Tour de France 2017 Packages

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Tour de France 2017 Packages

The highlight of the yearly cycling season, the Tour de France is as iconic as races come. No other Grand Tour comes close in terms of spectacle, experience and above all, the quality of racing and the 2017 edition of the Tour de France looks set to continue the trend.

Le Domestique Tours have a long history of placing riders in the heart of the Tour de France action, with our guests having witnessed this incredible spectacle on every key mountain stage from the Tourmalet in the Pyrenees, to Alpe d’Huez in the heart of the Alps, to Froome’s impromptu run up Mont Ventoux. Our Tour de France 2017 Packages will continue this incredible tradition.

Le Domestique Tours – Let us be your Domestique

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Dates & Prices

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Itinerary

9 July 2016 - Arrive Toulouse - Transfer Andorra - 60km - 1800m

Our airport shuttle will meet riders at Toulouse airport for the morning arrivals/collect riders arriving on the previous evening from their airport hotel before transferring to Andorra. After building bikes and checking in to our accommodation we'll head out on our first ride which welcomes us to Andorra with the Col d'Ordino.

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10 July 2016 - Stage 9 TdF - Summit Finish - 90km - 3000m

With the buzz on an approaching summit finish at 2240m, this promises to be an incredible day where the GC candidates will be whittled down. Being located just 30km from the base of the finale on Andorra Arcalis, guests can either head straight there via the direct route or tackle our 90km, 3000m epic which takes us to a prime spot for the stage finish.

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11 July 2016 - TdF Rest Day - 119km - 4000m

With the professionals having a well earned rest day, today we get the opportunity to experience the climbs of Andorra to their fullest extent, while keeping a close eye out for opportunities to meet our heroes on their rest day spins. Yesterday's stage offers our inspiration with us tackling the final three climbs, Cote de la Comella (1347m), Col de Beixalis (1796m - both ascents) and Andorra Arcalis (2240m).

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12 July 2016 - Stage 10 TdF - Stage Start/Port de Envalira

Today offers guests a range of choices, with options to visit the stage start village just a short ride away in Escaldes-Engordany or witness the riders in action on the day's major climb, Port de Envalira (2408m). After the pros depart on route to the stage finish at Revel, guests are free to join a final afternoon of guided riding or to relax in a bar and watch the day's action unfold live.

13 July 2016 - Transfer to Althen-des-Paluds (Mont-Ventoux)

Departing Andorra after breakfast we complete a vehicle transfer to Mont-Ventoux (est 5hrs). On arrival guests will be able to head out for an afternoon spin in the stunning Provence landscape or opt to catch the Stage 11 finish.

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14 July 2016 - Stage 12 TdF - Mont-Ventoux - 90km - 1600m

Aa true once in a lifetime spectacle combining France's most iconic climb and the national holiday of Bastille Day ensuring fireworks as not only the GC contenders attack the finish, but the patriotic French riders seek to a make a name for themselves and cement their reputation amongst the French public. We'll be riding to a key location on the hallowed moonscape to witness everything unfold.

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15 July 2016 - Club des Cingl?s du Mont-Ventoux - 137km - 4400m

Today riders are free to tackle one of two options. For the guest keen to soak in the atmosphere of Ventoux and complete the famous Bedoin ascent with a lazy that option is available, but the truly hardcore can opt to tackle the infamous Club des Cingl?s du Mont-Ventoux challenge, which sees them face each of the three ascents of Ventoux.

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16 July 2016 - Depart for Marseille

After breakfast we will disassemble the bikes, pack our bags and leave our accommodation for the transfer to Marseille for flights home in accordance with the recommended flight times provided below.

