18-Jul-2015 - 26-Jul-2015
Duration: 9 days/ 8 nights
Suitable for: Moderate to Proficient
Prices from: $6750 twin share
Welcome to the 2015 Tour de France hosted by your Tour de France cycling legend, Phil Anderson. This trip will celebrate the Alpes: Climb and ride as you wish, while focusing on the tour and all the delights that France has to offer the discerning cyclist. As always with Phil Anderson Cycling Tours, our rides are challenging but our accommodation and dining experiences are first-rate.
We start our Assault of the Alpes with some preparation training on a must do climb, the Giant of Provence; visible from hundreds of kilometres away, the white sepulchre of Ventoux is an essential destination for the pilgrimaging cyclist. Following a few days in Provence, we’ll head north to witness the final few stages of le Tour and to tackle l’Alpe d’Huez, Col du Glandon, Col du Granier, and Col de la Croix de Fer.Unlike the tumultuous start to the 2014 Tour de France, we should see all the favourites make it to the Alpes after the peloton’s short foray into the Pyrenees. The eventual winner will have to stamp his authority on every climb in the Alpes. It could be Froome, Contador, Nibali, or a new challenger who is nipping at the heels of the current legends.
To see a selection of photos from previous years' Phil Anderson cycling Tours de France, click here.
18-Jul-2015
Day 1
TdF State 14.
Today's Ride: Welcome ride
The 2015 Phil Anderson Cycling Alpes Assault tour starts with a pick up in Avignon. We will ride to our first accommodation in the Ardeche Region, better known by cyclists as the Massif Central, where you will be introduced to Phil and get to know your travelling companions on our traditional welcome ride.
This ride is designed to prepare the weary traveller for the rides to come, roll out the legs on the undulating laneways and lavender fields of Provence. There will be time to discuss le Tour and ponder performances and standings a little later over the first of our degustation dinners to Welcome you to France.
19-Jul-2015
Day 2
TdF Stage 15.
Today's Ride: Some rolling hills on the way to spectate Satge 15.
Today the peloton will be passing through the Ardèche, a transition zone between the mountains and the Rhone Valley on what is expected to be a long tough stage of le tour.Often referred to as the Canyon zone our ride won’t be as arduous as that of the pro’s we are riding to see but will be hilly, the dramatic country-side presenting spectacular vistas en-route to spectating of Stage 15 of le tour de France.
20-Jul-2015
Day 3
TdF Stage 16.
Today's Ride: Rolling hills through the lavender to see Stage 16.
Today we transfer from the Ardeche region to Vaucluse and will stay in yet another truly remarkable hotel in Grignan. Our hotel once again offers the finest choices in French cuisine and wine, all nestled under the shadow of the Mont VentouxThe villages in this region are blessed with extraordinary vistas and character, many labelled Villes de Caractère. It will be tempting to pause at one of the village cafes for a pre-ride pastry and to take in the morning sun.
The Tour de France is still nearby, though, and the peloton must be chased as we continue our roll through Provence spectate some of Stage 16.
21-Jul-2015
Day 4
TdF Stage 17.
Today's Ride: Mont Ventoux
Today is a Tour de France Rest day but Phil has decided we will be taking on our first big ride, visiting a monument of the Tour and a must do climb for any cyclist, the Mont Ventoux.Phil has designed this ride to enable all in the group to tackle this climb and after an early start, with the strongest riding from home and the less inclined starting closer to the foot of this classic climb, your challenge will begin.
Mont Ventoux achieved worldwide notoriety when it claimed the life of British cyclist Tom Simpson in 1967. Eventual Tour Yellow Jersey winner Eddy Merckx also found himself in a similar situation when he passed out mid race while ascending the mountain in 1970.
Your own ascent of the Mont Ventoux will not be under race condition but we will ride the traditional anti-clockwise race route through the forest shrouding the base of the climb, to emerge first at Chalet Reynard before the familiar lunar landscape greets you and the road pitches up to the summit.
22-Jul-2015
Day 5
TdF Stage 17.
Today's Ride: Chartreuse Plateau & Col du Granier
Moving ahead of the peloton, today we head into the Savoie region and yet another historic Chateau.Our ride today will feature The Col du Granier, which is more frequent in the legends of the Dauphine than le Tour but it is a favourite for any cyclist nonetheless.
The trophy for the 1985 Dauphine, which featured the spectacular roads of the Plateau des Chartreuse and the Col du Grainer, stands tall in Phil’s poolroom. This area remains a favourite of Phil’s and is voted the best day so often amongst our guests that the ride is starting to become essential.
We won’t ride for too long today, as our goal is also to retreat to the chateau in time to catch the coverage of the Stage 17 finale.
23-Jul-2015
Day 6
TdF Stage 18.
Today's Ride: Lacets de Montvernier
We plan to intersect the race again today on a ride which will encompass the 1924m Col du Glandon and a climb you may not have heard of: the Lacets de Montvernier. This is a spectacular little piece of road, with 18 hairpin bends in the space of just under 4 km.
We'll be riding the climb first before taking position to see the peloton climb from the bottom.
The finale: a spectacular descent to our hotel capped off by another impeccable French meal.
24-Jul-2015
Day 7
TdF Stage 19
Today's Ride: Col du Glandon & Col de la Croix de Fer
Today will be a day of climbing a Haut Category climb, of magnificent views, and of watching the antagonists of this year’s tour playing out their final cards for victory, before we descend to the comforts of Grenoble.
25-Jul-2015
Day 8
TdF Stage 20
Today's Ride: l'Alpe d'Huez
The penultimate stage of the 2015 Tour de France presents the infamous Alpe d’Huez.This climb is only 14km but the 21 switchbacks of this will be crowded with fans and cyclists alike. Everyone will want to be on this mountain today, and with an expectation that the race could come down to the wire on the notorious slopes of this mountain, there will be pandemonium both on and off the bike.
We will ride to the mountain early, traditionally leaving from the settlement of Rochetaillee just down the road a little from the foot of le Alpe. Being a very popular day for the spectators, riding the mountain can be a challenge so the alternative is to ride up the steeper but more direct route through the hamlet of Villard Reculas, which takes us to 4km from the summit.
Always a great day and possibly critical in the results of the race, Alpe d’Huez will live up to all your expectations of being at a Tour de France mountain stage.Tonight we have a memorable dinner planned just a couple of blocks away from our hotel in Grenoble.
26-Jul-2015
Day 9
TdF: Champs Elysee
Today's Ride: N/A
This morning marks the end of our Alpes tour.
We have designed our week to leave the possibility, for any guest who wishes, of taking the TGV to Paris in time to see the Tour de France's final stage and presentation. Please contact us if you would like us to arrange this add on to your Tour de France experience.
Inclusions:
- 8 nights accommodation in luxury accommodation, including Chateaus.
- Daily breakfast.
- 4 dinners, many at Michelin rated venues.
- Local Professional staff and mechanic support.
- Luxury transportation.
- Support Vehicles on all rides.
- The best rides in France designed by Phil Anderson
- Road book of the tour including ride maps, gradient charts and more
- Phil Anderson Cycling ride pack including 2 Phil Anderson Cycling jerseys
Exclusions:
- Insurance
- Visas
- Meals other than those specified
- Drinks other than those specified
- Snacks
- Bike Hire- available upon request. Contact our friendly staff at Phil Anderson Cycling for details.
- Airfares- available upon request. Contact our friendly staff at Phil Anderson Cycling for details.
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