Paris To Alpe dHuez TdF

Itinerary

Day 1 - 40 miles - Paris To Melun
We arrive in Paris mid-morning from London using the high speed Eurostar link before climbing on to our trusted two wheeled steeds and winding a course out of the French capital using the river Seine as our conduit and our first overnight stop in the pretty town of Melun.

Day 2 - 80 miles - Melun To Auxerre
We’re still in the grasps of the capital but it’s not long before we enter the region of Burgundy/Bourgogne and begin to ride through the rolling vineyards that make this part of the world famous. Our overnight is at the town of Auxerre just a stones throw from the world renowned department of Chablis.

Day 3 - 74 miles - Auxerre To Arnay-le-Duc
We now begin riding ever closer to the business end of premier cru viniculture and into the Côte d'Or. Gevrey Chambertin, Nuit St Georges, Beaune are all within our sights but hey, we’re here for the riding right? Would be a shame not to try a glass or two, as we’re here.

Day 4 - 83 miles - Arnay-le-Duc To Bourg-en-Bresse
After easing ourselves out of bed and a few strong espressos later we continue riding through this special part of the world. Another coffee in the beautiful city of Chalon-sur-Saône before bearing south onwards through Beaujolais country and our overnight stop, the pretty town of Bourg-en-Bresse.

Day 5 - 86 miles - Bourg-en-Bresse To Grenoble
With the mountains becoming more visible, they remind us we might just need to save the legs a little before our excursion into the high country the following day. After nearly 360 miles from the French capital we finally arrive at the ‘Capital of the Alps’ - Grenoble.

Day 6 - 79 miles - Grenoble To Alpe d’Huez To Grenoble
The day has finally arrived - the ‘Big One’ - the moment you’ve been waiting for, the chance to ride the most coveted mountain in cycling history - l’Alpe d’Huez. 1860m in high, 13.8km with an average of 7.9% this is by no means the highest, the longest or the steepest mountain but it’s the battles that have taken place on this sacred asphalt over the years that has captured the imagination of 1000’s of cyclists and spectators. Tours have been won and lost here through blood, sweat and tears with drama almost too unbearable to watch... Now is your chance to be ‘King of the Mountains’.
After completing the summit we stop for lunch before descending our way back down the fabled 21 hairpins and on to our Grenoble base for well earnt drink and night out.

Day 7 - Return to UK

Accommodation

6 Nights accommodation is included in your fee. We shall be in simple hotels throughout the event (including breakfasts). The standard of accommodation is designed to be functional, and clean - and to enable us to get a good night's sleep - and enjoy the challenge. You will be sharing in twins or triples If you require a single room then please request this at time of booking (a supplementary fee will be payable). Upgrades are also available for an extra charge if required.

What is a Level 3.5 Cycling Challenge Like?

These challenge rides are either longer, with more ascent, or span several days. In the case of single day events, you can expect up to 10 hours cycling. In the case of a multi day ride, you can expect lower daily durations - but of course - the effort is sustained over a longer period. You need to be a keen cyclist for these events, and to enjoy training, and to ride regularly. If the ride is outside the EU, it is likely to be easier in terms of the physical riding, however, you will need to be more resilient - due to more basic living conditions (in the case of Asia / Africa especially)

How Fit Do I need to be to join a Level 3.5 ‘Bike Ride’?

You need to have good endurance for these events. You must be used to doing long rides in the countryside - 6 hours + . You should be doing regular exercise - with some serious cycle training. Your typical comfortable cycling speed will be at least 22-24 km/hr, and you should be able to cycle at high speed for up to 1 hour or 25 km. You may also be concentrating on other types of exercise - but for longer periods of time (ie sessions in excess of 1.5 hrs.) - however cycling is the best preparation (obviously!)

Medical Issues

Please note, it is extremely important for this physical challenge that you are in good health. If you have any pre-existing medical conditions, please consider carefully whether you should be joining the challenge. Please ensure you fill in the booking form accurately and honestly, this is important. In the case of serious conditions (epilepsy, diabetes, heart conditions, recent illness or operations), please discuss the challenge with your GP. Please also ensure you notify us of any allergies or similar.

It requires stamina and good aerobic fitness - but good willpower will also come in handy! Failure to disclose medical conditions is a serious omission - that could have serious repercussions on any of our challenges.

