JULY 6
- GENEVA
Arrive Geneva and transfer by van to our hotel in nearby Ferney-Voltaire.
You’ll have the remainder of the day to relax, get settled,
assemble your bike, explore the village, or just take a nap.
Our get-acquainted dinner is at our hotel tonight, followed by
an overview of the tour.
JULY 7 - TALLOIRES - 62mi, 6200ft
Our ride begins as we navigate en masse through
the colorful Geneva townscape; past boulangeries, fruit vendors,
boutiques, and banks. Then suddenly the city is behind us and
we are climbing through the meadows on our way to the Alps and the town of Annecy. At the base of Mont
Salève, the road splits and we can either climb 1000ft to the
town of Cruseilles, or climb the 3000 feet to the top of Mont
Salève, with its breathtaking views of Geneva. A thrilling
2000ft descent to Cruseilles for lunch, rolling hills, and
finally we’ll have a long gradual descent into Annecy. Situated
on the shores of Lac d’Annecy and completely surrounded by high
cliffs, this town is in one of the most beautiful settings in
all of Europe. Our hotel is situated in the center of Talloires; a
peaceful town situated further down the lake, with numerous
shops and a wonderful pedestrian walk along the lakeshore.
JULY 8 - ALBERTVILLE - 65mi, 7200ft -or-
80mi, 10,200ft
Today will
be like our very own Tour de France stage day, as three of our
climbs are regularly included in the Tour. Our first climb is
the Col de la Forclaz, which the Tour uses as a warm-up for the
big climbs later in the day. For us, however, it will be fairly
tough, but the views of Lac d’Annecy and the surrounding
mountains make it all worthwhile. The three major climbs ‘du
jour’ are the Col de la Croix Fry, Col d’ Aravis, and the
optional climb of the Col des Saisies.
JULY 9 – ALBERTVILLE - Cormet de Roselend
Loop 53mi, 5600ft
Our morning’s ride to Beaufort is a gentle climb
up a lush farming valley. This alpine village is a must stop
for pastry and coffee, and if you want, a tour of the cheese
factory that makes the well-known Beaufort cheese. Here the
real climbing begins, but what a beautiful climb it is. The
lower section is switchbacks through a cool forest; higher up it
opens up with immense views of lakes and rocky peaks in the
distance. Lunch is available at a small hut below the summit;
the fare is simple but the ambiance makes our meal a five-star
experience. The short climb up the Col du Pre is rewarded with
one of the best descents of the trip. Before returning to our
hotel, a small cutoff above town takes us to the old, walled
section of the town of Albertville; little has changed there in
the last 300 years.
JULY 10 – LE BOURG D’OISANS - 78mi, 11,200ft
–or– 68mi, 6600ft
Seven miles of flat river valley allows stiff
legs to warm up before starting one of the biggest climbs of the
trip, the Col de la Madeleine. This is a long, steep (16mi,
5000ft), out-of-category climb, winding its way up a narrow
notch of a valley and passing by tiny settlements clinging to
the mountainside. Wonderful views of Mont Blanc and other snowy
peaks, hillsides covered with wildflowers, cokes and cafe au
lait at the summit make this a most rewarding climb. Just
past the summit we will have a delicious picnic bought in the
small markets of Albertville. A long fabulous descent takes us
to the river valley below, where we start the second out of
category climb of the day, the Col du Glandon. The village of
Bourg d’Oisans will be an amazing place to be; cyclists will be
everywhere, shops will be busy, especially the well stocked
local bike shop, the pedestrian walkways will be jammed with
people, and everyone giddy with excitement, waiting for the Tour
de France to come to town.
JULY 11 - LE BOURG D’OISANS - 36mi, 6600ft
Le Bourg d’Oisans to l’Alpe d’Huez is probably
the most famous stretch of cycling road in the world. This is
cycling Mecca, as cyclists from all over Europe (and the
US) come here and ride these roads made legendary
by the heroes of the Tour de France. In 1997, Pantani set a
record of 36 minutes from the base of the climb to the finish in
Alpe d’Huez. Since there will be a Tour stage finish at l'Alpe
d’ Huez in just three days, the mountainside will already be
crawling with expectant race fans. You will be cheered at every
one of the 21 switchbacks on the leg-breaking, lung busting
climb to the top, and will have no trouble recognizing the names
of past stars written all over the road like some giant
billboard. Bask in the glow of a climb well done and return
down the mountainside or continue climbing through town and head
for the Col de Sarenne. This steep, narrow valley with its long
grasses waving in the gusts of wind, make this one of our
favorite cols of the whole trip. Returning to Bourg d’Oisans,
we take a small side road carved into the mountainside, 2000 ft
above the valley floor, and no guardrail; thank goodness for
little or no traffic along this precipitous section of road, and
the views are fantastic. This will be one of the hardest, but
most rewarding 36 miles you will ever ride.
