|
Thursday, July 8
11.00am pick up from Grenoble railway station.
Continue onto our accommodation at Bourg d'Oisans.
After everyone arrives and we have assembled bikes, and because it’s there, we will climb the famous Alpe d’Huez and it’s 21 switchbacks. We can time and record this for anyone’s interest, and compare it to all the champions times, as well as your own, on the last day before we depart. Tonight we will enjoy our welcome dinner, prepared by Pauline and Eric, our most gracious hosts. 35k with 1105m of climbing
Friday, July 4
Today, after breakfast, as it the day before La Marmotte and a quiet ride is in order, we will re-visit the first 4 ks of Alpe d’Huez before turning off 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. 31k with 400m of climbing
Stage 1, Saturday, July 5, Brest - Plumelec, 195km
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 200k, 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.
200k, with 5,000m of climbing
Stage 2, Sunday, July 6, Auray – Vannes, 165 km
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, before the live coverage comes up on the tele.
Stage 3, Monday, July 7, Saint-Malo – Nantes, 195 km
Today we’ll ride up to La Berarde, it’s the at the end of dead end road (so there are few cars), surrounded by National Parks. The ride is spectacular in every respect, the cliff side road has valley views forever, there is a old roman bridge just off the beaten track for the interested ones, and if we’re lucky, the café at the roads end will serve up genuine French frites for those feeling like they’ve burnt off a few kilojoules in the past couple of days. Dinner tonight at home. 70k, with 1,185m of climbing
Stage 4, Tuesday, July 8, Cholet - Cholet, ITT, 29 km
We’re going to do a biggy today around the valley of Ornon. Just 98k with 1,900m of climbing, that will avoid all of the major climbs in the area, but still manages to cover roads used in many Tours de France. The major obstacle in today’s route will be Col d’Ornon (1,371m) but aside from that there will be beautiful views and spectacular scenery guaranteed. Tour de France live on the tele, also guaranteed. 98k with 1,900m of climbing
Stage 5, Wednesday, July 9, Cholet – Châteauroux, 230 km
Today we are off to do a loop over the back of Alpe d’Huez and have a look at Col de Sarenne and Les Deux Alpes along the way. It is not a big loop in distance, but the climbing makes up for it. We’ll head south out of Bourg d’Oisans (uphill) towards Italy for 14k, take a right turn up the quiet and picturesque cliff-side climb to ‘Les Deux Alpes’ where Pantani dropped Ullrich in a winning move of the ’98 TdF, turn at the top, back down and across the road to ride up through Clavans-le-Bas, past the house that stopped a large rock (you just have to see this to believe it) passing through Alpe d'Huez and descending the famous 21 hairpin bends to Bourg. There is of course a softer option here today, just don’t take the turn to Les Deux Alpes and knock off 24k. 67k, with 1,830m of climbing
Stage 6, Thursday, July 10, Aigurande - Super Besse, 195 km
Today we can meet with the soft face of Alpe d’Huez. We take the road out of town towards Grenoble, turning towards Allemont and then again, as the road rises ever so gently towards Villard Reculas, passing through the hamlets of Raffour and La Beurriere. This route allows spectacular views up and down the valley & over Lake Verney. In Villard Reculas we pass the town hall and take the road to Huez-en-Oisans, from here we take the easy option and shoot back down the hill towards Bourg, or finish the remaining 6 hairpin bends (up) and topple Alpe d’Huez yet again! For lunch we’ll visit Oz-en-oisans and a quiet restaurant in the hills, for a generous ‘Plat-de-jour’ in the garden accompanied by a crisp white wine. 43k, with 1,100m of climbing
Stage 7, Friday, July 11, Brioudes – Aurillac, 158 km
Galibier via Lauteret today. Rolling out of Bourg D’Oisans in the Italian direction means going up, and that is how it will be through Le Freney, La Grave and onwards to Col du Lauteret, before we turn left on to the final front of Galibier. We’ll already have conquered the northern face of Galibier during ‘La Marmotte’, so today’s ride is just an ‘easy clip’ up the southern face.
History: The pass has been famous for the stages of the TdF from Chamonix to Grenoble since 1911, when this stage was won by Emile Georget, together with Paul Duboc and Gustave Garrigou. They were the ones who got the upper hand on the Galibier and were the only stalwarts that managed to make the ascent without dismounting. Since derailleur gears were not allowed, and the road in poor condition, this truly required extraordinary stamina, and no cyclist had ever done it before! Also of note on this face is a larger than life statue of memoriam to Henri Desgrange, the creator of Le Tour. 94k, with 1,920m of climbing
Stage 8, Saturday, July 12, Figeac – Toulouse, 174 km
This morning we’ll start with a gentle downhill run for 24 k, before kicking up towards a glorious tour around the Chamrousse loop. This climb was used as an ITT in the 2001 TdF, and we will access it via a climb that was last used in Le Tour in the 50’s. Much of today’s climb traverses a very scenic national park, where we will enjoy a picnic once the climbing is over. Back home it’s time to pack up the bikes in preparation for the journey home. 109k with 2,000m+ climbing
Stage 9, Sunday, July 13, Toulouse - Bagnères-de-Bigorre, 222 km
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 further destinations, au revoir.
Included in your tour is all transport to and from Grenoble for you, your bike and one bag. Accommodation, all breakfasts, dinners and entry into ‘La Marmotte’. 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.
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.
> Tour De France: Ride into Paris |
