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Armstrong and Basso Return! This tour always sells out, so don’t miss an opportunity to watch cycling’s best event! Contact us to hold your spot and watch the Grande Boucle! Trip Highlights
Experience the excitement of the Tour de France and challenge yourself on some of the Tour’s epic climbs—a perfect balance of watching the Tour and riding. You’ll watch the last three crucial stages of Tour de France — 2 mountain finishes and the individual time trail in Annecy—and climb 14 of the classic Alps cols and Mont Ventoux. Grab your Tour souvenirs from the caravan and get an up-close view of your favorite riders as they line up at the start. Our small group size (14 riders max) allows us to stay in boutique hotels/inns located in some of the most picturesque villages in the Alps and Provence. We spend three nights in each hotel, giving you a variety of route options and the ability to make this as challenging or as relaxing as you wish. Read a guest's account of the 2007 trip here. 14 of the best climbs in the Alps and Mont Ventoux Get your legs ready for unforgettable climbs, including Alpe d’Huez, Col du Galibier, Col du Telegraphe, Col du Glandon, Col de la Croix de Fer, Col de la Madeleine, Col du Marais, Col Forclaz, Col de la Croix-Fry, Col des Aravis, Col de la Colombiere, Col de Leschaux, Col du Frene, Col de Tamie and Mont Ventoux. See the Tour Action! You’ll also get the full flavor of the Tour by participating in this grand party/cycling event. We make Tour viewing easy, since all our hotels are located close to the route, we’re able to cycle to where we’ll watch the race. There’s no need for van transfers or sitting in traffic! We’ll get to see:
Average Daily Mileage and Terrain We’ll ride an average of 40 to 60 miles daily with 4,000 to 6,000 feet of climbing. As with all our tours, there are a wide variety of options to ride more or less each day. We also provide a variety of non-cycling options for guests who want to take a day off from riding or who are traveling with a non-riding companion. Weather: July temperatures in the Alps can range 90 degrees and sunny, to 40 degrees and raining. Average temperatures are usually warm, but because we’re in the mountains, there can be extreme variations. Get more information about the weather in this area here. What’s Included
What’s Not Included
"I went to the 2007 Tour de France with one of the largest tour operators. Although, I did like the experience, when I decided to go the 2008 Tour I wanted to be a little more thoughtful. When evaluating various tours and finding one that most matched my interests. I ended up selecting Adventure Travel Group because they rated well across all my criteria and really had the best route as it included the most well-known climbs in the Pyrenees and provided more climbing opportunities. Many other tour operators, including the biggest names, didn't consistently compare well across most categories. After taking the 8 day option, climbing about 30,000 ft, and summiting 12 well-know peaks in the Pyrenees, I was very happy that my research paid off. ATG had us stay in very nice places, coordinated great French cuisine every night and set us up to see the best Tour de France stages riding from our well located hotels. We even got a series of autographs on multiple days of the tour. It was great. Thanks to Gary and Lise!" Tony Klaich, Chicago, Illinois "I had been dreaming about a trip like this for a long time and had a very serious agenda in place. ATG helped me achieve all my goals and more. The 2006 Pyrenees Trip was an incredible adventure that left me wishing I could stay another two weeks, or longer. This was a small and very compatible group that worked and played together amazingly well. Lise and Gary were great hosts and the lodging, meals and overall experience was the best." Al Hospers, North Conway, NH "Steve and I would like to thank you for the fantastic trip in the Pyrenees for the 2007 TDF. It was a wonderful way to make our honeymoon remarkable and memorable. We truly appreciated the intimacy that Adventure Travel Group maintains, keeping the tour numbers small and the choices you made when considering hotels and routes. You gave us the opportunity to collect many special memories that I will treasure for a lifetime. Thank you for preparing and executing such a wonderful trip! Kathleen Hauser, Carlisle, MA "Our trip with Gary and Lise to the 2005 Tour de France was simply amazing. Every aspect of the trip, from the organization and planning, to the day-to-day ride support, to their great knowledge as tour guides was simply perfect. The trip far exceeded our wildest expectations and added up to the best vacation I've ever had. I recommend them every chance I get and plan to travel with them again in the future." Shawn Burke, Seattle, WA |
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