Climbing out from down under: join the Aussies!
A few months ago I heard from a nice Oz fellow Jeff who rode with VeloSport Vacations in Provence a few years back. It’s a long voyage from down there to France, so this time he wants to come with his cycling-crazed wife for a couple of weeks in Provence, include a Cingle attempt (Mont Ventoux 3-peat) and then take off for a week or two of riding in the Alps.
Aha (!), I say to myself; it’s finally time for that Classic Climbs cycling program we’ve only dreamed about. Leaving right from our base at the foot of the Ventoux, the dream route heads east towards the Italian border. It’s serious climbing from the 1st day, which includes the 25k Montagne de Lure, where Contador soloed to a 2009 Paris-Nice stage victory. Cycling all the way (no transfers!), our nine-day climbing extravaganza continues north through the Alps, traversing a pointed plethora of peaks: Col d’Allos, Col d’Izoard (eez zo ‘ard), the Galibier, the Col de la Madeleine….the list is as long as it is painful.
When Jeff gave us the Australian equivalent of the thumbs up on this route, he mentioned it might be fun to have some fellow cyclists along to share the fun (suffering). So we’re happy to announce our latest Classic Climbs program, Provence-Alps, June 20-28, 2010. There’s room for about 10 more riders, cost for the nine days is $3695, single supplement $995. Social climbers welcome!
Mont Ventoux attracts thousands of cyclists for any given summer season. But 2009 was quite the year for VeloSport’s little corner of Provence. One July week saw both the “Etape” cyclosportif with 8000+ riders followed a few days later by the finish of Stage 20 of the Tour de France. Between all the publicity [...]
You might call our newest 2010 program a “civilized” approach to following the world’s craziest bike race. Of course I like our Pyrénees program (sold out!), but the Alps & Lake Annecy trip is a more refined balance of the key things in life: riding, race viewing, eating, sleeping, and yes, vacationing.
We’ll be [...]
It’s funny, the French word for “experienced” is “experimenté”. Kind of like you have experimented a lot and maybe learned something along the way. Following the Tour as it has grown immensely over the past two decades, we have certainly learned from our experiences. To keep getting better, we have not only had to remember [...]
Though there are plenty of other obstacles on the yellow brick road to Paris, the 2010 course justly brings focus to the 100th anniversary of the race’s first passage in the high mountains. For me, it’s another great opportunity to motivate cyclists to get out of their home routine and onto some of the best [...]
On July 28, 2009, long-time VéloSport guest Steve Maxwell became the 2705th person to officially climb Mont Ventoux by all three sides in one day (right). Steve said the 85 mile ride with 14,000 feet in elevation gain was a “…a tough, but unforgettable experience!”
Steve: ”I’ve been on three different VéloSport trips and I [...]
With stage 20 done and over, John ‘Petit Lapin’ Gatch headed down off Mont Ventoux, testing his tires – and his ego – along the way.
From Two Johns blog: “…Yes I did know the the tires would be fine. After two weeks of working as a cycling guide for VéloSport Vacations, I do trust the [...]
Our day on Mont Ventoux was perfectly epic. Honestly, it is hard to describe what it is like to be a handful of the more than 500,000 fans who packed themselves up and around the slopes of the mountain for just a couple of hours of entertainment. So instead of words, here are some images [...]
One month out from the penultimate stage of the 2009 Tour de France and it looks like we’re ready for the madness. We’re hosting no fewer than 100 race fans and guests atop the Giant of Provence and we’re pulling out all the stops for a four-star, over-the-top VéloSport picnic feast.
Climb Mont Ventoux by all three sides in one day and become a member of the elite brother – and sister- hood of the Club des Cinglés du Mont Ventoux. You can join VéloSport during our scheduled Ventoux three-peat week (June 13-20) or have us plan your custom Provence vacation. Based at the foot of [...]
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