Our itinerary for 2009 follows:

Friday, June 26
10.00am pick up from Milano Malpensa airport.
Once everyone has arrived in Aprica, we'll be assembling bikes and taking off to tackle the grand champion Stelvio, 48 switchbacks, and 2,000 metres of vertical rise (bet you can't count them) a perfect way to start a climbing holiday...80k with 2000m of climbing (hard)

Saturday, June 27
Today we’ll ride stroll around Aprica and complete our registration in the Marco Pantani Granfondo. At some stage we'll roll the legs out over a flattish 40k loop. The afternoon will be for resting, and completing final preparations for the next day, ensuring our food and water bottle supplies are organized, tubes and pump etc, and wondering if we will take on the full monty, 172k, or play it safe with the shorter options. 40k with 300m of climbing (easy)

Sunday, June 28
With an early start we’ll drive over to Cuneo, unload the bikes and take our place on the starting grid. We’ll be able to delay our decision about what distance we choose until we reach the 157k mark, which is when we return to Cuneo. During this first loop we will descend the road below Col d’Agnello, where Simon Gerrans rode in a breakaway, en route to his maiden ‘08 TdF stage victory. The final 98k loop has us going over the Madonna del Colletto which is the largest of 3 climbs that we finish with. Once back in Cuneo (again) we can relax and enjoy the festivities, with a bowl of pasta, a glass of wine, a coffee and maybe even a grappa to celebrate the achievement. We’ll take the van back to Venasca, where we can fully dissect the ride over dinner. 249k with 4,000m of climbing (very hard)

Monday, June 29
Today we’ll transport to Venasca in north eastern Italy (Piemonte) get out for an afternoon spin, before bedding down for another big day tomorrow. 50k, with 300m of climbing (medium)

Tuesday, June 30
It’s time to farewell Italy and saddle up for an international ride. We’ll follow the valley road up over Col d’Agnello (49k, 2000m asc, max 14%) which rises to 2,740m, cross over the border to France at the peak and descend to the base of Col d’Izoard (32k, 1500m asc, max 10%). We’ll be riding up the south side of Izoard, past the memorial to Fausto Coppi and Louison Bobet and topping out at 2,500m, before descending into Briancon and starting out on Lauteret (28km, 825m asc, max 7%) the lesser of the 3 evils of the day, with a much gentler ascent. The pass of Lauteret is underneath Galibier, just 9k away, but as we will be descending this in the Marmotte, we can leave that climb alone for today. Once over Lauteret it is downhill all the way to Bourg d’Oisans (apart from the up bits, about 2k). 180k, with 5540m of climbing (V HARD)

Wednesday, July 1
While it’s hard to find flat roads around the valley of Oisans, we have managed to find a 10 k loop, which we can spin around on, a couple of times today, just to keep the legs in tune. Later in the morning we’ll jump in the car and drive up to a point on the mountain opposite Alpe d’Huez, and enjoy a picnic overlooking the most famous climb in cycling. 20k, with 100m of climbing

Thursday, July 2
Today we can get back into the spirit of competiton. In Bourg d’Oisans the local cycling club run a Time Trial up Alpe d’Huez every Thursday during summer at 10.00am. It will be a mass start, and as the Marmotte is running Saturday, there could be a good group that will make your climb more enjoyable, allowing you to obtain a quality PB over the 21 hairpin bends. Incidently there are more than 21 turns up to the ‘Tour’ finish, but that’s a minor detail. Heading off the alp we’ll take a left turn at La Garde, towards a very gentle, scenic ride along a mountainside road. There’ll be sweeping views of the valley and mountains beyond as we wind our way towards Le Freney d’Oisans and the road home down the valley floor, returning for a picnic lunch on the lawns of our accommodation. 51k with 1500m of climbing

Friday, July 3
Today, after breakfast, as it is the day before La Marmotte, and a quiet ride is in order, we will ride out to Allemont, and preview the start of the Marmotte route, without doing too much of the first climb, Col de Glandon. Back at the accommodation we’ll fine tune everything for the next day’s adventure. 30k with 200m of climbing

Saturday, July 4
What a day! The start of the 2007 Tour de France and La famous (or infamous) Marmotte! We’ll have a very early breakfast before we head to the start line with the 7 or 8,000 others. With the crack of the gun at 7.15am we’ll head off on our 174k loop with 5,000m of climbing. For us it will end up being a little more, for as the finish is on top of Alpe d’Huez, we have to descend back to our accommodation at Le Vert, it might equate to 190k, and it will have been a little ‘bumpier’ than ‘Around The Bay in a Day’. Today, if we finish our challenge, we will have covered the Cols of Glandon, Telegraphe, Galibier, Lautaret and Alpe d’Huez. If you can tick these ones off in your ‘palmares’ on the same day, you have nothing to fear, no matter what rises up in front of your wheel next time you straddle a bicycle. Highlights this evening of the TdF prologue on the Teev for whoever can stay awake long enough. 190k, with 5,000m of climbing

Sunday, July 5
We might be overdue for a sleep in today, just taking it easy. 1 hr recovery ride planned for the mid-morning. The highlight may just be relaxing in the garden with a glass of wine and some pistachios before the live coverage comes up on the tele. 

Monday, July 6
It’ll be the end of a great tour, so after enjoying breakfast together, for all of those not staying on, it’s pack-up time and off to Grenoble or further destinations, au revoir.

EXTRAS: Turn up one day early to Venasca and you can enjoy a bonus Italian 7k uphill evening TT, followed by a hilltop dinner, all for a very nominal price, please contact us for further details.

Included in your tour is all transport from Milano to Grenoble for you, your bike and one bag. Accommodation, all breakfasts, dinners and entry into the Fausto Coppi GF, the Alpe d’Huez TT & ‘La Marmotte’. You will also receive a full 2009 Topbike kit, which includes a short-sleeve jersey, a long sleeve jersey, a vest, long sleeve thermal top and 2 pair of knicks. Your experienced and knowledgeable guides, maps, training tips, coaching (if required) and mechanical back-up for your bike. Please pack your bike in a collapsible bag or disposable cardboard box. Please also see our recommended list of things to bring. Flashing lights front and rear required on these rides, at least. 

On this tour there will be 1,000k ridden with 17,700m of climbing, (approximately) you will need to be fit (not approximately fit)

NB: The itinerary above is to be used as a guide only, as Topbike Tours are well known for making use of all (and creating some extra) opportunities, expect that variations from the above can happen at any time.