This year’s Tour de France, as always, will be very exciting. There are no clear favorites unless Lance Armstrong decides to race.  But even if he does race the “Tour,” it will be more difficult for him to win, since the route has been designed to favor some of the other riders, like Andreas Klöden, Ivan Basso, or even the young Italian, Damiano Cunego. To ride the roads that have contributed to the history of the “Tour” and to see the action in person will be an unforgettable experience. Not only will we climb most of the major Alps climbs of this and past year’s tours, we will be on the beautiful Cormet de Roselend when the Tour peloton ascends this legendary 'hors' category climb. The following day we will also have the opportunity to be on one of the two hardest climbs of this years tour de France, the Col de la Madeleine.

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; of the cliffs and gorges of the Vercors; of 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 two 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.