FAQ

What's Included?
- Airport transfers from Toulouse to Andorra and from?Althen-des-Paluds to Marseille based on the flight times detailed in the Flight Choices FAQ.
- Four nights accommodation in Andorra at the Residence Andorra Bordes d’Envalira, followed by three nights accommodation at the Moulin de la Roque, Althen-des-Paluds, located just outside Carpentras.
- Breakfasts and Dinners on every night but one, provided by our own in-house chef during our Andorra stay and at local restaurants during our stay in Althen-des-Paluds.
- Fully guided and supported riding, with riders being accompanied by both an on the road guide rider and a fully equipped support vehicle which carries all your spare clothing and other items together with providing full refreshment stops and mechanical support. Our pro level supported riding service is known throughout the cycling tour world as the industry leader, ensuring that all our riders have to focus on is turning the pedals and soaking in the incredible atmosphere of the Tour de France.
- All rides detailed above are optional, with riders being free to do their own thing on any of the days if they do not wish to complete our scheduled riding.
- Please note that on Tour de France stage days, the support vehicle will not be able to provide vehicle support owing to road closures and traffic restrictions applied by the police. On these days guide riders will accompany the group.
- A digital album of stunning photography to document your Le Domestique experience.
- Full Package Travel Regulations compliant financial failure insurance coverage which protects the funds paid by you to Le Domestique Tours, ensuring peace of mind when booking with us.
What's Not Included?
- Flights
- Lunches
- Travel Insurance
- Alcohol
- Accommodation on 8 July if choosing to arrive the day before the tour commences
- Incidental expenses/purchases
Kit/Equipment
- The mountains can be extremely fickle and it is therefore difficult to predict the weather on any tour. Please therefore ensure you have a mix of kit to cover hot through to cold, along with wet weather. A definite must for packing is obviously a wind/waterproof gilet or jacket and full finger gloves, which are a good idea for the descents and mornings. Arm and knee warmers are also great as they are easy to adjust on the fly and help us keep things moving on the road. We also recommend that you bring your full wet weather kit in case we encounter any particularly poor weather.
- We have a tool kit with us which contains the usual allen keys, pedal spanners, chain whips, cassette tools, chain splitter, track pump etc which guests are welcome to use throughout the tour. If you have any unusual bits on your bike such as proprietary bottom brackets or older/Campag group sets then you may want to bring your own specific tools as we can’t guarantee that we will have the correct tool in case of disaster. Due to their fragility we are unable to provide a torque wrench and therefore recommend that you bring your own if you require one for assembling your bike.
- We recommend that you carry at least one spare inner tube along with a mini pump/co2 and a multitool with you at all times as a minimum so that if you do suffer a mechanical we can quickly take care of it. We have supplies of threaded Co2 canisters which you are welcome to borrow for the duration of the tour.
- The riding we will undertake takes us through several poorly lit tunnels, which require all bikes to be fitted with front and rear lights and we also regularly encounter low visibility due to low cloud or fog, so please ensure that you have both front and rear lights with you for use in these circumstances (simple LED commuting lights are sufficient). Failure to carry lights can result in a fine from the police and also risks drivers not seeing you, so please do not forget to bring/use them.
Fitness and Gearing
- As our Tour de France package is based in a fixed location as opposed to our point-to-point tours, riders have the ability to pick and choose the riding they wish to take part in, in order to match their ability level. It should however be noted that the package is designed with the keen cyclist in mind and therefore the planned riding is geared towards tackling the stunning climbs that have given the area its Tour de France reputation. In addition, riders should keep in mind that in order to witness the stage finish on Arcalis and the stage finish on Mont-Ventoux, they will need to climb these two climbs on their bikes.
- We do not enforce an average speed requirement during our tours and will always strive to allow riders to cycle at their own speed, however if there is a large speed differential between you and the rest of the group, we may require you to depart earlier, miss extended stops or in very extreme circumstances, complete sections of the route in the LDT support van. If you are at all concerned about your ability level prior to signing up to this tour, please contact us in advance of booking and we will provide further guidance.
- While some riders do tackle the climbs on a standard double chainset (53/39), we generally recommend that riders opt for a compact chainset (50/34), accompanied by a 27T or 28T rear cassette. This gives a good spread of gears to cover most eventualities and ensures that you have a low enough gear to keep the pedals turning. Some riders do utilise triple chainsets, however in many circumstances this does not provide a lower gear than the ratios suggested above.
The Tour de France Experience
- Witnessing the Tour de France up close and personal is the defining cycling experience that any true fan of the sport of cycling will never forget. What makes our Tour de France package so special however is our focus on the mountains of Andorra and in particular Mont-Ventoux. Here the experience is far far different to that of the flat lands, where you can wait patiently for hours at the side of a road just to witness a blur of riders fly past at 30mph.
- With roads lined with spectators and covered in graffiti, we ride into our stunning spectating locations accompanied by the cheers of others. Settling into our spots we are soon met by the other worldly spectacle of the Tour Caravan, a bizarre collection of hedonistic floats that spend their days driving the route of the course doling out a vast range of souvenirs and mementos.
- The excitement builds as the distant whopping of helicopter blades signal the imminent arrival of the peloton. The following twenty or so minutes provide spectators with a truly unrivalled and unique perspective on the most famous race in all of cycling. You’ll have the excitement of the initial spot of the solo breakaway, gritted teeth, pained suffering and desperation, followed by the stem staring watt heavy rhythm of the chasing pack and finally the rearguard of the sprinter’s autobus and domestiques that have been worked to failure earlier in the race and are now struggling to make the time cut. Along the way you may be lucky enough to grab a discarded team bottle (we collected six in 2014) or even share a moment of eye contact with your hero as they recognize your shouts of encouragement.
- Simply put, witnessing the Tour de France via one of our Tour de France 2016 Packages is an experience you will never forget.
Flights
- Guests will be met by the LDT guide team at Toulouse on the morning of 9 July, departing Toulouse by Midday and returned to Marseille for 2pm on 16 July.
- Owing to the nature of this tour we are unable to accommodate flight times arriving later than midday on 9 July and departing earlier than 4pm on 16 July.
- If your chosen route does not offer flight arrivals on the specified days that meet these criteria we recommend that you choose to arrive on 8 July and stay at an airport hotel (we recommend the Holiday Inn Express Toulouse Airport) from where we will collect you on 9 July/choose to depart from Marseille on 17 July and stay at an airport hotel that evening (we recommend the Golden Tulip Marseille Airport).
- If you are flying from the UK we recommend the following flights:
- BA – Heathrow to Toulouse – BA0372 – 07.50 – 10.35 BA – Marseille to Heathrow – BA0369 – 16.45 – 17.40.
- Easyjet – Gatwick to Toulouse – EZY5333 – 08.25 – 11.10 Easyjet – Marseille to Gatwick – EZY5326 – 17.05 – 17.55.
- If you are flying from elsewhere or are at all unsure of which flight times are suitable please contact us to discuss the available options before booking.