RIDE L´ETAPE – WATCH LE TOUR: Friday 6th till Saturday 14th of July 

This 8 day Etape du Tour and Tour de France travel package is aimed at those people who want to ride the Etape du Tour Acte 1 from Albertville to La Toussuire and who then want to stay on and watch the Alpine stages of the Tour de France.

After riding Act 1 of the 2012 L'Etape du Tour we will stay on in the Alps and watch 3 fantastic stages of the 2012 Tour de France including the stage you rode from Albertville to La Toussuire during the Etape.

We spend 3 nights in Chambery at the Hotel Altedia which is great for accessing the start in Albertville and 5 nights at Hotel Beau Site in Annecy which is well located for the Alpine stages of the 2012 Tour de France. 

L'Etape du Tour 2012 Act 1 - Albertville to La Toussuire 140km

The first Etape du Tour will take place in the Alps on Sunday 8th July 2012. Replicating Stage 11 of the 2012 Tour de France, it will start from the Winter Olympic City of Albertville and it is a classic Alpine stage, taking in the climbs of the Col de la Madeleine, the Glandon, Croix de Fer and Mollard, before the final climb up to the ski resort of La Toussuire Les Sybelles. At 140km it is an attractive proposition for both the experienced cyclo sportive rider and the Etape du Tour novice.

Friday 6th July:

Travel to Albertville or Chambery. If you have opted to be collected from Geneva, then you must give us your flight arrival details.  We are arranging coach transfers at 12:00 15:00 and 18:00 from the airport.  If you are bringing your bike, you must select and pay for the bike transfer option.  Please note, flights are going to be in high demand on this date, so we advise you to book early to guarantee a flight seat and a good price.  Alternatively, make your own way to the hotel.

Saturday 7th July:  Free day for making any last minute preparations before the event. In the morning we will take you by coach to Albertville and visit the Etape du Tour start village where you will sign on and collect the race number.

PLEASE NOTE, AT ETAPE REGISTRATION, YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO PRESENT A DOCTOR'S NOTE STATING THERE ARE NO KNOWN MEDICAL REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD NOT COMPETE. PLEASE VISIT OUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATION PAGE (HERE) FOR MORE INFORMATION. THIS IS LEGAL REQUIREMENT AND FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL MEAN YOU NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE ETAPE.

Sunday 8th July: The Etape du Tour – Albertville to La Toussuire, 140km

This is it, the day of your dreams, your chance to ride a classic Alpine mountain stage of the 2012 Tour de France, 10000 participants, closed roads, feeding stations and Mavic assistance, just like the real thing……Start time is anticipated to be 07.00hrs so after an early breakfast you will be taken to the start in Albertville. Our reps will be waiting for you at the finish in La Toussuire to meet you. After the event has finished (19.00hrs) we shall return to the hotel in Chambery.

Monday 9th July:  After breakfast we will take you to the Hotel in Annecy and you will have the day to relax or go for a steady bike ride round the lake to Annecy.

Tuesday 10th July:  As the Tour de France riders spend their first rest day in the city of Macon, this will give you the opportunity to spend the day riding round the beautiful Lake Annecy or some of the Alpine climbs that are nearby, e.g. Col de la Forclaz, Col des Aravis, Col des Saisies.

Wednesday 11th July:  Today the Tour de France enters the Alps with a 194km stage from Macon to Bellegarde sur Valserine which takes in the very difficult climbs of the Col du Grand Colombier and the Col de Richemond. Our location in Annecy enables easy access to the stage. After breakfast we will travel to see the Tour de France and those with bikes will be taken part of the way there in the bus and be able to ride the rest of the way to the Col du Grand Colombier. Those without bikes will be taken to the town of Culoz (foot of Col du Grand Colombier) from where they will be able to walk onto the climb. After seeing the stage we shall return to our hotel.

Thursday 12th July:  You rode the Etape Act 1 stage only 4 days ago. Now you can see the Tour de France riders tackle the very same stage which is the hardest Alpine stage of the 2012 Tour de France. Our location in Annecy is ideal for accessing the stage and those with bikes will be able to ride to either the Col de la Croix de Fer or the climb to La Toussuire. For those without bikes or those that don’t want to ride from the hotel, the bus will travel to the town of St Jean de Maurine from where you will be able to ride or walk onto the final climb to La Toussuire. After seeing the stage we shall return to the hotel.

Friday 13th July:  The Tour de France exits the Alps with a stage that takes in 2 high mountains (Col de Grand Cu heron & Col du Granier).

After breakfast we shall travel from Annecy to the Col du Granier to see the stage where those with bikes will be able to ride and those without will be taken by the bus.

Saturday 14th July:  After breakfast we will leave Annecy and take you back to Geneva for approximately 11.00hrs.

Special offer - we have a limited number of Etape entries available for £50 when book your travel package.  But you need to hurry!

 Included in your Basic travel package are:

• 8 nights accommodation at the stated hotels on the stated board basis.
• Breakfast each day at your hotel.
• Dinner on 8 nights at the hotels.
• Return transfer from the finish of the Etape at La Toussuire back to your accommodation on Sunday evening.
• Services of the experienced Sports Tours International team in Albertville.

Not included (not exhaustive)

• Your journey to France if opting for the Geneva airport pick up.
• Any meals and drinks not noted above.
• Any extras at your accommodation.
• Etape Entry fee.
• Travel Insurance - highly recommended

Prices:

£899 per person, based on two people sharing a twin room. You can opt for sharing with another cyclist if you choose to. If you wish to stay in a single room, there is a £285 single supplement.

Entry to 2012 L'Etape du Tour: we have limited availability remaining of entries for £50, but you must book quickly to guarantee this price. In 2011, prices were up to £200 per entry.

HOW TO BOOK

Click on the green button at the top of the page.

At time of booking we require a non-refundable deposit per person plus any applicable entry fee. The balance of your travel package must be paid, at the latest, 12 weeks before departure to avoid the cancellation of your trip.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Visas are not required to enter France. You need a passport to enter France. As a British passport holder you may stay as a visitor for three months. For links to important websites, click here. All other non-UK passport holders must check their own country's entry requirements for France.

For details of insurance for our travel packages, please visit our insurance page.

There is additional information about our other Concierge Services on our special web page.