BiciRace.com :: News :: April 2006

News :: Tour de France: Alps to Paris with SportsTrails

23 April 2006

Tour de France: Alps to Paris with SportsTrails

2006 Tour de France overall map

See the world's most prestigious Grand Tour in France by bike and coach. The climax of the 2006 Tour de France will be fought out on the tough alpine stages, including the stage to L'Alpe d'Huez and final 56K time trial, and why not check out the action yourself?

BiciRace.com recommends visiting critical stages guided by the experienced staff at SportsTrails. The SportsTrails squadra will be on hand to guide you through the final stages, watching the action reach its climax on the way to Paris. Witness the successor to the Lance Armstrong era rise after a hard fought battle through the tour's final six stages.

Below is a breakdown of what SportsTrails has planned on their Alps to Paris tour.

Sunday 16 July - Bonjour!

Your SportsTrails tour guides for this tour will welcome you at Charles de Gaulle airport Paris and will accompany you the short distance to the 3*** Hotel Mercure Roissy. Here you'll stay the night on half board inclusive of evening meal, bed and breakfast. When you arrive at the hotel you'll have time to relax, un-pack, or maybe even go for a short cycle to unwind after your flight to France.

Monday 17 July

After breakfast SportsTrails will transfer you down to Grenoble. During the transfer you will enjoy some selected videos of past professional races and movies. In Grenoble we will stay for one night on a bed and breakfast basis in the cozy 3*** Hotel les 3 Roses.

Tuesday 18 July - Stage 15

Stage 15 to l'Alpe, photo: ASO

We will watch the riders battle for one of the most prestigious stages in the Tour, the Alpe d'Huez. Starting in Gap the 187K stage sees the riders crossing the Col d'Izoard, through Briançon, and then over the Col du Lautaret before the 21 switchbacks to the summit of l'Alpe d'Huez. After enjoying the stage on the Alpe we will travel by coach to Albertville where we will stay for the night half board in the 3*** Hotel Commercial Roma.

Wednesday 19 July - Stage 16

Stage 16, photo: ASO

Another doozy of a stage is in store for the peloton: the riders will race from Le Bourg d'Oisans to La Toussuire, finishing on a climb of 18.4K at an average gradient of 6%. Once we finish breakfast SportsTrails will leave Albertville and travel to the base of La Toussuire to see the action unfold. After the battle we will take the coach and travel onto Combloux-Megeve where we will relax for the next two nights half board in the 3*** Hotel le Feug.

Thursday 20 July - Stage 17

Vino Could Explode the Mountains, photo: CyclingTime.com

The riders will face their final serious mountain test in this year's Tour de France, and SportsTrails will take you to the stage's critical point, the Col de Joux-Plane. The Joux-Plane is sure to split the race to pieces before the stage finish, after a gruelling descent into Morzine. Once again, after seeing the action pass, SportsTrails will return you to Combloux-Megeve where you will spend your second night in the Hotel le Feug.

Friday 21 July - Stage 18

The riders wave goodbye to the Alps and face a stage of 193K from Morzine to Macon. After breakfast SportsTrails will travel to watch the finishing action in Macon. Will it be a sprint or a breakaway? The general classification riders are sure to 'relax' and conserve energy for the following day's final time trial. After witnessing the finish in Macon SportsTrails will continue onto Beaune, where we will stay for one night on bed and breakfast basis in the 3*** Hotel Colvert.

Saturday 22 July - Stage 19

Basso could win stage 19, photo: Capture-The -Peloton.com

The TT from Le Creusot to Montceau-les-Mines, at 56K, will be the final major stage for those riders fighting for a high overall placing. The SportsTrails hotel in Beaune is ideally located to allow you to watch all the action in a stage that could well decide the final outcome of the 93rd Tour de France. Who will stand on the top step of the final podium in Paris? The TT to Montceau-les-Mines could provide the final answers. After watching the action SportsTrails will transport you back to Paris where you will spend the final two nights of the trip in the 3*** Hotel Mercure Paris Gentilly.

Sunday 23 July - Stage 20

SportsTrails will take you to watch the start of the final stage from nearby Antony. After seeing the riders depart, we will rejoin the coach and travel on to watch the stage finish in grand Paris. SportsTrails can also hook you up with special VIP Grandstand tickets for an additional fee.

Monday 24 July - Ciao!

After breakfast SportsTrails will transport you back to Charles de Gaulle airport in time for afternoon flights.

The Alps to Paris tour will be directed by three experienced SportsTrails guides, including ex-Tour professional Marco Vermeij. The SportsTrails crew is also organizing a trip to watch the prologue in Strasbourg, and the Paris finale weekend.

For full details visit the excellent SportsTrails website or fire-off an email to info@sportstrails.com. As a special offer SportsTrails is offering a 10% discount to you, the BiciRace.com readers. So remember that when you are booking to tell that BiciRace.com sent you!

Read:
2006 Tour de France Preview
93rd Tour de France Numbers, 28 October 2005
2006 Tour de France Route Revealed, 27 October 2005

22 April News ...