Friday 16th July
Clients will be picked up from Charles de Gaulle airport at 9.00am, 12.00pm, 3.00pm or 6.00pm for private transfers to our hotel in Paris, where we shall spend the night on a Bed & Breakfast basis. Please indicate on your booking form your preferred time of collection if you have organised your own flights. We have arranged for you to keep your bike box/bag at the hotel for the duration of the tour as the bikes will travel in a special bike trailer. There will be a welcome dinner at the hotel with a former professional Tour de France rider as our guest speaker.
Saturday 17th July
After breakfast load your bike onto the special bike trailer. We'll leave Paris and travel to the city of Toulouse, where we'll spend the next 2 nights on Bed & Breakfast basis at a 3 star Hotel. Apart from being a beautiful city, Toulouse offers good access to the first 2 Pyrenean mountain stages of the 2010 Tour de France.
Sunday 18th July
The 2010 Tour de France finally arrives in the Pyrenees and today is the 1st of 4 fantastic mountain stages, a 184km stage from Revel to Ax 3 Domaines, that features the 2000mts Port de Pailheres just before the final assent to the ski station of Ax 3 Domaines (summit finish).
Our location in Toulouse offers excellent access to the stage, and after an early breakfast we'll leave the city and head to the Pyrenees and the climb to Ax 3 Domaines. Those with bikes will be dropped off in either Foix or Tarascon and will be able to ride to the stage, whilst those without bikes will be taken to the town of Ax les Thermes where they will be able to walk to the final climb of the stage.
After seeing the stage we'll rejoin the bus in Ax les Thermes and return to Toulouse, where the evening is at leisure.
Monday 19th July
The second Pyrenean stage is a classic 3 mountain traverse of the Pyrenees from Pamiers to Luchon over 187km and featuring the Portet d'Aspet, the Casartelli memorial, Col des Ares and the vicious Port de Bales before a hair raising descent to the finish in Luchon. The Port de Bales was first used in the 2007 Tour de France, and is an extremely difficult climb (20km @ 6.2 average) on a small road with parts of the climb at 14%!
We will see the stage on the Port de Bales as it's easily accessible from Toulouse and allows a quick exit so we can move onto Lourdes.
Those with bikes will be dropped off south of Toulouse and will be able to ride to Port de Bales, whilst those without bikes will be taken to the foot of the climb by the bus.
After seeing the stage at Port de Bales we'll regroup and travel to the town of Lourdes where we'll spend the next 4 nights at a 3* hotel. Breakfast and dinner will be included.
Tuesday 20th July
The third Pyrenean stage is an absolute classic featuring 4 of the best known climbs in the Pyrenees (Peyresourde, Aspin, Tourmalet & Aubisque) over a 196km stage that joins Luchon with Pau.
Our location in Lourdes is excellent for accessing the stage and offers those with bikes the opportunity to ride from the hotel to either the climbs of Aspin, Tourmalet or Aubisque. Those without bikes will be taken to either the base of the Col du Tourmalet or Col d´Aubsique where they can walk onto the climb.
After seeing the stage we'll return to our hotel in Lourdes.
Wednesday 21st July
After three vicious stages in the Pyrenees the riders of the Tour de France spend their 2nd rest day in the town of Pau.
This gives those with bikes the opportunity to ride the famous Pyrenees climbs of Aspin, Tourmalet, Aubisque, Luz Ardiden and Hautacam, whilst those without bikes can spend the day at leisure.
Thursday 22nd July
The Col du Tourmalet first appeared in the 1910 Tour de France (100 years ago) and to honor this giant of the Pyrenees the final stage of the 2010 Tour de France will finish at the summit of this famous mountain. It will be the 2nd time the 2010 Tour de France climbs the Col Tourmalet, and today it will be the west face from Luz St Sauveur. The stage will leave from Pau and prior to arriving at the Col du Tourmalet the riders will have to face two other famous mountains in the Pyrenees, the Col du Mairie Blanque and the Col du Soulor. Once again another classic stage, and a fantastic way to finish the high mountains of the 2010 Tour de France.
Those with bikes will be able to ride to the Col du Tourmalet whilst those without bikes will be taken to the foot of the climb where they will be able to walk onto the lower slopes.
After seeing the stage we shall return to our hotel.
Friday 23rd July
After 4 incredible mountain stages in the Pyrenees, today sees the return of the sprinters on a 190km flat stage between Salies de Bearn and Bordeaux (the world's wine capital!). After Paris, Bordeaux is the most visited city on the Tour de France, and it is a renowned sprinters finish.
After breakfast we leave Lourdes and travel to the stage. Depending on the final stage details, we shall either see the stage at the feed station or the finish in Bordeaux.
Those with bikes will be able to ride part of the stage route. After seeing the stage, we'll spend the next 2 nights in the city of Bordeaux on a Bed & Breakfast basis, where you will have the opportunity to explore the city and its restaurants.
Saturday 24th July
The only individual time trial of the 2010 Tour de France will be a 51km test through the Bordeaux vineyards between the City of Bordeaux and the town of Pauillac.
Our base in Bordeaux offers excellent access to today's all important time trial, and those with bikes will be able to ride from the hotel in Bordeaux onto the time trial circuit to see the stage, whilst those without bikes will be taken to the time trial by the touring bus.
Subject to confirmation, we hope to be able to offer a visit of a vineyard on the time trial route with wine tasting and purchasing opportunities.
After seeing the stage we'll return to our hotel in Bordeaux.
Sunday 25th July
After 3 weeks of grueling racing through the mountains of the Jura, Alps, Massif Central & Pyrenees, the Tour de France finally arrives on the cobblestones of the Champs Elysees.
After an early breakfast you'll be taken the short distance to Bordeaux from where we will board a privately chartered TGV fast train to Paris Montparnasse, arriving at approximately 10.30am. From here you will be taken by bus directly to the Champs Elysees in time to see the final stage of the 2010 Tour de France - arrival onto Champs Elysees and the 8 lap finale.
After the finish, you'll transfer to our Paris hotel, where we spend 1 night on Bed & Breakfast basis. Those with early transfers in the morning will have to box up their bikes tonight.
As this is an official travel package, included is a Grandstand seat on the Champs Elysees (Grand Palais), and there will be the possibility to upgrade to hospitality and grandstand seats.
Monday 26th July
After breakfast transfers from the hotel to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport at the following times 07.30am, 11.00am & 2.00pm.