JULY 12 – GUILLESTRE - 82 mi, 10,000ft –or-
72mi, 8100ft –or– 62mi, 4800ft
Our route today covers most of the climbing of
stage 9 of the Tour de France. The Col de Lautaret is reached
after 24 miles and 4400 feet of elevation. From here, an
optional 5 miles and 2000 feet of climbing brings us to the Col
du Galibier; at 8730ft it is the highest point on the Tour de
France. The views of the Massif des Ecrins and its many
glaciers are proof of our high elevation. The hillsides will be
speckled with cars and campers already positioned for the
arriving race tomorrow. Twenty-one miles of descending to
Briancon and we start one of the most famous of 'Tour' climbs,
the Col d’Izoard. The long descent is exhilarating and the
lower gorge is beautiful. Guillestre is a wonderful town with a
strong hint of Provence in the air. It is a major event, for
towns like this, to have the Tour de France come through. So,
added to its normal relaxing and friendly ambiance, there will
be a festive and bustling excitement about town.
JULY 13 – GUILLESTRE - rest day
To the south, in the villages of Provence, one of
the major pastimes is to spend time lounging in the town square,
at a restaurant or café, observing the daily life of the locals
and enjoying pastries and coffee or a long delicious lunch. So
too, here in the most northern of Provencal villages, tired
cyclists can relax and enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of
Guillestre as it prepares for the coming Tour de France. For
those still wanting, there are a number of cycling options of
varying length. The most notable are; the Risoul 1850ft loop,
24mi and 3300ft with an extra 5mi and 1500ft to the top of Col
de Vars; Col Agnel out and back, 52mi and 6000ft (at 9055ft
elevation, it is one of the highest passes in Europe);
Barcelonette, Col de Vars loop, 80mi 6000ft. Whatever your
choice for the day, be sure to watch the 'Tour' stage finish at
Alp d’Huez on TV, as this will be one of the pivotal stages.
JULY 14 – GUILLESTRE – Tour de France day 39mi,
4500ft
This is the big day, stage 9 of the Tour de
France, and we will be on the Col d’Isoard, one of the major
climbs of the race. Our van will be stationed near the top with
picnic supplies. Still we will need to leave early for the long
climb in order to find the best viewing spot near the summit,
and to be there in time to watch the 'Tour' parade preceding the
race. Since the race comes through Guillestre, another option
is to stay in town, watch in person as the peleton comes through
and then watch the rest of the day’s stage on TV.
JULY 15 – CHICHILLIANNE - 94mi, 7500ft
This, our longest day in the saddle, follows the
remaining portion of the route of stage 9 to Gap, although we
will keep off the main road wherever possible. After Gap we
take a series of small back roads, winding through the low
mountains between the 'high Alps' to the east and the cliffs of
the Vercors to the west. After the crowds and intensity of the
'Tour', this remote area will provide some of the most enjoyable
riding of the entire trip. Our hotel, in an old restored
chateau, run by a retired soccer professional, sits at the base
of the vertical cliffs of Mont Aiguille, a most extraordinary
panorama.
JULY
16 – RENCUREL - 65mi, 6000ft, -or– 85mi, 8000ft
After 6 miles climbing in the crisp morning air,
we descend the Col de Menée
and skirt the southern cliffs of the Vercors to Die, where we
start the long climb of the Col de Rousset. This col is
frequently used in the Tour de France, the beauty of which
cannot be fully appreciated until you can look down on the
layered switchbacks from above. Some of the most amazing
scenery still awaits us. As we descend to the Col de la
Machine, the basin drops away leaving the road clinging to sheer
vertical cliffs, 1500 feet above the valley floor below. Later,
as we descend a gentle country road to a seeming dead end valley
we notice a slit in the rock face. This is the top of the grand
Goulets, where the gorge is so narrow that hardly any sunlight
comes through, surrounding us in a cool shaded world of mossy
rock walls dripping with delicate ferns and tiny waterfalls
before opening up to huge vertical cliffs. Surrounded by
meadows and steep cliffs, from our hotel's terrace above the
pool, we’ll enjoy one of the most beautiful settings on the
tour.
