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Alpes Open Tour: Ride with the Pros

Supported tour: August 12 thru 18, 2012
6 nights/8 days
Average daily mileage: 100 km (60 miles)
Starts from Vaujany. Transfers will be organized on a request basis from Lyon and Grenoble
Level 5 (challenging)
Accommodations in 2- and 3-star properties

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Cycling with the Pros in the French Alps: August 12 thru 18, 2012

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Two-time winner of the Tour de France, Bernard Thevenet is a regular on the Alpes Open Tour

cyclomundo riders in 2010 Alpes Open Tour

This trip of a lifetime is called a "Rando-sportif" meaning that this event is not timed. We recommend it to avid cyclists who want to test their limits on road cycling's most notorious terrain. Don't let that deter you however; you don't need to be a semi-professional to take part in this tour. It's very amateur-friendly and anyone who's participated in the past will mention how friendly and pleasant the environment is.

This 5-stage event will lead you along ridiculously scenic roads and mountain passes, the best that the Alps have to offer. Among the list of destinations you'll be visiting Vaujany, Alpe d'Huez, Briancon, and Pra-Loup. On average, you'll be riding 55 miles daily. As if you weren't already drooling, this chance of a lifetime literally puts you in the cleats of professionals, since you'll be riding with professional teams on all stages. Professional cyclists that will be joining the Alps Open Tour will be released early April, so keep an eye out for the list if you're interested in this upcoming experience that's unlike anything else!

As an Official Tour Operator or the Alpes Open Tour, Cyclomundo offers an all-inclusive 7-night package. As places are limited, we recommend you book early!

Besides the Alpes Open Tour, Cyclomundo also offers the following sportives:
- The Etape du Tour, a challenging cyclosportive in the Alps: including the mythic Tourmalet (July 18th)
- Marmotte, France's reputedly toughest one-day event finishing in Alpe d'Huez.

Itinerary

Sunday, August 12th, 2012: Arrival

As our starting point is the small resort of Vaujany, arriving in Geneva, Lyon, or Grenoble are your best options—whether you fly or take a train. We do not include the arrival/departure transfers as part of our package, but we can arrange these on a request basis. You will be accommodated in Vaujany and briefing on the next few days’ event will take place over dinner.

Monday, August 13th 2012 – 100 km/60 miles

Vaujany > Le Bourg d’Oisans > Alpe d’Huez > Col de Sarenne > Col du Lautaret > Serre Chevalier
No saving the best for last on this bike tour. The adrenaline pedal gets immediately mashed to the floor with some of the Tour de France’s most legendary climbs, starting with the greatest of them all, Alpe d’Huez. After exchanging high-fives at the Alpe d’Huez’s summit, you’ll continue climbing until you experience both biking and alpine glory atop Col de Sarenne. Your efforts will then be rewarded with a mind-bending descent, a guaranteed top-shelf experience for the brain’s memory vault. After topping Col du Lautaret, you’ll plunge into Serre-Chevalier, one of France’s most famous ski resorts.

Tuesday, August 14th, 2012 – 100 km/60 miles

Serre Chevalier > Briancon . Col d’Izoard . Guillestre . L’Argentiére-la-Bessée . Briancon . Serre Chevalier
After a leisurely breakfast amid Serre Chevalier’s alpine ambience, you’ll meet at the start line. Before clipping into the bike pedals, you’ll have time to chat with the pros and bond with your fellow riders–one of the hidden, but great features of this bike tour. Today’s ride is short, but intense, highlighted by Col d’Izoard. This legendary climb is as dramatic as it is historical. Col d’Izoard’s windswept summit has played host to some of the Tour de France’s most memorable moments, many of which are touted in a small cycling museum located at the top. After a slaloming descent you’ll wheel through several picturesque alpine villages– Guillestre, L’Argentiére-la-Bessée, Briançon–before returning to Serre Chevalier.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012 – 105 km/ 65 miles

Serre Chevalier > L’Argentiére-la-Bessée . Guillestre . Col de Vars . Barcelonnette – Pra Loup
Col de Vars, today’s first climb, has been featured in the Tour de France 33 times. Open only six months out of the year, it enjoys status as one of the highest paved roads in Europe. Hence, have camera ready. Col de Vars will serve as a good warm-up for Pra Loup, site of one of the greatest finishes in Tour de France history between Eddy Merckx and Bernard Thévenet. You can ask Thévenet himself – he’s a regular on the Alpes Open Tour. Lodging in Pra Loup, which is also famous for its skiing, will give you plenty of time to absorb the surrounding alpine scenery that rates somewhere between stunning and spectacular.

Thursday, August 16th, 2012 – 120 km/75 miles

Pra Loup > Le Lauzet Ubaye > Le Lac de Serre-Poncon > Savines-le-Lac > Chorges > Col de Moissiere > Ancelle > Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur > Col du Noyer > Super Dévoluy
This route is one of the best kept secrets in bicycling tour circles. What the mountain passes lack in name recognition, they more than make up for with staggering alpine scenery. Col de Noyer is especially dramatic, slinking up the mountainside like an asphalt snake, affording camera-worthy views with every bend. In between climbs you’ll wheel through tiny alpine villages, thick with Old World character, and follow the scenic shores of Le Lac de Serre Poncon and Savines Le Lac, two narrow lakes ringed with jutting peaks. The day ends in Super Dévoluy, yet another French Alp ski town that fully understands the essence of living the good life.

Friday, August 17th, 2012 - 90 km/55 miles

Super Dévoluy – Col de l’Holme – Col de Parquetout – Col d’Ornon – Barrage d’Allemond – Vaujany
Today’s ride allows you to experience quintessential country roads, but with alpine flavor. The route between Col de l’Holme and Col de Parquetout along a quiet, narrow road is notably absent of human presence, creating the perfect riding setting. And Col d’Ornon, the bike tour’s last mountain pass, is easy on the legs and eyes. Saw-toothed peaks frame the entire climb, serving as nature’s visual sales pitch for joining next year’s Alpes Open Tour.

Saturday, Augusut 18th, 2012 - Departure

Although the departure transfer is not included in your package, be assured it can be arranged on a request basis.

Booking & Pricing

Pricing: From 1,250 euros per person sharing a room.

Option A: 6 nights in 2-star properties.

1,250 euros per person sharing a room. Single supplement is 400 euros.

Option A+: 6 nights in 3-star properties

1,650 euros per person sharing a room. Single supplement is 400 euros

These prices include:

6-night accommodations (arrival on Sunday, August 12; Departure on August 18)
Daily breakfast
Daily dinner
Entry-fee to l’Alpes Open Tour and all Alpes Open tour-related services
Medical assistance
Support vehicle
Feed-stations during the race
Meal right after the race
Luggage transfers
All tax and service charges

These prices do not include:

Expenses of personal nature
Travel insurance
Bike rentals. Full-carbon bicycle rentals can be secured at the rate of 210 euros per bike.

Please book online at your earliest convenience as this trip is subject to hotel availability. Our e-mail address: info@cyclomundo.com