"Alps, Time Trial, Ventoux and Arrival" Package

July 18th to July 27th, 2009

This trip will cover the important final stages of the 2009 Tour de France and offer an opportunity to view up to 7 stages of the Tour including the Alps, the final Time Trial, Mont Ventoux and the Arrival in Paris. Optional Grand Stand seating on the Champs Elysees is available for the arrival in Paris!

Please read below for a daily itinerary.

Registrations:
A 25% deposit per person is required to reserve a spot. If places are still available when we receive your application along with deposit, you will receive notification of your registration. If the trip is sold out, you will be given the option to be placed on a waiting list or choice of another trip. Waitlist order is on a first come first serve basis as well. Please email us to receive a registration form our complete reservation procedure: info@customgetaways.com

- July 18th -

Hotel location: Chatel

We will be picking-up in Geneva airport around 2:30PM. From Geneva, we will head into the Alps.

Our first hotel is located about 3km from the  border between France and Switzerland and 35km from Evian. We will be spending the first couple of nights of the trip in this hotel.

Once checked-in, those riding will assemble bikes, our mechanic will be on hand to help and, time allowing, we'll take a short ride to ensure proper working condition of the bikes.

It will then be time to get together over a welcome toast, do proper introductions and go over the next few day's fun and action... of course a nice dinner will follow!

- July 19th -

Tour Stage 15  /   Pontarlier  -  Verbier (CH)  /  207km (129 miles)

Our first day visiting the Tour de France and first stage through the Alps, takes the peloton from France to Switzerland.

We'll be riding directly from our hotel and link up with the stage course which we will ride all the way to the mountain top of Verbier.

While often used on the Tour of Switzerland, Verbier will be hosting its first Tour de France stage.

The exact ride distance will be based on where exactly the stage itinerary takes the peloton as we will be following the same route. We anticipate the longer distance to be in the neighborhood of 70-75km with a couple of climbs including the climb to Verbier. A shorter option will be available and will start about 35-40km from the stage finish.

Col de Romme

The Tour takes a day off today but not us. In fact, since we are changing hotels to go to near Chambery we have scheduled a challenging ride. Leaving the hotel the ride will rally the Grand Bornand, site of the arrival on July 23rd while going over the final 40km of stage #17 including the col de Romme and the col de la Colombiere. Another climb (col du Corbier) will come in earlier in the ride. The total distance is about 100km, but will be challenging.

Again, those who wish to ride a shorter distance, will be able to ride to Cluses from the hotel (58km)

We'll then drive on to our next hotel which is in fact a beautiful Chateaux and will be home for the next 4 nights of this trip!

Col de la Colombiere

Cormet de Roselend

Today the peloton will face one stage and three countries; start in Switzerland, ride through Italy and finish in France. All this over "just" 100 miles.

Those who wish to ride the most will once again be able to put a good-day in the saddle. Leaving from the hotel the ride will be rolling before getting to the Cormet de Roselend. Up the Cormet de Roselend and back down into Bourg Saint Maurice to catch the arrival of today's stage. 2 other ride options will either leave from the hotel to rally Albertville (50km), or start in Albertville and ride over the Cormet de Roselend into Bourg Saint Maurice (60km). The longer distance will do both.

Once the stage is over we will bus back to our "chateau" for a bit of R&R and nice dinner.

- July 22nd -

Col des Saisies

With 5 categorized climbs this stage is going to create havoc in the peloton.

The Col de la Colombiere is usually quite difficult from the North side, but the Tour Organizers have decided to add the col de Romme which presents a great challenge with

8.8km at an average grade of 8.9%!!!

(Alpe d'Huez averages 7.7%)

Once again, we will ride out from the hotel and make a detour through the "massif des Bauges" before diving back down to Albertville and then the Col des Saisies where we will watch the race go by. Once again the ride distance is right at 100km for the longest ride. Those who prefer to ride a shorter distance, will avoid our initial leisurely detour and ride straight to the Col des Saisies (68km). Those who still wish to ride a shorter distance will be dropped off about 40km from the end of the ride. Once the stage has been by, we will catch the stage arrival on TV.

Massif des Bauges

- July 23rd -

Hotel location: outside Chambery

Tour Stage 18  /   Annecy - Annecy  /  Time Trial / 40km (25 miles)

With the Tour de France end nearing, all the the stages become more important. Today's individual effort around Lake Annecy will be a great opportunity for the Yellow Jersey contenders to gain time on their rivals.

