Getawaybybike is pleased to offer a limited number of self guided trips incorporating the penultimate stage of the 2009 Tour de France on Mont Ventoux.
TRIP DETAILS:
Trip Duration: 8 days, 7 nights
Average Daily Distance: 50km (30 miles) to 100km (60 miles) plus per day depending on routes selected
Stays:
2 nights St Remy-de-Provence (22, 23 July)
3 nights Arles (24, 25, 26 July)
2 nights Vaison-la-Romaine (27, 28 July)
Dates: 22 July – 29 July 2009
Start: St Remy-de-Provence (transfer from Avignon TGV Station)
Finish: Vaison-la-Romaine (transfer to Avignon TGV Station)
Accommodation: Luxury hotels in traditional Provençal villages
Group Size: Minimum 2 people; maximum 8 people
Cost: AUD$3750/person (riders), AUD $3400/person (non-riders)
Deposit: AUD $1000/person - Reserve now
Inclusions
- Seven nights accommodation in luxury hotels in traditional Provencal villages, breakfasts daily (taxes included)
- Transfers between the train station (or airport) and hotels
- Transfers to and from the stage course of the Tour de France (stage 20 from Montelimar to Mont Ventoux on 25 July 2009) including a light picnic lunch
- Daily luggage deliveries from hotel to hotel
- 3 gourmet dinners and a complimentary bottle of wine
- 1 day’s guided ride or 1 day’s guided sightseeing excursion
- Bike hire (Seven days bicycle hire including free delivery and bike accessories such as helmets, computers, repair kits, water bottles, pumps and locks)
- Comprehensive information pack on arrival, containing day-to-day itineraries, guide book, route maps and directions, travelling information and tourist brochures
- 24-hour back up support and assistance if required, including regular contact with tour guides
- Back-up technical/mechanical assistance with hire bikes
Extra options
Additional Guided Bike rides: Additional cost
Additional General tour guiding: Additional cost
Wine Tours: Additional cost
Day 1: St Remy-de-Provence
Getawaybybike staff will be at the train station (or airport) to meet you and transfer you to your luxury hotel in St Remy-de-Provence. Your hire bikes will be delivered on arrival, as well as your cycling itinerary and information pack. There will be time to put your bike together and have a short shake-down ride if you wish; staff will be on hand to provide any technical assistance and support if required. Depending on the time of your arrival, there should also be opportunities to do some sightseeing in St Remy itself. St Remy-de-Provence, immortalized by Van Gogh and other painters who fell in love with the region, is a charming medieval town, historically rich, prosperous and with a somewhat chic ambience. Tonight there will be a welcome dinner with your tour organisers at a local restaurant near your hotel.
Day 2: St Remy-de-Provence
Today we have a few rides for you to choose from depending on what you would like to see and how far you would like to ride. Free night tonight. Feel free to choose from one of the many tempting brasseries or restaurants in the town centre of St Remy.
Circuit 1: Abbaye-de-St Michel-de-Frigolet and Alpilles
Distance: 57.5km (36 miles)
This option offers you the choice of riding both circuits in one go or doing the Abbaye de St Michel-de-Frigolet circuit in the morning and then doing the Alpilles circuit in the afternoon.
Abbaye-de-St Michel-de-Frigolet
Distance: 30km (19 miles)
Easy, flat riding; this circuit will suit beginner riders who can ride the distance; moderate incline up to Abbaye-de-St-Michel-de-Frigolet; moderate level of fitness required. Take a picnic lunch and picnic under the trees in the grounds of the Abbaye.
The beautiful 10th Century abbey, l’Abbaye de St. Michel-de-Frigolet is in a tranquil setting and is famous for its unique thyme-flavored liqueur produced by the monks.
