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Combine two of the most iconic climbs in cycling history in three days of stunning riding. The two must do climbs on any keen cyclists bucket list, steeped in Tour de France history and firmly embedded in the greatest stories and legends of our sport. This fully supported cycling holiday takes you from the peaks of the French Alps to “The Giant of Provence.”
Starting in the high Alps on the rugged slopes of the Romanche Valley, follow in the pedal strokes of the Tour’s greatest legends and conquer “The Alp” with its 21 infamous switchbacks. From here we make our way southwards over the Col d’Ornon and into the breathtaking cycling terrain of the Parc National Regional du Varcors on our way to the lavender fields of Provence. We might not be in the Alps anymore but don’t be fooled, this is challenging and exhilarating cycling which will lead us to our final epic challenge,Mont Ventoux. Known as “The Giant of Provence” -It has to be said, this is a fair description!- Ventoux is a real monster of a climb.
We tackle this beast from the bustling market town of Bedoin, the classic route most commonly used by the Tour de France. Winding its way up through the forested lower slopes and onwards and skywards till we reach the lunar landscape of the summit. Take in the incredible views and enjoy a quick refreshment stop at the famous Chalet Regnard before taking on one of our all time favourite descents into the town of Sault.
To finish our tour, no ride in this area would be complete without taking in the grandeur of the Gorge de la Nesque. After a short mellow climb we can sit back and relax knowing all the hard work is done. Enjoy the final descent along the awe inspiring cliff hugging road that hangs to the side of the stunning gorge all the way to our final hotel and a very well earned celebration.
| Dates | Prices | Information |
|---|---|---|
| Price is based on two people sharing. Single room supplements apply | ||
| 14/6/2019 - 18/6/2019 | £1,445 | This can be booked for any other date for group sizes of four or more. |
| 26/7/2019 - 30/7/2019 | £1,445 | This can be booked for any other date for group sizes of four or more. |
Arrive at Geneva airport and take a three hour transfer to Les des Alpes.
Leave Mazan for your flight home from Marseille airport.
All accommodation has been arranged for the dates highlighted in the tour. If you wish for accommodation before or after the dates, let us know and we can try to help you. We have chosen the hotels for their comfort and location to make your trip as straightforward as possible.
The support vehicle will always make itself available to provide you with your refreshments. If you need a water refill on a climb, we will stop in a convenient place to help you out. We also provide picnic lunches on all of our rides as well as snacks to help you on your way.
We provide all the evening meals along with wine and soft drinks either at the hotel or out at carefully selected restaurants . Our tours aren’t just about great cycling they’re also about great food.
We will pick you up and drop you off at the required airports. If it’s a shared tour we will ask all the clients to arrive at a certain time to enable us to collect everyone and avoid people waiting for too long at airports.
We will give you a welcome bag at the start of each tour. This can be used as your kit bag to keep all the extras in in the support van. It will contain maps and ride profiles, Tailwind energy and recovery products to help you on your way and a Velovation jersey made by Bodhi. This Jersey can be customised to you or your tour just ask us about it when booking.
The support driver isn’t just driving and feeding you the whole time, he will also be taking photos of you the whole time which will be carefully edited and shared with you after the tour is finished so you can keep looking back at the amazing time you had. Have a look through some of our photos on Instagram and follow us.
We understand how much you love your bike and we will do everything we can to help keep them safe. Each hotel we stay at has good quality bike storage and we supply additional chains and padlocks to ensure excellent security.
Every day we will provide each rider with a map and profile of the days route, along with any other relevant and useful information.
As well as having maps, a support rider and support van in close proximity we will also provide you with the routes so you can load them onto you navigation device. If you don’t have a navigation device we can rent you one.
We carry a comprehensive tool kit in the back of the support vehicle along with a number of basic replacement parts. Each member of our team is capable of helping with bike maintenance and basic repairs. We do advise however that you know how to disassemble and assemble your own bike and have the tools to do so. Please bring spare inner tubes and a puncture repair kit.
Riding in the Alps is tough and we create our weekend tours to ensure maximum levels of achievement which comes hand in hand with maximum physical exertion. For this reason we recommend a decent level of fitness and motivation. We will happily create routes for any level of fitness and experience so if you have any concerns please feel free to contact us, together we can come up with the best possible options to suit your needs.
For these weekend tours we suggest that you bring your own bike. While we can advise you on hiring a bike here in France it is generally better that you have your own. You need to be comfortable on your bike for long periods of time.
We expect you to wear a helmet at all times while riding.
Please bring appropriate clothing, the climbs can be hot but the long fast descents can get cold especially if you are damp from the hard climb. Extra layers can be kept in the support vehicle so that you don’t have to carry them but please ensure that you bring good quality kit.
It is also advisable to bring good sun protection.
Chris Chammings‘Your desire to give everything possible to your customers is evident from the airport pick up, right through until the end of the trip. You have without doubt given me some of the greatest cycling memories of my life’
Rob Hayday‘Riding with Velovation through the Alps over the last three years could not have been better.
The routes planned by Velovation were spectacular; and ascending and descending the iconic climbs was thrilling. One would expect this type of experience when riding in the Alps.
However, Velovation enhanced that experience. For Mark and his team nothing is too much trouble. All needs and eventualities are carefully planned and catered for. Attention to detail is everything and Mark makes full use of his experience to deliver a great package for all his customers. From the choice of roads to ride, the abilities of a mixed bunch of cyclists, the range of food to feast on, the places to stay in, Velovation get it right every time.’