Tour Magazine CLASSIC ALPS & PROVENCE France 12th – 21st June 2013 !
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Classic Alps & Provence
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Its not often you get the opportunity to ride 8 of the most legendary climbs made famous by the Tour de France in ! the one holiday. Be a part of this exclusive tour, which will highlight the magnificence of the French Alpes and leave ! an amazing sense of achievement along with you with unforgettable memories. This tour is designed for all abilities, with daily ! ride options, training tips and coaching and support all available to make this an amazing adventure. Our tour takes in many of THE most famous Tour de France ! passes in the French Alpes, including Mont Ventoux AND Alpe d’Huez. This tour takes place 3-4 weeks before the ! madness of the Tour de France, so we have the roads all to ourselves, ride in our own time and away from the crowds! As with !all procyclingtours holidays, we ensure time off the bike to relax, soaking up the French scenery, culture and savour amazing cuisine. ! Some!of!Les!Grande!Cols!include:
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! ! Mont!Ventoux!!!! !!!!!!! ! ! ! Alpe!d’Huez! ! ! ! ! Col!du!Galibier! ! ! !Col!d’Izoard! ! !
Col d’Izoard
Alpe d’Huez
Col!du!Vars! Col!du!Glandon! Col!de!la!Croix!der!Fer! Col!du!Lautaret!
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DATES:!! !
12th!–!21st!June!2013!(10!days/9!nights)!
PRICE:! ! !
$5,495!AUD!
GROUP!SIZE:! !
Maximum!14!guests!!
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Col du Galibier
START/FINISH:! Lyon,!France!(International!Airport)! ! !
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For!our!extensive!tour!inclusions!and!hiGlights,!refer!toward!the! end!of!itinerary!
Mont Ventoux
DAY!1! ! !
WELCOME!TO!LYON!!!!! !
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We will collect you from Lyon International airport or the TGV Station and take you to our ! premium hotel located near the old town. Known for its historical and architectural landmarks and ! UNESCO World Heritage status, Lyon is the second largest city of France behind Paris. Fortunately for us, it has ! also built up a reputation as being the capital of gastronomy and where we will enjoy a wonderful welcome dinner tonight. !
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Once checked in we will be available to help you set up your bike or introduce you to your hire ! bike. Depending on how you feel, we will go for a ride so to stretch out the legs and grab a coffee or ! your first of many ‘pain au chocolat’. two and ! DAY!2!! !
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PROVENCE!ALPES!!!!!
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This morning we will transfer by executive vans for about an hour, watching the scenery change from lush countryside to more rustic provincial terrain. It’s here we will see the might of the Mont !Ventoux! appear in the distance. On arrival into the historic and fully preserved medieval village of Grignan, we will enjoy morning tea and a stroll around this most beautiful village. We then set off by ! !bike through classic Provence to Nyons and onto one of our favourite destinations, Vaison la Romaine, where we will stay for the next 3 nights (located near the base of Mont Ventoux!).
DAY!3! !
RIDE TIME up to 3hrs
MONT!VENTOUX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(Vaison!la!Romaine)!
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An undulating ride of 70km today with plenty of opportunity to stop in a café or two, and
! a pizza in Varese on route. 70km perhaps ! Said to be featuring in the 2013 Tour de France, Mont Ventoux is one the most incredible cols in ! Europe. With a rocky landscape (said to have occurred when the forest was stripped to build ! ! Napoleon’s flotilla and with subsequent winds removing all of the top-soil) and incredible distant views of the French Alpes, even if you have conquered this giant in the past, it’s worthy of a return – perhaps to beat your time! !
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Depending on how you are feeling, you may even have the option to tackle Ventoux by 2 or even all However just reaching the summit once is a tremendous and extremely rewarding ! 3 ascents. ! experience. As with everyday there are multiple ride options for you. RIDE TIME up to 4hrs
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A!DAY!IN!VAISON!!!!
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!With 3 days now in the legs, today is an opportunity to relax in Vaison la Romaine and truly explore this most beautiful village on this official rest day. For those of you who just can’t get enough, you ! !may want to head back up Mont Ventoux via another route. As we move further into the Alpes tomorrow, today will be one last opportunity to lap up Provence! REST DAY (RIDE OPTION) up to 3hrs
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DAY!5! ! !
LA!ROSCHETTE!and!COL!DU!MOSIERE!!! !!!(Embrun)!
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Today we are in one of the largest valleys in the French Alpes. We start our ride where Lance Armstrong ! famously went cross country on the descent from La Roschette after Beloki’s career ! ending crash in 2003 (indeed some of you may wish to recreate it!)
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We ! will then ride through Ancelle and up to the Col du Mossiere where on a clear day we will have wonderful views of both the French and Italian Alpes. It’s then a ride around one of the largest lake ! in the Alpes, Lac de Serre Poncon, before arriving at our hotel in the beautiful medieval village of ! Embrun. A great little spot for Tapas in the town square awaits! RIDE TIME up to 4hrs
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DAY!6!! ! Bolzano)! Leaving! our
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COL!D’IZOARD!!option!of!Col!du!Vars!!!!!!!!(Embrun)!
hotel by bike, we will ride up the breathtaking Gorge di Guil and the Combe du ! Queyras, with wild rapids to one side and steep cliffs on the other, and onto the base of the Col ! Known for its classic imagery of the early era of the Tour de France, the Izoard also d’Izoard. showcases the ‘Casse Deserte’ – a strange, colourful and stony landscape on the south side which is ! major tourist attraction in itself. !
