Tour Magazine 2013 Classic Pyrenees and Basque Country 26th August – 4th September !
! ! ! CLASSIC PYRENEES &! BASQUE COUNTRY !
France & Spain
Join us! for an exciting new tour for 2013, where you will experience the most famous climbs of the French Pyrenees ! combined with the incredible countryside of the North Western Spain’s Basque Country.
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On offer is a smorgasbord of cycling routes, capturing the most picturesque scenery in these two contrasting ! regions. A fully supported holiday with focus on superb culinary delights which both Spain and France ! are famous for coupled with stylish accommodation, this holiday will please riders and non-riders alike.
! In addition to experiencing and discovering the heart of two! cultures, those on a bike will also enjoy legendary climbs including the Col du Tourmalet, Col d’Aubisque, Col du Soulor, Luz Ardiden, Hautacam, ! Col de Peyesourde and others PLUS some less challenging, rolling rides in the Basque Country. We ! can join us! hope you
! DATES:!! ! ! !
26th!–!4th!September!2013! !(10!days/9!nights)!
PRICE:!! !
$5,495/AUD!!! !
! GROUP!SIZE:!
Maximum!only!14!guests!!
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! START/FINISH:! Toulouse,!France!(Blagnac!Airport)! !
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! For!our!extensive!tour!inclusions,!refer!to!our!wesites!FAQs!page! !
DAY/1/ / ! !
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WELCOME/TO/TOULOUSE//////////////(Toulouse)!
We will collect you from Toulouse Blagnac International Airport or the train station and ! take you to our 4 star hotel on the edge of the old town of Toulouse.
! ! Once checked in we will be available to help set up your bike or introduce you to your hire bike. Depending on how you feel, we will go for a ride along the canal and stretch ! ! out our legs and make sure your bike is in perfect working order ! Tonight we will enjoy getting to know our fellow cycling enthusiasts, over a wonderful welcome dinner. ! !
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RIDE TIME up to 2hrs
BAYONNE/TO/SAN/SEBASTIAN/ //////(San/Sebastian)!
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Originally founded in the 12th century, San Sebastian is a place where people live life to ! the fullest. Being the culinary capital of Spain, people really appreciate and identify with ! their food in this most glamorous city. In fact, it is said that San Sebastian has more bars ! and restaurants per head of population than anywhere else on the planet!
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Today! we will drive to the far west coast of France to start our ride in Bayonne. We will ! cross the Spanish border by bike, hug the coastline and take in the rolling terrain to capture ! the wonderful coastal views. A perfect introduction to our cycling holiday. RIDE TIME up to 3.5hrs
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THE/BASQUE/LOOP//////////////////
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! Today ! we head further inland deep into the Basque, finding ourselves on some of the !prettiest roads in this region. It’s not a ride in the Basque without a comfortable climb and ! we elevate 700m over 20km, making it an extremely enjoyable and rewarding ride up the valley. !
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!This afternoon you will have plenty of time to enjoy everything San Sebastian has to offer. Tapas !will no doubt be sampled in this vibrant city tonight! RIDE TIME up to 3.5hrs ! ! !
DAY/4/ / !
REST/DAY///
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! Today you can relax and enjoy the sites and atmosphere of San Sebastian. With the ! !Pyrenees tomorrow, today is an ideal day to freshen up the legs in preparation for our first major col of the tour being the Col d’Aubisque.
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You will of course have the option for a short morning ride where we take in the western ! superb coastal views. ridge with
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We will! present you with a suggestion of things to do in San Sebastian to make the most of your time off the bike today, which will naturally including spending time on beach! ! REST DAY (RIDE OPTION up to 2hrs)
! DAY/5/ / !
PAU/TO/ARGELES/GAZOST/
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! Today !we bid farewell to the Spanish Basque Country and make our way back to France !and to the jaw-dropping Pyrenees!
! It’s a comfortable drive to Pau, a town that plays host to many a Tour de France stage !starts and finishes (most recently in 2012). After a light lunch in the old town we will head off by !bike toward one of the most famous climbs in the Pyrenees, the Col d’Aubisque !(featured in the last 3 editions of the TDF). !
A challenging col with some 1500m of climbing elevation, this is not to be sneezed at. However you will be well rewarded with one of the most scenic views in the Pyrenees and ! a beautiful road that adjoins the Aubisque to the Col du Soulor. RIDE TIME up to 4hrs !
