"VIP Pyrenees" Package

July 10th to July 16th

As an official Tour Operator for the Tour de France, we are in a position to offer you behind the scenes access you never thought possible.

This trip will allow you to see the Tour from the inside as a VIP. When we mean VIP access, we mean visit of the Press rooms, Technical Zones, visits guided by a representative of the Tour de France organization, visit of the Riders Zone, Grand stands for a stage finish, meeting personalities that have marked the Tour (former Tour winners, personalities, etc...). In addition to having VIP access to a stage start and 2 stage finishes, you will also be able to ride an entire Stage (Stage #10), on the same day as the pros, just hours before the Yellow Jersey and the peloton. This experience will include crossing the actual finish line and pictures of yourself on the official Tour de France Podium. This is the first time the Organization allows the public to experience the Tour from the inside. Can you stand not to be part of it?

Please read below for day by day description of the trip.

This trip is open to cyclist as well as those who prefer not to ride and restricted to 20 people to preserve its exclusive character.

- July 10th -

Hotel location: Biarritz

We will setup bikes and time allowing go for a short test ride.

- July 11th -

Hotel location: Biarritz

Tour Stage 9  /   Bordeaux  - Dax  /  170km (106 miles)

Today's ride distance will not be very long to make sure everyone is well rested for tomorrow's big ride.

We will leave the hotel by bike and be able to ride to Dax where we will catch the arrival of Stage #9. will take a break from the mountains though and tentative plans call to ride the flat to rolling final portion of the days Tour route into Dax where we will catch the arrival of the stage. The last time the Tour arrived into Dax, the famous Italian Paolo Bettini won the stage.

We will then head back to Biarritz for an early Group dinner.

Hotel location: Pau

Tour Stage 10  /   Cambo les Bains  - Pau  /  193km (120.5 miles)

col de Marie Blanque

Dressed under team colors, you will start the "ride" at the crack of dawn, follow the exact stage route and cross the finish line. You will be assisted by our cycling guides and we will have 2 Custom Getaways support vehicles with on-course passes and will be cheered on by the thousands of fans lining the roads.

Once you have crossed the finish line, you will be able to have your picture taken on the famous Tour de France Podium. You will then be invited to visit the Press room and to take a seat in the official stands where you will watch the end of the stage on big screen, before the actual arrival live in front of you.

Of course everyone may not want to or be capable of riding an entire stage through the Pyrenees. Other ride options will include:

- Reducing the ride to 155km and taking out the col du Soudet (the toughest climb of the day).

-  Reducing the ride to 140km and taking out the col du Soudet and Marie Blanque

Those who can not or do not wish to ride from the start to the finish will be taken out some ways and ride to the finish

You will find profiles of all three rides by clicking here

Our hotel will be very conveniently located in Pau near the arrival.

col du Soudet

Hotel location: Provence

The start village opens 3 hours before the race actually starts and that is the amount of time you will have backstage. Once the race is off, we will make the (lengthy) transfer to the Provence region where we will spend the next couple of nights.

Depending upon the exact time schedule of today's stage start (to be finalized in late May), we will either ride early morning to get to Tarbes, or once we arrive in Provence.

- July 14th -

There will be several options for cycling today:

- One is to leave the hotel go to Bedoin and come back down Mt Ventoux, back to the hotel (about 54km).

- A second option is to take a longer ride through the Provence region going by the beautiful "Dentelles de Montmirail" before riding up from Bedoin and Chalet Reynard (74km).

- The third and most challenging ride will offer the bravest the opportunity to ride Mont Ventoux from the 2 sides that Matter: Bedoin/Chalet Reynard and Malaucene (90km).

None of these are terribly long rides but all are challenging!

We will have dinner near the hotel and weather permitting, go to Avignon to celebrate Bastille day and enjoy the fireworks!

Ventoux from Bedoin

Ventoux from Malaucene

- July 15th -

We will be leaving early and the scenery will be spectacular.

Leaving early from the hotel by bikes, encounter spectacular scenery as we circle Mont Ventoux.

The ride will take us through the Gorges de la Nesque and lead us to the region surrounding Sault. Sault is well known for its lavender fields and it will mark the half way point of the ride (or the end if "going short" today).

From Sault, we will keep circling Mont Ventoux and get back to our Hotel where we will break down bikes, shower and take off for Montelimar for our final Tour Experience.

You will be able to experience the stage Finish village as a VIP; rub shoulders with the international press as they interview the pros, drink cocktails in the VIP bus, etc.

We will then transfer to our hotel just south of Lyon for a final farewell dinner and to share some final memories of an excellent trip.

- July 16th -

DEPARTURE

We will transfer you to Lyon international airport.... unless of course you are extending your trip and doing our VIP Alps and arrival  package!!!