Itinerary Virtual Tour Tour Map
The Pyrenees is where the 2010 Tour winner will most likely be determined! The Tour is celebrating 100 years in the Pyrenees this year and so a special emphasis has been given to this region, especially the Col du Tourmalet. The Tourmalet appears twice on the race within a few days and we are in position to take advantage of that and most of the stages all the way through to Bordeaux and the final time trial.
This tour is very similar to our VIP Tour without the VIP access to the race. So, the itinerary is very interesting and the tour price more affordable. This tour is also intended for strong cyclists who want to ride the big climbs of the mountains and take in as much of the Tour as possible.
Click on a day to see that days itinerary.
DAY 1 DAY 2 DAY 3 DAY 4 DAY 5 DAY 6 DAY 7 DAY 8 DAY 9
Day 1-July 17: Arrival Day Arrive in Toulouse, a charming city and our superior quality hotel in the historical center. We will meet in mid afternoon and start setting up bikes, do a welcome meeting and catch the TDF finish on TV, knowing we'll be there in the morning! Dinner open tonight.
July 18: Tour starts at Revel: From our hotel we'll get an early start with an hour drive to Revel and the start of the TDF stage to Ax 3 Domaines. We will observe the activities, sign in ceremony by the pros and then head out on a ride toward Carcassonne. We'll spend a short time to visit Carcassonne and the medieval cite and return back to Toulouse for the night to our same hotel. Estimate 60-80 km ride over rolling terrain today. Dinner open tonight. (B,L)
July 19: Tour de France finish at Luchon. Depart Toulouse for the mountains! We go in the direction of Bagneres de Luchon where we will attend the finish of the stage. Along the way, we can add a ride over the Col d'Aspin and Peyresourde to arrive in Luchon with 2 big climbs in the legs! After the stage, we return to La Mongie where we have very comfortable lodging in prime location for the next few nights. Dinner included. (B,L,D)
July 20: Tour finishes at Pau. From our key hotel position we can ride a good section of the stage over the Tourmalet to watch the peloton pass, or go to the Aubisque and on to Pau to see the arrival at the finish line. With our location in La Mongie, you don't even have to ride to see the Tour today. This allows for some long rides or short rides - you have a choice. Return to La Mongie to our hotel and a fabulous Pyreneen dinner. (B,L,D)
July 21: Tour Rest Day: With the Tour on break today, we have the chance to get in some rides not on this year's race: we can do the Hautacam, Luz Ardiden, and ride up the Tourmalet with a loop back through Bagneres de Bigorre. Perhaps we will see some teams on training rides! We'll incorporate several hours riding before returning to La Mongie and dinner again tonight. (B,L,D)
July 22: Tour goes from Pau to the Tourmalet: From our hotel we have a choice of where to watch the race or even go to the finish which is just 3km up the road! We can ride to the Aubisque and watch, or take a ride through Bagneres de Bigorre and do the long climb up to the Tourmalet before the race passes. Afterwards, return back to La Mongie for our last night in this tiny ski village, have dinner together again. (B,L,D)
July 23: at Bordeaux for Stage Finish We hit the road early to travel all the way to Bordeaux. We'll stop along the way to incorporate a long ride into Bordeaux from the Vineyard regions east of Bordeaux. In Bordeaux we can enjoy the tour arrival and festivities. Our hotel is a very deluxe property in the center of the town; gastronomic dinner included. (B,L,D)
July 24: Individual Time Trial Once again we are well positioned to see the time trial today. We can ride to the TT start in Bordeaux where we can watch the cyclists warm up and set off; we may wish to make a ride in the Medoc wine country and come back to Pauillac for the TT finish by the last racers. Return to Bordeaux for a farewell dinner tonight! (B,L,D)
July 25: Departure Day. After breakfast, we will transfer to the Bordeaux rail station for departures to Paris, or other destination. End of services. We are offering a Special VIP Paris package you can take advantage of if you wish to go on to Paris. We recommend early train to Paris from Bordeaux with advance ticket purchase! 3 hours travel time. (B)
See more of this region by clicking below for the virtual tour
DATES:
July 17-25, 2010
8 nights & 9 days
PRICE:
2695 Euros, based on double occupancy.
Single supplement: please contact us
WHAT'S INCLUDED:
All lodging in superior category hotels and rooms, (see below), all breakfasts, 7 picnic lunches, 6 multi-course dinners, 2 professional cycling guides, minvian transportation throughout, souvenir Discover France TDF jersey, energy kit including gels, bars, and drink mix, route book for rides, and Pre-Travel documentation. We also provide Pre & Post tour travel services such as help with trains, Paris hotels, rental cars and other services.
To For the VIP version of this trip , visit this page
HOTELS:
Toulouse = Pullman****
La Mongie = Pierre et Vacances***
Bordeaux = Burdigala****
Note: rooms are mostly twin rooms - meaning 2 single beds. These can be pushed together to make a double. Changes to room category will be made when possible. Room categories are usually all the same, but some variations may be required for large groups.
LEVEL:
This tour is a challenging cycling tour. Participants should be strong cyclists capable of riding big mountain climbs and putting in 4-6 hours in the saddle on any ride day. Mileage/Kilometres will vary from 50-120km; saddle time is more important as climbing is slow.
ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE:
Toulouse is Arrival City - accessible by TGV from Paris, nearest airport is Toulouse. Bordeaux is the departure city with TGV trains to Paris (3 hours) and flights to various European cities.
OPTIONS:
Bike rentals are available on a first come, first served basis. We offer Look 566 carbon road bikes and also new Scott CR1 carbon road bikes. See the links above or click on our Rental Page link to know more.
Added Nights: Toulouse before the trip start, or in Bordeaux or other city after the tour are possible. Contact us for quotes. We can also book Paris hotels.
Non-cycling spouse: there is no reduction for non-cycling participants as all the same services are needed for all group members. Non-riders are welcome to come along but separate activities are not provided for apart from the ride itinerary described on this page. For a more moderate cycling option and other activities, we recommend our Provence-Pyrenees VIP Tour.
OTHER DETAILS:
Guides - 2 guides will cover this group which has space for 16 participants. All guides are professional licensed cycling guides.
Meals: buffet breakfasts are included daily. Substantial picnic lunches will also be provided on 7 days. 6 Dinners are included, and are group servings. Vegetarians and non-meat eaters can be accommodated.
Watching the Tour: we will position ourselves to see the race each time we go to watch the Tour but no special access is included in this offer. If some participants wish to add a helicopter flight or other VIP service, please contact us to know what is possible.
Tour de France Tours - Booking Terms