2023 GC Classic – Tour de France

Our starting location for our GC Classic to 2023 Tour de France is Lyon Saint-Exupery airport at 10 am, where staff will greet you and assist you to our first hotel. Lyon is one of the largest cities in France, and one of our favourites. Lyon is situated on the confluence of two major rivers, the Rhone and Soane — both are synonymous with classic French wine varietals. However, Lyon held its fame for having the highest density of Michelin-star restaurants anywhere in the world, among other things. It is a modern town, multicultural still with many traditional influences that are celebrated through the old town. It is a popular university town, attracting many young people also.

Our staff will assist you to assemble your bike, or present you with your perfectly fitted hire bike before we head out for a shake-down ride in the afternoon. This evening, we can catch the finish of the stage on television and come together for our welcome dinner. Our opening dinner is a perfect setting for guests to meet their fellow travelers, and have any questions answered about their trip following the Tour de France.

This morning we will travel the short distance north along the Soane River. Ultimately, we will arrive in the popular wine area of Burgundy — where the famous varietals of Chablis, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir originate. Enjoying the southeastern slopes of the Soane River, the climate is idyllic for delicious wine. We will be joined today by one of our guides who runs a winery in Beaujolais producing a limited selection of vintages each year, typically using Gamay grapes. There are very strict rules under the governing bodies for how the vintages are grown and prepared. This guarantees that each vintage is reflective of the area, its climate, and the grape variety.

Our day has arrived when we get to see the 2023 Tour de France live. We will ride this morning and arrive at the stage finish town of Belleville-en-Beaujolais. The terrain for the race today will be taxing on riders, as there is a little reprieve. For those that have made the breakaway, staying there will be tiresome. As the stage nears its conclusion it passes through the vineyards of Beaujolais where some more challenging climbing confronts. The uphill finish should produce an excellent contest for a whittled-down group of riders. It should be an exciting stage finish to be a part of.

We’ll see another stage finish today. This time, however, it will be a mountain stage finish to Grand Colombier. The Grand Colombier has been used many times before for the Tour de France, it has several short switchbacks at the bottom of the climb before it climbs up beyond the tree line. It is not officially in the Alps, but from the top of the climb, you have a stunning view of Mont-Blanc.

After breakfast, we’ll travel to Culoz, at the base of the climb, and ride from there. You can ride up as far as you wish and watch the race before returning back to our transport. After seeing the race, we will travel to our next hotel, on the shores of Lake Annecy. Annecy is also one of our favourite destinations in France. The pristine waters are classified as Europe’s cleanest lake, and Annecy itself is often referred to as the “French Venice”. Waters from the lake flow into the Rhone River, and the old town takes advantage of the cool waters on hot summer days. Whereas the waters were once used solely for industrial purposes.

Today’s stage is the Queen stage of the 2023 Tour de France. There are 5 category climbs, with the two final climbs being the toughest. Lance Armstrong was recorded having said that “it was his toughest day on a bike, ever” when asked about Col de Joux Plane. There are many climbs through France that have a consistent gradient, where riders can settle into a tempo, or rhythm and build their effort toward the summit. It is typically how you ride a climb fastest. However, Joux Plane has an inconsistent gradient, one that breaks the tempo, requiring concentration and perseverance. It will be a classic Tour de France stage today.

We will travel to the final climb of today’s stage, giving you an opportunity to ride it yourself. We have an easier, and more touristic ride option available for others before watching the race come through. We will return to Annecy this evening, where you can walk through the old town to a nice restaurant of your choice.

After having breakfast this morning, we will head our way up the valley toward the finish of today’s stage. In a few days, the race will ride a mountain time trial. We will use today to ride the time trial course for ourselves before catching up with today’s stage near its end.

After watching today’s stage on one of the final climbs we will travel further up the valley to the base of Mont-Blanc, in Chamonix

It is the final rest day of the 2023 Tour de France. Riders will be enjoying some extra rest, but still head out on a ride today of about 90 or 100km, as their engines will need to be firing tomorrow for the individual time trial.

We’ll take the opportunity to play tourist. We have two options from which you can choose today. For the pedestrian-paced itinerary, start early and catch the gondola to Aiguille du Midi, which is situated just below the peak of Mont Blanc. There is no better view of Mont Blanc than at Aiguille du Midi. No better view of the French Alps for that matter. If vertical heights don’t petrify you, stand in the glass room at the summit, and you are suspended high above the Alps for an unparalleled view.

