave -- I have a friend who has used gourmetcyclingtravel.com for several trips to ride and watch the TdF and has nothing but good things to say about the experience. You can read my friend's blog about last years tour here http://infinitybikeshop.com/articles/garys-tdf-blog-2011-pg245.htm and I'd be happy to put you in contact with him if you want more details.

[tiretrax]

check out Rapha's Cents Cols challenge. The outfitter with which they are associated has some great tours, including the Etape de Tour, which is an epic stage from the TDF race of that year.

[Climb01742]

dave, if you have your heart set on france, then of course france it is. but perhaps consider italy. i don't want to incite a debate but in my experience, italy is a more welcoming country. the landscape, the people, the food, the small towns...so hard to beat.

[tiretrax]

Why not start in Italy, come over the Alps from Italy and into France?

I've often wondered what I would do if I rode in Europe. I think I'd want to take a few days around Geneva/Annency to acclimate, then start down towards the Mediterranean. Ventoux, then to the Pyrennees. But, Italy, Austria and Switzerland all offer great opportunities.

Another option is to ride from Seattle to San Diego on the coast. I have friends who have done it. I was riding in Big Sur last year, and I met a kid doing. He camped and stayed in motels/hostels. That, too, would be a great trip with lots of great scenerty and climbing opportunities.

[oldpotatoe]

For at least the past five years I've been dreaming about doing something special for a vacation for next year when I turn 50 in the summer of "09. I don't think I've ever really taken a vacation where I wasn't worried about how much I was spending, so I wanted to do something special for myself for BD50. For a long time I've watched the Tour de France and dreamed about riding through some of that same country, so I've decided it's going to be a trip to do the great climbs of the Tour.

So where do I begin? I know there are various companies that do this kind of thing, but my knowledge of where they go and which ones are well run--or not--is practically nil. I'd like to take my own bike if possible and have it be a trip where I pay the package price and everything is taken care of. All I have to do is go ride and shoot lots of pictures. I'd like to do both the Ventoux and Alpe d'Huez and even a climb in the Pyrenees.

Which companies are best? Where do they go? When are the trips? How long do they last? Cost? Where's their web site? How far in advance would I have to sign up? What kind of program should I follow earlier in the season to insure that I can enjoy the rides rather than get totally shelled? What have your own experiences been?

Suggestions/advice/warnings/tips welcome!

BBD, aka "Mister 8K"


Give Andy a shout, go to Italia.

http://www.cinghiale.com

[Keith A]

Dave -- Make sure you don't forget one important issue...you have to bring me along too :)

[BumbleBeeDave]

Dave -- Make sure you don't forget one important issue...you have to bring me along too :)

PM Sent!

[BumbleBeeDave]

Trip booked. "Epic Climbs of France" from Trek Travel.

We will ride . . .

Col du Lautaret
Col du Telegraph
Col du Galibier
Alpe d'Huez
Mont Ventoux
Col du Tourmalet
Col de Peyresourde
Port de Bales

Watch several Tour stages. Climb on the TGV to Paris. Watch the final stage from the balcony at the Automobile Club on the Place de la Concorde. I figured I may well never get to do this again, so I decided to go first class. They supply the bike--Madone 6.5 with full DA.

Eat lotsa food. Shoot lotsa pictures. 8 major climbs. God help my legs . . . :D

Thanks to all who gave advice!

BBD

[Louis]

Better start training hard.

Altitude tent, scale to weigh all your food, "special" vitamins, Spanish beef,...

Sounds like a blast. Have fun.


We will ride . . .

Col du Lautaret
Col du Telegraph
Col du Galibier
Alpe d'Huez
Mont Ventoux
Col du Tourmalet
Col de Peyresourde
Port de Bales

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . who can get me some special, uh, deals on some, er "special" training aids. :p

BBD

[AngryScientist]

BBD


Nice Dave - when is this going down, this year?

[BumbleBeeDave]

July. Three months to do hill repeats. :eek:

BBD

[Louis]

Don't try to do too much too fast. You'll hurt yourself and the whole thing will be a bust.

