Etape

The Etape du Tour riders could not possibly have asked for a more beautiful day to ride 181 kilometers from Pau to La Mongie. We got up before dawn to get on the bus from our hotels to get to the early morning start. The 3:30 a.m. wake-up call was brutal, I’m sure! And the reward was getting to most of the stage that the Tour de France riders will cover tomorrow. That means pedaling over the Col de Marie-Blanque, 9.5 kilometers averaging 7.5%, the Col du Soulor, 22k averaging just under 5%, and finishing up the Tourmalet, 19k averaging 7.5%. It was a long day in the saddle, but what an accomplishment! The first riders came in around in 6 hours… Lots were still coming in around 10 hours and more. Then, after crossing the finish line and getting their medals, the riders had to climb up one more hill to get their lunch!

Our self-guided Pyrenees riders got their first day on the bikes today, too. We set them off on a gorgeous, blue-sky day (a nice change from yesterday’s fog and cold!). Most pedaled away from the Etape ride, but they still got to climb the Tourmalet to get home to the hotel. All in all, a great day on the mountain! More photos posted on Facebook fan page

VIP Day Les Rousses

VIP Day #1
"Allez! Allez!" Can't tell you how many times we heard that today, since we got to ride the last 50k of today's Tour de France route that ended in La Rousses. Most of the group climbed Col de la Croix de la Serra and the Col de l'Amoura, . It was hot, hot, hot; in fact the bike computers were showing 99 degrees F, but everybody rode strong. When we got into La Rousses, our Discover France VIP group got to ride across the finish line AND stand on the winners' podium. They got a behind-the-scenes tour and got to watch Sylvain Chavanel take another stage win just a few yards from the finish line.
It was a pretty cool day, made even cooler by the television interviews we did for SBS Television in Australia. The news team was doing a story on fans at the Tour. They shot video of us taking pictures of each other on the podium, and interviewed two of our 4 Aussies. And another of our guests did an interview for National Public Radio. Discover France making news on two continents. Ha!
Getting out of the stage finish area was no easy feat though... Negotiating barricaded roads and tens out thousands of people made our exit.. challenging.. but we did get to experience a HUGE French storm complete with hurricane winds and hail. Tomorrow: Another VIP day at the Morzine finish, and we'll probably tackle a Category One climb.
Hoping to get some rest tonight for another big Tour de France Day.

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Annecy Starts VIP Alpes

And the Alpes adventure begins! Michel and I drove from Lunel to Annecy this afternoon and met our 16 VIP guests at the Imperial Palace Hotel (which is just as palatial as you might think). We got everybody set up on bikes and briefed them on the rides and Tour de France experiences they're about to enjoy. This group has folks from all over the world; lots of Americans, from Portland to Florida, a South African, and four Aussies (although one lives in Singapore)! We got to know each other a little better over a 3-hour (!) dinner at the Imperial Palace terrace, which overlooks the lake and the mountains. Absolutely gorgeous.

Tomorrow, we'll be up bright and early to get on the bikes, take a spin around most of last year's Tour de France time trial course and climb Col de la Forclaz, about 9 kilometers of steep that reaches a grade of about 13 percent at the top. From the top, you can see Mont Blanc off in the distance. Then, of course, the descent will be the pay-off, always is. Everyone is very excited about getting on bike in France.
More to follow!

The Adventure Begins - Off to the Alpes

It’s Go Time at the Discover France operation in Lunel! Last night, the Discover France team got together at the bike shop for a gigantic bon voyage dinner of paella (appropriate, as Spain won its quarter final game in the World Cup!) We’ve spent days, weeks, MONTHS (years!!) getting the framework done so the next 18 days at the Tour de France are fantastique for our guests! The adventure of a bike tour following an event as huge as the Tour de France is that even the surest plans can and do change! To borrow a cliche, expect the unexpected and you won’t be disappointed.
By now, Michel and I are on the way to Annecy to meet our first group, our VIP Alpes crew, which is mostly American. You’ll get to live their adventures vicariously through the blog, so check back here every day for updates and photos. We’ve put together some amazing and unforgettable rides for them.
Ciao for now,
Wendy