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You will then have the option to climb the Col du Vars, another famous Tour de France col before ! returning to Embrun for a relaxing afternoon. ! RIDE TIME up to 5hrs
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COL!DU!GALIBIER!and!ALPE!D’HUEZ!!(Alpe!d’Huez)!
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Today is! indeed a trip highlight, the classic double of the Col du Galibier and Alpe d’Huez. Often featured in the Tour de France in the same stage (and possibly again in 2013), this is truly a double ! col experience that will stay with you forever.
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! long ride option will begin in Briancon and up the Col du Lautaret, which also happens to be Our the first! section of the Col du Galibier. As an option, you may wish to simply climb the final 7km ascent ! of the Galibier having taken the van to the top of the Lautaret. Then it’s an exhilarating 40km descent ahead of us through one of the most breathtaking valleys to the base of Alpe d’Huez ! (including a few tunnels). !
A refuelling stop in Bourg d’Oissan and then it’s time to start your stop watch for the final assault up Alpe d’Huez to our stylish chalet accommodation located on the finish line where you might even want to! book in for a well deserved massage! RIDE TIME up to 4.5hrs !
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DAY!8! ! COL!DU!GLANDON!and!CROIX!DE!FER!!!!!!!!!!!!!(Lyon)!! ! ! Featured ! in the 2012 TDF, the Col du Glandon and the Col de la Croix de Fer are a ‘must do’ combination and one of our favourites. What better way to end your alpine experience by bike ! than riding this classic double act. The Glandon is briefly visited on our way to the summit of the ! Croix de Fer. At the summit we will relax for lunch (omelettes are terrific!), soak up the scenery and ! reflect on our incredible time riding in the Alpes. After descending back off the Glandon, we will ! transfer by van back to our hotel in Lyon. !
RIDE TIME up to 3hrs
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DAY!9!! ! !
A!DAY!IN!LYON!!!!!!!!!
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Lyon is known for its historical and architectural landmarks and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The !second largest city of France behind Paris, it has built up a reputation as being the capital of ! gastronomy and where we will enjoy a wonderful farewell dinner tonight. An optional day off to !exlore this magnificent city awaits. For some, an option for a 2 hour morning ride taking in the local ! countryside and a indeed a café or two and one last éclair for old times sake. RIDE TIME up to 2.5hrs
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! DAY!10!!! !
BON!VOYAGE!!!!!!!!!
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Today !we bid adieu to what has been an amazing tour where we have taken in the many !legendary cols made famous by the Tour de France, enjoyed fabulous French cuisine, stayed in wonderful accommodation and hopefully learnt a bit more about how to get the best of your ! !cycling. ! to the airport or TGV will be arranged today, or you may wish to extend you stay in Lyon for Transfers !which we are happy to assist with any post tour arrangements.! ! !
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TOUR!HI[LIGHTS!and!KEY!INCLUSIONS! !
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! Slumber in splendid accommodation and sample mouth-watering cuisine
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through some of France’s most scenic locations. Ride classic climbs of the French Alpes notably Mont Ventoux, Alpe d’Huez, Galibier, Glandon and Izouard. Ride through Provence, enjoying many a good coffee in some of our favourite (and spectacular) locations including Vaison la Romaine, Alpe d’Huez and Lyon. Experience the most famous roads in the French Alpes without the hustle & bustle of the Tour de France. Delicious and filling buffet breakfast on ALL mornings Delicious dinners on many of the nights INCLUDING selected beverages. Ample things to do for partners, where we ensure your interests are very well catered for. Dine on quintessential french cuisine. Where better to discover fois grois, truffles, pain au chocolat to name a few? The OWNERS of procyclingtours create and personally host your holiday experience. Modern, fully equipped, air-conditioned 9 seater vans. On-road PERSONAL coaching and advice by Steve Cunningham. All the support you need to get the best out of your cycling. Pre-tour training and holiday preparation advice. You receive the PRO treatment. Our professional Soignier support includes transfer of luggage, expert handling your bike right but doesn't stop at handing you your room keys and taking care of any dietary needs. We take care of the little details. Do you have a request? Please let us know. Photography by procyclingtours. We provide you with up to 1000 precious memories of your holiday with us on USB. Picnic lunches on selected days, where café lunch stops are not possible. On road supplements including energy bars, drinks, mechanical, first aid and vehicle support throughout your ride (not just at the start and finish) Flexible ride options each day, from challenging to nice and steady. Quality hire bike option available including full set-up, helmet, spares, bottles. Challenge yourself whilst knowing that you are fully supported by procyclingtours every step of the way.
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HOW!TO!RESERVE!A!PLACE!
click!here!to!reserve!
! your place on this tour, simply register and place your deposit, through our secure on-line !To assure 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 ! page for all trip inclusions, bike hire details etc. !our FAQs
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Con tact us email: in fo@procyclingtours.com Tel: +61 412 231 198 Toll Free Au stralia 1800 822 165 web: www.procyclingtours.com
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