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Classic Cols of the Tour de France - road cycling holidayPut on your polka dot jersey and cycle some classic road cols in breathtaking scenery of the Pyrenees, France. |
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Experience the climbs first hand. |
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What is the Classic Cols trip all aboutThis road cycling holiday has been put together to give you the opportunity to cycle the best routes and cols that the Pyrenees has to offer. It is a point to point journey so you traverse the region, taking in the infamous cols that the professional Tour de France cyclists head up every year.The mountain scenery is stunning, the roads quiet, and the drivers are respectful and supportive of cyclists. Add the sunny climate, French cuisine, good company of the others in your group, and you have the perfect ingredients for your cycling holiday. The most exciting thing about this holiday is its flexibility - we have devised a basic daily route that is both manageable and enjoyable for regular cyclists, and then have added the optional extras in terms of both increased distances and ascents, that also make this holiday suitable for those looking to really push themselves and take on every extra cycling challenge. As a group holiday, you can be sure to find someone else on the trip with similar aspirations to you, whether that be sampling a glass of the local wine in a rustic village bar, or taking on every optional extra stage ending on offer. Why come road cycling with Marmot Tours?We have been running this road cycling holiday since 2001 , and know the region and its cols very well. Year round we live in the Pyrenees, so have had a chance to cycle the routes ourselves, and so know what it feels like to take on these climbs. This trip is all about you and your bike - we do the rest. We provide you with comprehensive notes with altitude profiles, route descriptions and top tips on the best places to eat lunch. You then ride whichever of the route choices you feel like doing, to bring you to the hotel, meeting up with our support vehicle periodically throughout the day to restock with water and snacks. We minimise time in the van so that you are only have the transfers at the beginning and end of the holiday - the rest of the time you are cycling, which after all is what you have come to do. Our routes go direct from hotel to hotel, and naturally all your baggage is transported on for you. As a small company, we prioritise using friendly, comfortable and
well run family hotels in each location, where they know us, and
know what our groups need. They are used to having
groups of road cyclists, and provide great French food to take you
through the next day. The distances / ascent of our basic route is listed in our itinerary, but it is possible to do up to 3000m of ascent every day! The support vehicle will never be far away, offering mechanical help, refreshments and lifts up (or down) the hills. This holiday is even suitable for non-cycling partners who want to enjoy exploring this beautiful part of the world. The route has been put together so the days of the basic get progressively more challenging. It is important to us that people book the correct holiday. Please do
not hesitate to contact us if you
have have any doubts. HOLIDAY DATESSun 17 May - Sun 24 May 2009 (Trip code RFP I20)Sun 28 Jun - Sun 5 Jul 2009 (Trip code RFP I26) Thurs 9 July - Thurs 16 July 2009 (Trip code RFP I27) - £699* Sun 13 Sept - Sun 20 Sept 2009 (Trip code RFP I37) * This trip
which coincides with the Tour de France. We stick to our normal
itinerary but have the opportunity of watching the professionals on
the Col de Port and even catching the stage ending at St Girons on
day 3 of our trip. On top of this we intend to be in a bar at 4pm
every day to watch the final hour of the Tour live on TV. This trip
has all the same inclusions as our other departures, with the
exception we are unable to offer vehicle support on day 3 and we
stay in an auberge with shared facilities in St Girons instead of
our normal hotel in Lorp Senteral, which is accommodating a team.
HOW MUCH DOES THE HOLIDAY COST?The land only price for the classic cols Holiday is £689. Allow about £100 for the meals not included and drinks (depending on your thirst). Please note that we offer a 5% discount if you book more than 3 months before the departure date. We also offer group and loyalty discounts.This price includes:
6 nights 2-star hotels, 1 night 1- star hotel. 6 evening meals and 7 breakfasts,
group transfers, vehicle support.
WHERE DO WE STAYWe stay in comfortable 2-star hotels where accommodation will be allocated on a twin share basis with private facilities. Rooms normally have private facilities, but depending on season and group size, we may have up to 3 people per room. With larger groups we can not guarantee that we will all be staying in the same hotel, however we will always eat together. In Campan we stay in a 1 star hotel.FOODFood is very important on road cycling holidays and all the restaurants have a special menu for cyclists, ensuring large portions of fine local cuisine. Each region we pass through has its own specialties and due to our proximity to Catalonia we can expect a slight Spanish flair on some nights. Evening meals are taking in the hotel or nearby restaurants and will be generally be 3 courses. Breakfasts are continental style which we supplement with cereals. Lunches are not included, giving you the flexibility to select your own diet. There are lots of bakeries and small restaurants en route. One of the evening meals in Luchon is not included, giving you the opportunity to head into town and try out one of the many fine restaurants.GUIDING AND INSTRUCTIONYour group leader will be driving the support vehicle during the trip. As it is not expected that the group will stay together, you will be given comprehensive notes, with directions, altitude profiles and details of the night's hotel. Your support vehicle will drive near the rear of the group, offering support and lifts up (or down) the hills as needed, plus allowing you to stock up on water etc.. The van has a bike rack to take assembled bikes as needed, and the leader will have bike mechanic skills.BIKE INFOIf you do not want to have the hassle of bringing your own bike, you can hire either a Commencal Colt or Specialized Allez Sport (both with front triples) for £120. You will need to reserve one on booking. For more information on hiring or packing up your own bike for travel please see the Bike Hire section.If you are bringing your own bike, you may have some questions
regarding gear ratios. One of our experienced clients who has
often cycled the Pyrenean cols suggested the following: If using a triple chainset then small ring at front 30 tooth, large ring at rear 25 tooth." He did also add that there was no substitute for training!
Any other bike related questions, then don't hesitate to email us.
HOW DO I GET THERE?Minibus transfers at specified times are included in the cost of the holiday. Please see the Transport for all travel options (air, road and rail) plus information on getting to the start point, the Hotel Terminus at Ax les Thermes, independently of the group transfer from Toulouse Airport.Airport transfers are included on this trip and will be arranged to tie in with the following flights: British Airways from London Heathrow Out: departing Heathrow at 1415 and arriving in Toulouse at 1710. In: departing Toulouse at 1800 and arriving in Heathrow at 1855. Out: departing Bristol at 1415 and arriving in Toulouse at 1705. In: departing Toulouse at 1730 and arriving in Bristol at 1815. |
