2023 Grand Tour – Tour de France

Our staff will greet you at Bilbao Airport this morning at 11 am. Bilbao is recognised as the largest city in the Basque region. Basque has its unique culture, cuisine, and their own language. Situated in Northern Spain, beyond their own language, the region is very industrious, and very active locals continue to make efforts towards it’s annexure from the rest of Spain. You’ll find the people very friendly, and the culture very addictive.

We have a short transfer this morning to San Sebastian, which is a well-regarded tourist destination. Our hotel is close to the old town where you will be able to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of the Basque country and develop a taste for Pintxos. There are many great restaurants within walking distance. Tonight, we will welcome our guests at a local restaurant, including drinks. It is the perfect opportunity for you to have your questions answered about how our famous cycling trips run, and meet your fellow guests.

During the afternoon, your staff will be on hand to assist with assembling your bike before we head out on our shakedown ride.

Today we make our way to Bilbao for the team presentations. After a full buffet breakfast, we will make the short transfer to Bilbao before riding. You’ll be supported on the road today with our support van and professional ride guides. We’ll have several groups of different paces and shorter options for those wishing to save their legs for the mountains. Right at a comfortable pace and enjoy this spectacular area with multiple scenic points along the route.

When you return to our luxury coach, you can freshen up, even with a hot shower, and store your bike before exploring Bilbao. You’ll have time to check out the Guggenheim Museum, an architectural masterpiece that always hosts a great exhibition of art. Later in the day, we will watch the team presentations as they are announced to the crowds. See every rider participating in the 2023 Tour de France. We suggest that you have a restaurant lunch in Bilbao after your ride, and if top up with a Basque classic of Pintxos for dinner in San Sebastian.

It has finally arrived, the 2023 Tour de France. See the opening stage multiple times, for a great vantage point. Expect to see lots of action during today’s stage, the opening stage, in fact, the entire opening week is full of nervous energy. We will catch the race mid-way along where we can see it multiple times. One of the popular locations for tourists is surfers, and it goes hand-in-hand that land conservation is at the heart of this region.

We will watch the race from an area that is also on the famous pilgrimage path — Santiago de Compostela. Guernica lays on a major river estuary that releases in the Bay of Biscay. It has been a strategically important location for conflicts in the past, and with its natural beauty, locals are passionate about peace and conservation. In a nearby forest, local artist Augustin Ibarrola resisted a plan for deforestation by painting trunks and forming an outdoor gallery. The simple act created a tourist attraction and importantly saved the forest from destruction. Worldwide, murals and wrappings on tree trunks deliver an important message to people, be they mental health, climate change, or amnesty.

After watching the race in this beautiful area, we will return to San Sebastian where you can enjoy dinner at a local restaurant.

Today is Stage 2 of the Tour de France, and the race arrives not far from our hotel. The terrain will offer the chance for a small breakaway to hold off a fast-finishing peloton. It should be a spectacle, with an impressive backdrop.

After breakfast we will head out on a short ride, again we’ll offer guests multiple supported ride options. You have the choice of something longer or shorter, and faster or slower. We’ll arrive back at our hotel in time for the final preparations for the race’s arrival.

We transfer to France today. As we farewell our hospitable hosts in the Basque country, we enter the Basque country of France — yes, there is a Spanish-Basque and a French-Basque area. We will follow the final moment of the stage in Bayonne before transferring to our hotel in the Pyrenees.

The French Pyrenees are usually reserved for the second or last week of the French Grand Tour, the Pyrenees will host 2 pivotal stages in the 2023 Tour de France. We will stay in the heart of the Pyrenees with some of the most spectacular rides at our doorstep. Making the most of this situation, we will arrive a day ahead of the race and maximize our rides.

Our accommodation in the Pyrenees is at a wonderful family-run hotel, and each night our hosts will present fabulous local produce so that we are fuelled for the next day.

