"White Jersey Monaco + Provence"

July 3rd to July 9th, 2009

This is a great opportunity to experience all the pageantry of a Grand Depart. The setting simply could not be any more perfect.

Monaco is well known worldwide as the playground of the rich-and-famous and in July 2009, the second smallest country in the World will show the entire world that their expertise in hosting major sporting events translates beautifully to a Tour de France Grand Depart!

The Prologue course will go over parts of the most famous of all Formula 1 Grand Prix events, starting and ending near the harbor. 

The start of the 2007 Tour de France in London was one of the most spectacular events ever; we expect Monaco to be just as magnificent!

In addition to Monaco, this trip also includes the Provence region, riding Mont Ventoux, the return of the Team Time Trial and VIP access to the Tour de France. This trip also provides the opportunity to ride an entire stage of the Tour de France, cross the finish line under Tour escort and climb the podium for commemorative pictures.

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 22 people to preserve its exclusive character.

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- July 3rd -

Hotel location: Monaco

We will be staying at the Hotel Fairmont which is located in the heart of Monaco near the harbor and the famous Casino.

Those cycling will setup bikes and go for a short ride to make sure everything is in proper working condition.

We will then enjoy a group dinner and go over the fun and excitement scheduled over the next couple of days.

- July 4th -

Hotel location: Monaco

Tour Stage 1  /  Monaco  -  Monaco   /  Time Trial  /  15km

What a terrific event this is going to be!

Our location in Monaco couldn't be any more convenient and we'll be able to stroll the streets and those who wish can go for an early morning ride.

While thousands of people (a million?) will be fighting traffic and crowds in hope of securing some sort of a view, we'll simply be able to walk from our hotel to our catered location.

 It simply doesn't get much better than this.

This is one of the best locations anywhere on the course as we will get to see riders starting the timed event and finishing as well. You will get to see each rider go by twice!

A buffet lunch will be served along with open bar.

Once the stage is over, you will have time to enjoy the town while crowds dwindle down, possibly visit one of the team hotels, or simply relax on our hotel's roof-top pool overlooking the Mediterranean coast!

our viewing location

- July 5th -

Tour Stage 2  /  Monaco  - Brignolles  /  182km

Today is the first of the in-line stages of the Tour and the Yellow jersey could very well change hands. You will be treated to the "start Village" in Monaco. This village should open around 10:00am or so, so you will have a bit of time before walking over to the start, this morning.

Thanks to your pass, you will access the rider's area, meet some of the racers, see them warm-up, meet Directeurs Sportif, personalities, possible visit of team bus, etc.

Tour starts are often a favorite part of our trips as the interaction with the riders/teams is unparalleled.

Once the peloton is off, we will drive out to the Provence area. We will stop en-route so that those riding may rally our hotel by bike.

- July 6th -

Hotel location: Montpellier

Tour Stage 3  /  Marseille  - La Grande Motte   /  196km

We visit one of the great cycling climbs today as we tackle the (in)famous Mont Ventoux in the morning!

Then, in the afternoon we will drive to La Grande Motte on the coast, and gain access to the exclusive VIP Izoard hospitality area located very close to the finish line. Here hostesses will serve drinks and snacks while watching the live broadcast on Big Screen and TV. After seeing the stage finish from this exclusive viewing area champagne will be served to celebrate the stage winner.

The Izoard bus is among the more exclusive areas at stage finishes and you should expect to see/meet plenty of Tour celebrities.

We will then head to our hotel in Montpellier which will be "home" for the final 3 evenings of this trip!

- July 7th -

Tour Stage 4  /  Montpellier   -   Montpellier  /  Team Time Trial  /  38km

The last time the Tour de France saw a Team Time Trial was in 2005 when it rallied the Loire valley town of Tour to Blois.

After a 4 year hiatus, the spectacular exercise is back. We drove the course in mid October and while a good team effort and proper technique will be paramount, the profile of the stage will contain a few climbs.

We will setup our preferred viewing area in  a climb and will have TV feed to follow the race progress as well. We'll also enjoy a nice lunch roadside from our viewing location. We will ride the better portion of the course in the morning, skipping only the more "car-dense" areas. We'll be able to simply ride back to our hotel after the stage is over..

If you've ever had the dream 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.!

We have picked this stage for several reasons; 1) it is relatively flat and while riding the entire 197km will be a true challenge, it is still manageable. 2) It comes after a few days of riding during the trip, so your "riding legs" will ready for the challenge. 3) The stage will more or less follow the outline of a major highway making the logistics easier and avoid the need to change hotel rooms.

Of course those who wish to ride less than the entire 197km will be able to do so.

Custom Getaways vehicles 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. You will cross the finish line on closed roads just a couple of hours or so before the Peloton.

Once this ride of a lifetime is complete, you will be invited to climb the official podium where we will take souvenir pictures. Those not riding will be driven over the final kms, will enjoy the excitement of the climb, climb the podium, etc.

We'll 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").

This stage is also a tribute to Salvador Dali, who enjoyed the Tour de France a lot and had proclaimed the train station of Perpignan as "Center of the Universe".

We'll enjoy a celebratory dinner together this evening.

- July 9th -

Departure