Un, Deux, Trois, Quatre, Cinq! Five Tour de France Bike Trips

(Photo: Courtesy of Trek Travel)

By Jayme Moye, Men’s Journal

Anyone can test their mettle on the 21 switchbacks of Alpe d’Huez and surge toward Paris along the Tour de France’s winding route through Provence, but working out the logistics for such a trip might prove more exhausting than the pedaling. We respectfully suggest signing up for one of these bike tours, which handle all the mind-numbing details, from schlepping your luggage to manning the sag wagon so you can focus on your race against yourself.

But these tours are notable for more than making riding through the landscape that shaped modern bikes pleasant, since each one ensures that the rider makes it to key points d’observation when the actual Tour de France peloton flies through, meaning you could be watching and – in your own way – participating in the Tour de France.

DuVine

DuVine is a bike tour behemoth, offering close to 80 different tours in the Americas, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. For the Tour de France, founder Andy DuVine keeps it small (maximum group size 14) and select. He partners with Cannondale to offer a trio of trips targeting elite cyclists able to tackle the Tour de France’s toughest stages. This is one of only two tours (Trek is the other) that include not only VIP access to view the race, but time with one of the competing teams – Cannondale, in this case. Choose from Le Grand Départ or Le Grand Finale, depending on whether you want to see the send-off and bike the mountainous island of Corsica, or see the finish and ride in the Alps. There’s also a Rustique version of Le Grand Finale, in which you stay in a charming (but less ritzy) chalet owned by a winemaker for a portion of the trip.

The tours are part of DuVine’s Pro series, which means participants are treated like professional bike racers, with luxury accommodations and gourmet meals, and a full-time bike mechanic and coach. Bring only your saddle and pedals – a Cannondale SuperSix and a professional bike fit are included. [All-inclusive, starting at $5,295 for 6 days/5 nights; duvine.com]

Trek Travel

Another bike tour giant, Trek Travel offers more than 50 tours in North America, Europe, Costa Rica, Vietnam, and Australia. Trips range from basic ride camps to luxurious cycling tours. The Tour de France options definitely fall into the luxury category. The VIP Race Experience Tour, specifically, is designed to make you feel like part of the RadioShack Leopard Trek team – or at least the friends and family contingent – with behind-the-scenes access to the cyclists and special access to the race via private viewing areas kitted out with open bars and hors d’oeuvres. There are three riding options that correspond to Le Tour’s stages: Corsica to Nice, Provence, and Alpe d’Huez to Paris. Daily rides are geared toward intermediate to advanced cyclists and range from about 20 miles to 65 miles. Whatever trip you choose, you’ll get to ride the all-new Trek Domane with Di2 electronic shifting, and you’ll pocket a $300 discount on a 5 or 6 series Trek Madone or Project One. Book early; these tours cap at 25 participants and typically sell out. [All-inclusive, starting at $5,599 for 6 days/5 nights; trektravel.com]

Thompson Bike Tours

Thomson leads cycling trips during the three Grand Tours – Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, and Vuelta a España. The company, co-founded by an American and a Scotsman living in Spain, also offers climbing-oriented bike tours in France, Switzerland, Italy, and Spain in the summer and early fall. Climbs are Thomson’s specialty – the King of the Mountains tour is known throughout the industry as the cycling tour to do during the Tour de France. It comes in five flavors, depending on how long you plan to spend traveling and which stages of the Tour you want to watch: Pyrenees; Alps; Alps and Paris; Ventoux and Alps; and Ventoux, Alps, and Paris. The trips are also broken out into “Extreme” and “Performance,” based on how hard you want to ride. In the Extreme group, expect 60 miles of riding and 8,000 feet of climbing daily. The Performance Group will go 40 to 60 miles a day and and will climb 3,000-8,000 feet in elevation. Accommodations are luxurious hotels. Bring your own bike or pay $500 to rent a Bianchi Sempre Pro for the duration of the trip. [All-inclusive, starting at $2,895 for 4 days/3 nights; thomsonbiketours.com]

Gourmet Cycling Travel

A small bike tour company run by a South African bike racer and an American chef, Gourmet Cycling Travel conducts five tours in France and Italy, including two during Le Tour. The co-founders personally lead each tour, for a fusion of world-class cycling and haute cuisine. In the Côte d’Azur tour, you’ll bike 20-70 miles a day on coastal routes and watch three stages of the tour. On the Final Week tour, you’ll ride 20-70 miles on rolling climbs and watch four stages of the tour, including the finish in Paris. These are the best tours to bring your partner, since the itinerary includes Michelin-starred restaurants, visits to local markets, wine tastings, cooking classes, and a generous helping of culture. Renting a carbon-fiber road bike will cost you an extra $400 for the trip. [All-inclusive, starting at $4,295 for 6 days/5 nights; gourmetcyclingtravel.com]

PyrActif

A no-frills outfitter based in the Pyrenees, PyrActif is known for offering authentic cycling tours at an excellent value. Its Tour de France tour focuses exclusively on the Pyrenees stages. It kicks off with two guided days riding stages 8 and 9 and viewing the race at key vantage points. The rest of the trip is a mix of guided and self-guided rides on some of the best routes in the Pyrenees, including its most epic climbs: Tourmalet, Aspin, and Superbagnères, and a day across the border in the Spanish Pyrenees. This is the trip to do with your cycling buddies, who’ve otherwise “been there, done that” in the French Alps and Provence, or who want to mix in some other outdoor activities besides biking. Instead of a ride, PyrActif can substitute hiking, kayaking, rafting, or climbing. Accommodations are chambres d’hôtes (guest houses) or 2-star hotels. Rent from PyrActif’s small fleet of titanium, aluminum, and carbon-fiber road bikes for $33 a day, plus a $38 cleaning fee and a $388 security deposit. [All-inclusive, starting at $1,275 for 9 days/8 nights; pyractif.com]

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