JULY 9 - 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 10 - 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 Talloires. At the base of Mont Salève, the road splits and we can either climb 1000ft to the town of Cruseilles, or 3000 feet to the top of Mont Salève, with its breathtaking views of Geneva and Mont Blanc. A thrilling 2000ft descent brings us to Cruseilles for a picnic lunch. From here to Talloires, the route rolls through the foothills beneath the jagged cliffs of the high mountain peaks above Lac d’Annecy. Situated on the shores of the lake and completely surrounded by high cliffs, Talloires has one of the most beautiful settings in all of Europe. Our four-star hotel, an old converted Abbey, is located on the lakeshore, with a wonderful tree covered terrace and a dock for sunbathing and swimming in the clear, warm waters of the lake.

JULY 11 - ALBERTVILLE - 31mi, 3600ft-or-65mi, 7200ft-or-80mi, 10,200ft
Today will be like our very own Tour de France stage day, as all of the climbs are regularly included in the 'Tour'. Our first climb is the 2000ft Col de la Forclaz, used last year, in 2004.  For us it will be a fairly tough climb, but the views of Lac d’Annecy and the surrounding mountains make it all worthwhile. The next major climb ‘du jour’, used in 2004, is the Col de la Croix Fry, while the Col d’ Aravis, and the optional climb of the Col des Saisies were last used by the Tour de France in 2003.  The easy route includes last year’s climbs of the Forclaz and the Col de Tamie.  Our hotel is located in the center of town, well-appointed and quiet, and featuring first-class staff and cuisine.

JULY 12 – ALBERTVILLE - Cormet de Roselend Loop - 53mi, 6000ft
Today is the big day, the 10th stage of the Tour de France, starting in Grenoble and finishing at the ski station of Corchevel.  The 'Tour' route comes through Albertville, within 200 yds of our hotel, on its way towards the Cormet de Roselend.  Our ride to Beaufort is a gentle climb up a lush farming valley. This alpine village is a must stop for pastry and coffee, and to stock up on any supplies you might need higher on the slopes.  Here the real climbing begins, but what a beautiful climb it is. The lower section is switchbacks through a cool forest; above the tree line, it opens up with immense views of lakes and rocky peaks in the distance. This is where the best viewing spots of the day’s activities will be.  These upper meadows will be crowded with thousands of fans waiting for their heroes to come charging up the switchbacks visible below.  This is a beautiful setting, one of the most optimal of all Tour de France viewing locations.  Another option is to watch the race as it comes through Albertville and then watch both climbs and the finish on TV.

JULY 13 – ALBERTVILLE – Col du Pre loop, 54mi, 6000ft, or Col de la Madeleine loop, 60mi, 5000ft
There are two incredible rides from which to choose today.  The Tour de France has another challenging day in the Alps, stage 11 from Corcheval to Briançon over the Col de la Madeleine and the Col du Galibier.  These are the two hardest climbs of the Tour and there promises to be plenty of action on the slopes of the Madeleine.  We can watch from anywhere on this climb, which provides a great opportunity to experience the excitement of the Tour 'live', and then descend back to our hotel and watch the stage finish, also 'live', on TV.  However, a more relaxed day would be to explore the wonderful roads we missed yesterday while caught up in the 'Tour' frenzy.  The Col du Pre provides the best vantage point in the region, including uninterrupted views of the Mont Blanc massif.  The descent is steep with switchbacks but the views looking straight down to the valleys below are amazing.  After the ride there would still be plenty of time to watch the stage finish.

JULY 14 - VALLOIRE - 65mi, 9500ft
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, and cokes and café au lait at the summit make this a most rewarding climb. After a picnic lunch, a long fabulous descent takes us to the river valley below, and then we have a long climb up a woodsy road to the Col du Telegraph, plus the quick descent to Valloire. Stop here at our hotel, or continue to the summit of the Galibier and make our day almost as difficult as yesterday's Tour de France stage.  Only the warmth and friendliness of the hotel staff and the appeal of the hearty meals surpass the beauty of this alpine setting.

JULY 15 - LE BOURG D’OISANS -  39mi, 4300ft, -or- 65mi, 7800ft
The easy ride today is to follow yesterday’s ‘Tour’ route over the Col du Galibier to the Col du Lautaret. The 29-mile descent to our hotel in Bourg d’Oisans is the longest of our tour and will get us in town in time to see much of today’s stage from Briançon to Digne-les-Bains. There will also be plenty of time to spend exploring the town, or shopping in the well-stocked local bicycle shop. Bourg d’Oisans is one of Europe’s most popular bicycle destination towns, so bicycles and cyclists will be everywhere, making for a festive atmosphere, where we all share the same love for cycling.  For those who climbed the Galibier yesterday, a better (harder) choice would be the route over the Col de la Croix de Fer. Preceded by the 41 wooded switchbacks of the climb to the Col du Mollard, this is one of the most scenic climbs in the Alps and should be strongly considered by anyone who wants a long beautiful ride.

JULY 16 - LE BOURG D’OISANS - 36mi, 5600ft
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 North America 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 at l'Alpe d’Huez. The ‘Tour’ does not have an Alpe d’Huez finish the year; yet the 21 switchbacks on the leg-breaking, lung-busting climb to the top will still be painted like a giant billboard with the names of last year’s cycling stars. 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 meadows of long grasses waving in the gusts of wind is 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, with minimal guardrails.  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 17 – CHICHILLIANNE - 54mi, 5100ft -or- 76mi, 6300ft
After the whirlwind activity of the last few days, the leisurely ride to Chichillianne will be a welcome relief.  We start with the beautiful climb up the Col d’Ornon, and then descend out of the high Alps to the smaller peaks and hills of the Trièves plateau. After a stop in la Mure for a snack or lunch, we have an optional loop (22mi, 1200ft back to la Mure) along the Corniche du Drac. This narrow road, high above the lake below, affords great views of the eastern cliffs of the Vercors, in particular the vertical walls of Mont Aiguille. The remainder of the ride is across the plateau, with grand views of distant mountains in all directions. Our hotel, an old restored chateau, sits at the base of Mont Aiguille, a most extraordinary panorama.

JULY 18 - RENCUREL - 65mi, 6000ft, -or– 88mi, 8800ft
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 climb 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 seemingly 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.  From our hotel’s terrace, above the pool we’ll enjoy one of the most beautiful settings on the tour, as we are surrounded by meadows, forests, steep cliffs and deep gorges.    

JULY 19 – 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.  After lunch we climb back up into the Vercors before descending back to the hotel. An alternate ride follows a section of the 2004 'Tour' route up a tiny road through a remote section of the Vercors.  After a leisurely lunch in Villard, we will descend to our hotel through one of the most amazing gorges you will ever have the pleasure to cycle. The Gorge de la Bourne is a deep dark gorge where the roads are carved into the lower sides of cliffs so high that sunlight is minimal - making it difficult to take photos of this amazing place. Another choice for today is to do nothing more than relax, and soak up the sun’s rejuvenating rays, while lounging by the pool.