! DAY/6/ /
LUZ/ARDIDEN/&/HAUTACAM////////////(Argeles)!
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!Regarded as the Alpe d’Huez of the Pyrenees, Luz Ardiden is a ski resort at the end of a winding ! road with countless switchbacks (pictured below). Often used in the Tour de !France for classic stage finishes it is 15km’s @ 7.6% and indeed longer than its French Alpine! cousin plus one of our favourites!
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The longer ride today will also tackle the Hautacam. Don’t be fooled by the stats, this is a
! !monster but well worth the effort with simply amazing views across the valley. 17km @ 7.5%.....you will sure to enjoy your dinner tonight!
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RIDE TIME up to 5hrs
DAY/7/ / !
REST/DAY/Q/PIC/DU/MIDI//
/////(Argeles)!
! Today is a day off the bike and we have something very special planned. A cable car ride ! !to the highest point in the Pyrenees, the Pic du Midi (2872m). On the summit is a 19thcentury observatory (construction began in 1878 and was completed in 1908). Observatory ! equipment has been in place since 1905 and interestingly in 1963 NASA funded the !installation of a telescope for photographs of the Moon in preparation for the Apollo missions. ! Very much a James Bond style location, you have will breathtaking views of all the !cols climbed.
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For those who want more time on the bike, we can provide directions for a loop ride taking in Lourdes & the gorge climb of the Col du Soulor, a lovely and demanding ride. REST DAY
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DAY/8/ / !
COL/DU/TOURMALET/ ////////////////////(Argeles)!
! The legendary and mythical Col du Tourmalet (2115m) awaits today, One of the more ! testing climbs in the Pyrenees and indeed Europe. Not because of its gradient, but more so ! due to! its leg sapping distance of 18km at a consistent gradient of 7.5%. The longer ride option today is a hotel to hotel loop around the Pic du Midi while the shorter option will take ! the van ! to the base of the Tourmalet.
!Following a rustic picnic lunch at the summit of the Tourmalet, taking in the superb views, it’s !
an exhilarating 40km descent back to our hotel. This afternoon you can enjoy wandering through ! the streets of Argeles, relaxing in a café and generally feeling very French! RIDE TIME up to 5hrs
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ARGELES/TO/LANNEMEZAN////////////(Toulouse)!
Today we say farewell to the Pyrenees and return to our final destination, Toulouse. But not without! the option for one last rolling ride along the foothills of the Pyrenees to an often ! !frequented village in the Tour de France, Lannemezan.
! !On lesser known roads and surrounded by beautiful scenery, it’s the perfect opportunity use up! any remaining fuel in the legs and have some competitive fun with your new found !friends all in good spirit of course! A fitting end to our holiday over a delicious farewell dinner !and one final stroll (and gelato) in the old town.
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RIDE TIME up to 3hrs
DAY/10////////BON/VOYAGE//////// / / (airport/transfer)! ! ! Today! we bid farewell to what has been a memorable holiday through classic Basque country and the French Pyrenees. ! ! If you need any assistance disassembling and packing your bike, we will gladly help. !Today we will arrange airport or train transfers and provide advice / assistance for any ! other onward journey plans We thank you for entrusting us in taking you on a journey through classic Basque region ! of Spain and the French Pyrenees and hope to welcome you on another holiday soon! !
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TOUR/HIQLIGHTS!
! Ride the famous cols of the Basque and Pyrenees including Tourmalet, Aubisque, ! Soulor, Hautacam and Luz Ardiden Experience premium basque and Pyrenean cuisine and accommodation in the ! regions we visit, Enjoy the surrounds, shops, history, culture in the most beautiful locations including ! San Sebastian, Argeles Gazost and Toulouse. See hidden villages by bike in both regions and meet the locals ! Challenge yourself, whilst being fully supported by procyclingtours every step of the way.
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HOW/TO/RESERVE/A/PLACE!
click/here/to/reserve/
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To assure ! your place on this tour, simply register and place your deposit, through our secure on-line payment system by clicking on the button above right and follow the links.
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For any questions please feel free to email us at info@procyclingtours.com and remember to visit !our FAQs page for all trip inclusions, bike hire details etc.
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For more information please contact us by email at info@procyclingtours.com or visit us at www.procyclingtours.com
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