This time trial also includes a short but steep climb up the col de Buffy which has the potential of creating substantial time losses.

We will be viewing the stage for our private and preferred viewing location. We are currently working on 3 different options and will select the best toward the early part of 2009. We will be directly on the course however and will also have live TV feed to monitor the progress of the stage throughout the afternoon.

In order to get to Annecy, we will ride from our hotel. There are a few climbs during the ride and the total distance today is only 55km. Because this is a time trial the stage will be ongoing throughout the entire afternoon and it will be necessary to arrive in Annecy early.

We will spend our final evening in our Chateau and get ready for another great cycling day tomorrow.

cote de Bluffy

- July 24th -

Tour Stage 19  /   Bourgoin Jalieu  -  Aubenas  /  195km (121 miles)

Ever dreamed of riding a Tour de France stage along roads filled with spectators and raise your arms to the sky as you cross the finish-line? Today is the day it comes true!

Those who wish to ride on this trip will be able to ride approximately the final two thirds of the  stage (120km). This means we'll need to get an early start, but it is so worth it!

Of course, we will be dropping off a bit further down the way those who wish to keep the ride distance lower. Custom Getaways vehicle(s) with on-course accreditation will be accompanying you and providing an extra lift if necessary, and an official Tour de France vehicle will escort us over the final few kms of the course and you will cross the finish line on closed roads.

You will then climb the official Tour podium to have your picture taken.

Those not riding will be driven over the final kms, will enjoy the excitement of the climb, climb the podium, etc.

For the peloton's arrival, we will be directly overlooking the finish line to see how the pros stack up as we will have special access to the "Bulle Mangeas". Daniel Mangeas is the French commentator for the Tour de France ("La voix du Tour").

Once the stage is over we will make our way to Malaucene, a small town at the base of Mont Ventoux!

- July 25th -

Hotel location: Malaucene

Tour Stage 20  /   Montelimar  -  Mont Ventoux  /  167km (104 miles)

This is THE stage! The one everyone is talking about! There are so many scenarios possible on the day. Regardless of who is wearing the Yellow Jersey, it will not be safe until this final climb is completed.

 The last time the Tour de France went up Mont Ventoux was in 2002. At the time, Virenque had won the stage followed by russian Botcharov and Armstrong fished 3rd. Lance Armstrong has always said that he would like to win atop Mont Ventoux. This very well could  be his final opportunity!!!

We will, of course, be in the final climb today to see the stage unfold from our preferred viewing location  setup with food, drinks and TV..

The longer cycling distance will be about 70km and end with the climb up Mont Ventoux, The shortest will go directly from Malaucene to Bedoin and then Mont Ventoux for a total of 40km.

Once the stage has gone by, we'll simply be able to ride back down to the hotel on the Malaucene side.

Armstrong in 2002

Ventoux Profile

- July 26th -

Hotel location: Paris

Tour Stage 21  /   Etampes  - Paris Champs-Elysees   /  143km (89 miles)

This is what every professional cyclist aspires to; the arrival of the Tour de France on the Champs-Elysees!

Who will be wearing yellow on the Champs Elysees tonight? We will find out today as we watch the arrival from the side of the "World's most beautiful Avenue".

First however; getting to Paris!

We will be using the same transportation mode as the riders themselves, i.e. taking a bullet train from the Provence region to Paris. Then a quick metro ride will have us within a short stroll of our hotel. The timing of today's stage is still something the organizers are working on. Because of the distance between Mont Ventoux and Paris, the stage may be starting/ending later than usual (or the Ventoux stage could be a "Matinee"). Regardless we will be on site to experience it all!

Once the Tour festivities are over, we will get ready for a great dining experience. This year again we will be renting an entire boat for our dinner-cruise along the Seine river. Great food and unbelievable sight-seeing of Paris by night will end our “sensory overloaded day”!!!

Our hotel is located within walking distance of the Champs Elysees, the Grand stands and the dinner cruise.

Our position as Official Tour Operators for the Tour de France, allows us to offer seating in the Official Grand Stands alongside the Champs-Elysees as an option.

- July 27th -

Departure

- Cycling Jersey

- Daily information with maps, cue sheets, other Tour information

- Detailed tour itinerary

- Pre-departure information detailing the trip, hotels, contact information, what to bring, and other essential info.