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The 2003 Tour
de France is the 100th anniversary of the race and
Lance Armstrong will be vying for his fifth overall victory.
This will truly be an historic event. To ride the roads that
have contributed to this history and to see the action in person
will be an unforgettable experience. Not only will we climb
most the major climbs of this year and past year’s tours, we
will be on the historic Col d’Izoard when the Tour peloton
challenges this legendary 'hors categorie' climb.
The Tour de
France and “Les Alpes”; it is impossible to think of one without
the other. L’Alpe d’Huez, Col de la Croix de Fer, Col de
Madeleine, Col du Galibier, the list goes on...and on. These
are the passes on which the Tour de France is contested, the
roads where champions are made. Our tour is where any cyclist
can imagine riding in the peloton of their heroes. Yet this
tour is even more than the Tour de France; it is a cycling
experience unmatched anywhere in the world. This is a tour of
breathtaking vistas of mountains, meadows, and lakes; the cliffs
and gorges of the Vercors; the mountain villages with their
festive markets, friendly hotels, and delicious food and wine.
And, ultimately, this is a tour of roads - France’s special gift
to the cyclist; roads laid down like a carelessly strewn ribbon,
narrow roads painstakingly chiseled into the sides of vertical
cliffs, roads virtually devoid of cars, roads plastered with the
names of cycling legends, roads climbing steeply and
relentlessly toward heart throbbing heights, and of course roads
plummeting downwards in rim-searing, thrilling, twisty descents
to distant villages below.
Of our three
Alps-Tour de France tours, this will be the most challenging,
with more mileage and climbing. Although this tour might excite
even the best Cat 1 racer, it is a dream trip for any reasonably
fit cyclist. Many days will have two or three different routes
of varying difficulty, while some will be long and hard with few
options. The van is always available for tired riders and to
assist whenever needed.
At the end of
the day’s riding we’ll enjoy relaxing in the peaceful setting of
the small villages selected for our tour. There will be a
gathering every afternoon to watch the finish of the Tour de
France live on TV.
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