Time trials are one of our most favourite stages at the Tour de France. We’ll have had a chance to ride the course earlier, and today it is the Pro’s turn on the mountain time trial for Stage 16 of the 2023 Tour de France. The course offers gains for the strong trim trialist, but it also offers terrain for the mountain climbers to challenge — Who wins today? It will be difficult to choose. Irrespective of the winner, the exciting race situation for the final week will be established on today’s stage.

We will ride down to the time trial this morning and take a short ride over some of the nearby climbs, or something flatter for an easier option. Then we will freshen up and watch the race. With riders setting off at 1-minute intervals, and later 2-minute intervals for those within striking distance of the race leader.

We will travel to the stage start today, giving you lots of time to enjoy the start village in St Gervais-Mont Blanc. Riders are embarking on the toughest stages in the Alps today before they start their journey north toward Paris tomorrow. It will be one of the slowest stages today with 4 categorised climbs. There will be some nervous energy at the start village.

Once the race heads out, we will follow them out and ride the first climb of the stage before traveling on to our next hotel. For the final 3 nights, we will stay on Alpe d’Huez, arguably the most famous of all Tour de France climbs. From our family-run hotel, we will be able to enjoy some of the most famous Tour de France climbs in the French Alps before setting off to Paris.

We don’t have any time pressures, and lots to do while we are staying on Alpe d’Huez. We will pick off some of the great climbs, visit some beautiful villages, and do some obligatory shopping. This is a summer mecca for cycling. Millions of cyclists are estimated to ride the Alpe each Summer. Several people have completed Everesting on Alpe d’Huez (the equivalent of 9 ascents), and unverified 11 attempts have been completed in 24 hours. These are impressive statistics.

Without comparison, Marco Pantani still holds the fastest ascent of Alpe, with a time of around 37 minutes. He was observed applying his brakes on the corners of the ascent as he was going so fast… The only records that we’ll have in sight today are personal milestones, be it your first attempt, or trying to better a previous time, or just taking as many photos as possible. The 21 switchbacks are always an adventure.

There are multiple options available today. We have a few riding options, and we also have a scenic tourist itinerary should you wish. Our rides will set off in the morning, with two possible finish locations. You can finish in Bourg d’Oisans, for some lunch and some shopping. Our transport will return you to our accommodation during the afternoon.

If you choose to stay around Alpe d’Huez today, you also have the scenic option to take the gondola to Pic du Midi, above Alpe d’Huez. Situated at over 3,000m in elevation there are stunning views across the French Alpes, and it is possible to see Mont Blanc also.

Being a flatter stage of the Tour de France today, you will be able to catch the final hour of the race at a local bar and enjoy a personal day in the French Alps.

We will set off from our hotel this morning, bound for a fast TGV trip to Paris. We will transport your heavy luggage and bicycles to Paris for you so that you can relax on the train and enjoy some rest. Take your GPS cycle computer with you and measure our speeds on the train.

You’ll arrive well ahead of your luggage. So on arrival, you can explore the local village close to our hotel. There are some lovely boutique shops and lovely bars and restaurants. Paris is one of the greatest locations to sit at a café and discuss the trivial matters of the world and people watch. Of course, there is a stage on television this afternoon also.

This evening we will go to a fine-dining restaurant together and enjoy a 3-course meal, with drinks. We will celebrate our travels together, our achievements, our funny moments, and the great company that we share seeing the biggest stages of the 2023 Tour de France.

Today is the finale in Paris for the 2023 Tour de France. The race is much a parade and celebration of the jersey winners and the team that holds the yellow jersey will do some photography during the stage, as well as have a glass of champagne on route. But as the riders arrive on the Champs Elysees, normally lead out by the team with the yellow jersey, the intensity lifts and all teams work for their sprinters. This is because a victory on the Champs-Elysees for any rider is one of the highest achievements in the sport.

This morning we will ride before breakfast through the sites of Paris. Before the city awakes, it is often known for its slow starts, especially on a Sunday morning in July. The perfect opportunity to ride along the roads of Paris and visit the most significant monuments.

This afternoon, staff will assist you to the Champs-Elysees for watching the final stage. It Is incredible to witness to speed with which the riders travel along the cobbled surface of the Champs-Elysees. See the attacks, the strung-out peloton close the gaps, and ultimately the final sprint before the presentations. After the presentations, you can find a nearby Paris restaurant for dinner.

Sadly, our trip to the 2023 Tour de France has come to an end this morning. Our staff will bid you farewell from our hotel this morning. You may like to stay on at our hotel for a few days exploring the city of lights. Furthermore, some of our guests transfer to an apartment at another hotel today. If you are departing today, the hotel concierge will be able to assist you with transfers to the airport to connect with your flight.