[Louis]

PS

I'm sure the forum will be proud if you do one of the rides in full BBD black and yellow kit. Or maybe the zebra outfit. Either one works.

[maxn]

That sounds awesome!! Congrats on making it happen

Pretty cool that you watch the final stage, too

Trip booked. "Epic Climbs of France" from Trek Travel.

We will ride . . .

Col du Lautaret
Col du Telegraph
Col du Galibier
Alpe d'Huez
Mont Ventoux
Col du Tourmalet
Col de Peyresourde
Port de Bales

Watch several Tour stages. Climb on the TGV to Paris. Watch the final stage from the balcony at the Automobile Club on the Place de la Concorde. I figured I may well never get to do this again, so I decided to go first class. They supply the bike--Madone 6.5 with full DA.

Eat lotsa food. Shoot lotsa pictures. 8 major climbs. God help my legs . . . :D

Thanks to all who gave advice!

BBD

[cnighbor1]

Many options to tour in europe
One is you ride from Hotel to Hotel and they more your gear. I like those. Called Self contained tours with out camping stuff
Another is just wing it. Tour with gear and find a palce to stop each nite.
Or fly into Zurich airport. than rigth below is train station.take a train to a neat place in or near mountains Stay a week in a Hotel and ride the area. repeat till time to go home. This way just need to ride with only gera to wear and ride with. No camping stuff. so under 20 pounds
there is a german touring company with good self contained week rides
Switerland has a wonderful web site showing all the 9 major routes Austria another great riding area

[azrider]

Sounds incredible. Hope it's a kickass experience and takes lots of pictures. I bet a journal would be cool to keep for such a "once in lifetime" opp like this.

[merlin3008]

If you can only do one trip, do not do the tour. Yes it's a great experience, but the logistics are a nightmare and really cut into your enjoyment. Two to three hour drives with road closures are not uncommon. The Giro and the Vuelta are as exciting, easier to get to, and the riding is MUCH better. At both, I've ridden the stage routes an hour in from of the peloton with no road closures. The access to athletes is also much much better. Feel free to PM me.

[Fixed]

http://lakecomonaturally.com/home/
cheers not Italy

[chromopromo]

I just saw this thread. You may also want to consider Ronan Pensec tours. I went on their Alps tour package in 2010. It was very similar to Trek's Tour package but at almost half the price. Pensec provided top-of-the-line Look bikes. The accommodations were nothing fancy but I had no complaints. The group was almost all English speaking and included a bunch of riders from Australia, South Africa and the US. Overall, the tour was very well run.

I rode Col du Telegraph, Col du Galibier, Alpe d'Huez among other climbs. If you have never seen the Tour, then I recommend seeing it. Its more crowded and your ride time will be compromised but the Tour experience should not be missed. I will never forget riding up Joix Plan (sp?) on the Tours off day. As I was struggling up the mountain, I heard two riders talking coming up behind me -- fast. I looked over to see Lance with a Radioshack Teammate flying past. I swear he was riding no handed but I might be making that up. After going over the summit and flying down, I saw him again riding up the backside. Just some off day light riding I guess. Anyway, something I won't forget.

Unfortunately, Ronan Pensic is no longer an "official Tour partner." On the 2010 trip we had special access to a start and finish, it was cool to see the riders coming out of their buses and warming up. Still I think you should consider the company. I would be happy to answer any questions. Hopes this helps.

[BumbleBeeDave]

It's a done deal with money on the table.

I understand the concerns about the confusion of the tour, but the trip doesn't follow the Tour for the whole way. On July 18 we ride up the Tourmalet in the morning and view the race along the way.

On July 19 we ride over the Peyresourde to Peyregudes to view the stage finish from a VIP viewing area.

On July 20 we do Port de Bales the day after the Pros.

In Paris we're on a hotel balcony about 500m from the finish line.

BBD

[Elefantino]

You will enjoy the hell out of it. :hello:

[chromopromo]

Congrats. I hoping to join you on the Tourmalet -- will see. Sounds like a great trip.