Alpilles Circuit
Distance: 27.5km (17 miles)
Generally flat apart fro
m a steep climb up to Les Baux and around Les Alpilles hills; moderate to good level of fitness required. Stop in at the Roman site of Glanum and explore the roman antiquities on the route to Les Baux. We recommend the old village of Les Baux-de-Provence for lunch. Classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France, Les Baux is situated in the heart of the Alpilles on a rocky plateau 245m high. From the lookout, you will be rewarded with sweeping views of the Camargue, the city of Arles and the Alpilles mountain chain across the olive tree-studded valley below.
St Remy - Arles Circuits
Distances: Between 54km and 76km depending on routes chosen
There are many different ways of getting to and from Arles from your home base at St Remy. We have 4 different riding options, each with its advantages and disadvantages; you could do the round trips suggested or chose one option one way and another option for your return trip back. This ride will suit most riders with a good level of fitness to ride the distance and climb the Les Baux hills (if you choose this route). Be aware that the traffic on most of the routes leading into and around Arles is very heavy.
Option 1: Nice flat road, no climbing,
heavy traffic, chance to cross the Rhone River and pass through the pretty port village of Beaucaire, scenic route between Beaucaire and Forques near Arles. Round trip - 70km (42 miles)
Option 2: Steep climb through the Les Baux/Alpilles hills (less traffic, very scenic). From St Martin-de-Crau, flat, easy riding, less scenic, traffic leading into Arles from St Martin-de-Crau. Chance to explore the Roman site of Glanum, the Roman Antiquities outside St Remy and Les Baux-de-Provence village. Round trip - 72km (43 miles)
Option 3: Steep climb through the Les Baux/Alpilles hills on the way to Fontvieille, flat after that. Scenic ride with interesting sights to see e.g. Daudet’s Windmill at Fontvieille and Abbaye de Montmajour near Arles. Also, there is the chance to explore the Roman site of Glanum, the Roman Antiquities outside St Remy and Les Baux-de-Provence village. Heavy traffic after Fontvieille. Round trip - 76km (46 miles)
Option 4: Nice flat road, no climbing; stop in and see Daudet’s Windmill at Fontvieille and the Abbaye de Mont Majour near Arles. Not particularly scenic however if you want to get to Arles quickly this is the shortest distance although traffic will be heavy closer to Arles. Round trip - 56km (34 miles)
The city of Arles (52,000 inhabitants), once a mighty metropolis during the golden age of Roman Gaul and symbol of ardent Christianity, is now the gateway to the beautiful Camargue. It is also France’s largest township covering some 77,000 hectares, including two-thirds of greater Camargue. Encircled by the banks of the Rhone River, the arid plains of Crau, the Alpilles mountain chain, and the untamed marshlands of the Camargue, it is a city of exceptional beauty. Explore the Roman monuments such as the famed arena where bull-fights and camarguaisse races are held; admire the town’s stately private mansions from the 16th and 17th centuries; or lunch at one of the many outdoor cafes and shaded terraces and discover why this city has intrigued and inspired artists such as Van Gogh, Gauguin and Picasso over the centuries.
Tonight you’re free to dine at one of the many restaurants in the town in St Remy.
Day 3: St Remy de Provence to Arles (Camargue circuit)
Distance: (119km – 71 miles)
The third leg of your trip takes you from St Remy through to Arles via a circuit loop around the Camargue. The Camargue is noted for his world-class bird-life, pink flamingoes, black bulls and white horses. This region is also characterised by its paddy fields and salt pans. This route allows you to meander your way through the vast and beautiful national park of the Camargue, crossing the Rhone by ferry at Port St Louis-de-Rhone and then looping back via St Martin-de-Crau. The route is very flat however the mistral winds can blow quite strongly across the Camarge and the plains of Crau so pay attention! Riders will need to have experience and a good level of fitness to handle the distance and strong winds. Your second gourmet dinner of the tour is reserved for night 3. Details are provided in your day-to-day itinerary.
Day 4: Visit Stage 20, Montélimar - Mont Ventoux: 167km
This is the one you’ve been waiting for – the penultimate stage of the 2009 Tour de France and certain to be a nail-biter to the finish. Stage 20 of the Tour de France leaves from Montelimar and finishes on the summit of the regions’ most famous landmark – Mont Ventoux.