JULY 17 – RENCUREL - 38mi, 6000ft –or- 49mi,
3500ft
The Vercors, now a Parc Natural Regional, is so
spectacular and unique that it’s tempting to try and cycle every
road of the 40x20 mile area. One of our favorite rides of the
tour climbs directly from the hotel, over the Col du Mont Noir,
before dropping endlessly through the Gorge du Nan. The gorge,
with its vertical cliffs, is so beautiful that any unused film
in your camera stands little chance. We climb back up into the
Vercors before descending to the Gorge de la Bourne. Here we'll
see huge panoramas of vertical rock faces, continually narrowing
as the road heads upward to Rencurel. Beyond Rencurel where
the easier route heads, the gorge narrows so tightly that little
sunlight penetrates and photos are almost impossible. A
leisurely lunch in Villard de lans can be followed by a return
to our hotel and the pool. A longer route climbs up one of the
higher ridges in the Vercors and meanders along a narrow one
lane road with plenty of great views. At the northern end of
the ridge there is a tunnel through the mountain terminating on
the vertical cliffs above Grenoble, with spectacular views of
the Chartreuse mountains to the north. From here it is almost
all downhill to the Hotel.
JULY 18 – CHAMPAGNEUX - 61mi, 3450ft
-or- 87mi, 7100ft
Leaving
our hotel in Rencurel, we climb the small Col de Romeyer, and as
we descend out of the Vercors, we encounter one of cycling’s
great little surprises. As we exit a small gully, we are
suddenly confronted with empty space - the road just happens to
take a sharp left across a 1000ft vertical cliff! But hold onto
your helmets, as there are more of these tummy-wrenching roads
today in the Massif de la Chartreuse, our next destination. The
Chartreuse is a region very similar to the Vercors, but about
1/3 the size and just as dramatic in its scenery. We will cycle
up the Gorge du Guiers Mort, over the Col du Cucheron and down
the Gorge du Gières Vif. From here the route follows a
beautiful hillside to Lac d’Aiguebelette, over a small col to
our hotel, a true country inn, where we will have a wonderful
evening meal.
JULY 19 - ELOISE - 0mi, 6500ft -or- 42mi,
1100ft
The Tour de France climbs many passes
big and small in the Alps, some famous, some not so famous.
Today’s route takes us up some passes that have never been
ridden in the Tour, in out of the way places and on roads too
small to interest the Tour organizers. But hold on to your
handlebars, because these are beautiful, awesome climbs, with
amazing views, tight switchback descents and narrow roads with
no traffic; probably the most enjoyable route of the entire
tour. For lunch, be sure to stop in Chanaz, a flower-decked
town along the canal connecting Lac du Bourget, France’s biggest
lake, and the Rhone river. After lunch there are two more “little” climbs
and then we meander over rolling hills to our poolside afternoon
resting place. There’s also a beautiful river valley route
available for a relaxing day in the saddle.
JULY 20 - GENEVA - 68mi, 6000ft-or-46mi,
3500ft-or-28mi, 700ft
All too soon our last day arrives, and leaving
the Alps and Rhone
Valley behind, we climb into the rolling
Jura
mountains. The quiet roads beckon our souls to stay and enjoy
the country charms along the French-Swiss border. Riding
through the quiet Swiss villages and neatly farmed valleys, we
make our last climb up the Col de la Faucille, followed by our
final 15-mile descent to Ferney-Voltaire and our hotel.
Farewell dinner tonight at the hotel will be an opportunity to
exchange stories, talk over our triumphs and adventures of the
last two weeks, and ponder getting back into the hometown
routine..!
JULY 21- Departure
Van transport is provided to the Geneva airport
or train station
COST:
$2750 per person based on Double Occupancy
$500 Single room supplement
INCLUDES:
·2-4 star Hotel Accommodations ·
·Breakfast daily (except
arrival day)
·Dinner daily (except one night and arrival/departure days
·Airport transfers from/to Geneva airport
·Bike mechanic and van
support with cellular phone
·Ground transportation for all passengers, luggage & bikes
·Regional map plus detailed daily route maps & cue sheets
NOT INCLUDED:
·International airfare
·Tips, gratuities, laundry, telephone, & items of a personal
nature
·Lunches and alcoholic beverages (a supplemental fee will be
charged for those who want wine with dinner, and can be prepaid
before departure)
PRE-TRIP PLANNING
A complete trip packet will be sent upon receipt of your reservation with information on what to bring, how to
pack your bike for flying, equipment list, and changing currencies. All participants must possess a current passport.
TRAVEL INSURANCE Erickson Cycle Tours strongly recommends purchasing insurance for trip cancellation, injury, illness
& loss of effects. A traveler’s insurance brochure will be included with your confirmation letter.
AIRFARE We offer the services of our travel agent, Claus Claussen of Des Peres Travel in obtaining economical, expedient air
reservations, and can assist with lodging for pre- and post-tour accommodations. For flight information contact Des Peres Travel at 800.264.7717 or dptravel@primary.net. Of course you may use your own travel agent if you prefer. |