Visas / Redtape

When travelling abroad you may require a Visa. Please check the Travcour website (www.travcour.com) for up to date Visa information. Here they can advise you on the best action to take.

Included In Trip

Leader (experienced with first aid qualification, and experienced mechanic), Support Vehicle with driver, Eurostar to Paris from London, all accommodation B&B basis, Bike transfer from London to Paris and back to London from Grenoble.
Please Note: Bikes will be returned to St Pancras station for collection in the evening. Note also - we have not included return transport on this itinerary - we may be able to include TGV back to Paris and on to London via Eurostar.

Excluded From Trip

Flights (/train return) from the end of the ride, personal transfers to airport on final day (taxi ride required!) - train station is in downtown Grenoble and easily accessible. Lunches and dinners.

Equipment Required

Kit lists specific to your trip dates and location will be issued upon enquiry...below is our guide advice to give an idea of what you should bring on a multi--day ride in Europe

Bike Items
Road Bike / Hybrid Bike (with puncture resistant tyres) - please call us for guidance on type of bike on a trip by trip basis
2 X Water Bottles (bladder system/cycle water bottles)
Cycling Gloves, Bike Lock, Neck Scarf, Inner Tubes*, Multi-Tool (with allen keys)*
Day Bag for support vehicle, Small Holdall (for overnight gear)
Bike Lights (front and rear, head torch can be worn)
Saddle Bag (recommended - can be used to carry asterisk* items)
Puncture Repair Kit*, Spare parts for your bike (specialist parts and spokes), Pump (suitable for your valve type)

Helmet (compulsory)
Personal Medikit  Suncream, Plasters, Vaseline, Painkillers, Sunbloc, Insect Repellant

Washkit

Warm Clothing Medium Weight Softshell, Long sleeve Jersey / insulating layer Lightweight Gloves.

Cycle  Clothing
Padded Lycra Cycling Shorts, Cotton Shorts, or Long Cycling Trousers (Tights/Tracksuit Bottoms)
Short Sleeve Cycling T-Shirts (wicking type material) or Cycle Top with rear pockets
Cycling Shoes (approach shoes or sturdy traners suitable), 

Spare Shoes/Sandals for after ride

Casual Evening Wear - tracksuits, jeans, T shirts, fleece ...

Waterproof Clothing
1 Outer Fully Waterproof Jacket (gore-tex, e-vent) - comfortable to cycle in

Other
Travel Documents, EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) Credit Cards, Cash, Local Currency, Mobile Phone, chargers, EU plug adaptor, Sunglasses
Snacks for Cycling Days (dried fruits, nuts, flapjacks, cereal bars etc)
Travel insurance (not included), Passport

Important
Make sure you do not ‘over pack’ - bring only what is essential for the trip. It is advisable to check that your travel insurance covers the value of any expensive items of kit that you chose to bring along with you. 

A final kit list will be provided in your ‘Final Joining Instructions’ pre-departure

Safety Information

You must stay in contact with your leader at each stage of the ride. Briefings will be made each day. You must always wear your helmet. Your leader is First Aid Qualified - and will carry a full expedition first aid kit. There will also be a support vehicle available in case of emergency - but this is only useful if you are in contact with the vehicle / leader.

Weather

Mild warm and sunny weather. Be prepared for hot and sunny conditions - so be prepared to protect against the sun. Equally however, we could get unlucky! So pack rain jackets and warmer clothes too! Just in case!

Notes on Cycling Events

This is our standard range of Cycling Challenges in the UK, Europe and further afield. However, we offer completely tailormade itineraries to your specification. Call us to discuss! Please note that for overseas point to point cycling challenges we can transport soft cases for bike transport - but not hard cases, due to space limitations on board our support vehicles. On all our cycling events, please pack sensibly and bring a reasonably sized soft holdall type bag. To participate in an overseas Adventure Cafe challenge - you must carry Travel Insurance (to be for the activity you are participating in, and to include repatriation to the UK). Please also note that you should have a good level of cycling experience and be competent to handle your bike. We ride on roads shared with other vehicles - and you need to be able to deal with this safely.

Adventure Cafe Booking Terms and Conditions

To Reserve Your Space on this Challenge