In a break from traditional stages of the 2023 Tour de France utilise the famous roads of the Pyrenees in the first week, although race organisers defy tradition often these days. Riders will climb the legendary Col du Tourmalet — the climb needs little introduction, other than it was included in the race before Mont Ventoux, Alpe d’Huez, or even Col du Galibier. We will ride the legendary climb today, in the same direction that the race does later in the week.

We’ll re-focus on the race today after riding a legendary climb yesterday. Today, we will see the stage start in Pau, a popular stage town in recent editions of the Tour de France. We will ride over a climb that was included in 2022 where the eventual winner, Jonas Vingegaard demonstrated possibly the greatest moment of sportsmanship in 2022 — his combatant Tadej Pogacar lost control on gravel through a corner, and Jonas eased up so that Tadej could rejoin the battle for the queen stage to the Hautacam.

There are too many historical moments to recall from previous editions of the Tour de France — the edition where Lance Armstrong was dislodged from his bike by a spectator’s plastic bag on Luz Ardiden comes to mind. So many legends of the sport, and so many legendary climbs. We love the Pyrenees.

This is an early treat in the 2023 Tour de France, the opening week of the Grand Tour includes a stage on the legendary Tourmalet. We will ride early this morning and give you the opportunity to watch the race close to our hotel later today on the final climb.

We leave the Pyrenees today and will make a stopover to the start village of today’s stage before transferring you to Toulouse-Blagnac airport this afternoon. We will be dropping off some of our group today at the airport as we continue onto Southwest France for some great riding.

We understand that chasing the race can be tiring for the three-weeks, so we have the next few days riding through our local area not far from Toulouse. Ride in the backyard of Laurent “Ja-Ja” Jalabert before we reconnect with the race on our way to the French Alps.

We’ll take another day away from the race today and ride our favourite climb in France. Favourite as it is our local, and it was included for the first time in the Tour de France only recently. The most famous cyclist to come from this area is Laurent Jalabert, and each year there is a dedicated amateur cycling race in his honour.

We have left this evening available to you with a free itinerary. So you can have dinner at one of the local restaurants in town.

Today we will explore the capital of the region, Albi in the region of Tarn. Albi attracts a large bike expo each year and has hosted stage finishes and stage starts before. Albi is most famous for its large brick cathedral. Even if you’re not religious the scale of the church and the volume of brick is mind-blowing.

On our way between Castres and Albi, we will make a stopover in Lautrec, where the famous renaissance painter Toulouse-Lautrec once resided. This evening we’ll head into Castres for dinner along the river Agout.

It is the first rest day of the 2023 Tour de France. You’ll find Monday is a much slower pace in France, and many shops are closed on Monday. Furthermore, roads are much quieter. We will take the opportunity to ride the quiet roads of the area and understand some of the local history along the way.

This is our final day in the Southwest. We’ll seek out some more great riding in the area. Our ride today will head to the market square of Revel – a beautiful village. You’ll also see some of the history of the region on today’s ride. A religious sect that was prominent in Southern France was the Cathars. One of the cornerstones of the Cathar belief was that they regarded men and women as equals. They flourished in the 12^th century, but they conflicted with the teachings of the Catholic Church, and not surprisingly the Catholics devastated towns, cities, and culture of southern France. This period in the early 13^th century was known for the Cathar massacres, sadly Cathar followers were mostly women and children. Many of the beliefs for fairness and equality still permeate through those living in Southern France.

We have a long transfer today, but we will pause part way through and watch some of the stages through the Auvergne region —a region known for its volcanoes. We will travel through the heart of France, the geographical center at least. The Central Massif is popular with local tourists for its connection with nature. Villages are fascinating for are custodians of rich history, particularly through trade and religion. The landscape is ancient and there are multiple protected areas for nature reserves.

Tonight, we arrive in the Burgundy region, which is best known for its wine varieties. Joining us for dinner tonight is our GC Classic trip, in which you will travel through the French Alps together and onto Paris for the final 10 days of the 2023 Tour de France. We will host a special welcome dinner for you to meet your fellow guests.

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.