Your tour organiser will collect you from your hotel in Arles and take you to a spot along the course where you will have the opportunity to ride prior to the race coming through. After your ride we will find a great vantage point from which to view the race and cheer on the pro’s as they battle it out for the coveted yellow jersey. Lunch will be a picnic and, at the end of the day, your tour organiser will transfer you back to your hotel.
Free night tonight.
Day 5: Arles - St Maries-de-la-Mer Circuit
St Maries-de-la-Mer Beach Explorer
Distance: 74km (45 miles)
How does a day’s ride to the local beaches sound after the thrill and excitement of yesterday’s Tour de France Mont Ventoux stage? If you feel like chilling out on the beaches then today’s suggested ride will suit you nicely. The route is short and flat but beware of those head-winds and tail-winds! As with the Camargue circuit, your route takes you south from Arles into the Camargue wetlands, past paddy fields, salt pans, horse ranches, thatched fisherman’s cottages and marshlands before arriving in the pretty seaside village of St Maries-de-la-Mer. This village has a unique gypsy/Spanish ambiance and its festivals (running of the bulls and Camarguaise bull-games) and back-street markets are particularly colourful and lively. After your ride we suggest you cool off in the sparkling blue mediterranean waters before indulging in a sumptious plate of paella (one of the region’s specialites) and a nice glass of regional rose at one of the many restaurants bordering the sea. If you feel the need to burn off more calories after lunch why not continue riding at a leisurely pace along the seafront or, alternatively, take a long walk up and down the beach before heading back to your hotel in Arles. Free night tonight.
Day 6: Arles to Vaison-La-Romaine
Route 1: Vineyards Route (93km - 56 miles)
From Arles, your route takes you northwards, through beautiful sun-drenched country across to Mazan, then Bedoin skirting around the mystical Giant of Provence, Mont Ventoux. You then continue on past the classic Provencal village of Malaucene and arrive in the old Roman town of Vaison-La-Romaine, the jewel of Roman Provence. Steeped in Roman history and rich in architecture, Vaison is a delightful village; its many gorgeous tree-shaded outdoor restaurants and cafes, bustling markets, wine and gourmet festival, and wonderful Provencal boutiques will no doubt tempt you back for another visit!
Route 2: Cotes de Rhone Route (80km – 50miles)
From Arles, head north-eastwards, through beautiful sun-drenched country across to Mazan, skirting around the mystical Giant of Provence, Mont Ventoux, before arriving in the wine village of Beaumes-de-Venise. Continue on through the heart of the wine growing area passing Vacqueyras and Gigondas before finishing in the old Roman town of Vaison-La-Romaine. Over the centuries, Vacqueyras has largely been an agricultural centre, its principal crop being its wine production. With vineyards extending as far as the Dentelles de Montmirail ranges, it produces one of the three major vintages of Cotes du Rhone wines. Although this village has long been regarded as a producer of wines of renown, it was not until 1990 that local wine-growers obtained official recognition for the quality of their wines and were bestowed with the Cotes du Rhone AOC classification. Known the world over for its famous Muscat (and equally distinguished Cote-du-Rhone village reds and whites), Beaumes-de-Venise actually derives its name from the famous prehistoric caves (or Baumes) to be found in the hill overlooking the town. Steeped in Roman history and rich in architecture, Vaison is a delightful village; its many gorgeous tree-shaded outdoor restaurants and cafes, bustling markets, wine and gourmet festival, and wonderful Provencal boutiques will no doubt tempt you back for another visit!
Your third gourmet dinner of the tour is reserved for night six. Details are provided in your day-to-day itinerary.
Day 7: Vaison-La-Romaine
Route 1 : Vallee de Toulerenc Circuit (70km – 42 miles)
This is a glorious riding route with a great mix of climbing, flat stretches, and descents - all set against a magic scenic mountain back-drop! This circuit will suit experienced riders with a very good level of fitness. Suggested stop for lunch - Brantes (for traditional Provencal fare and unbeatable views).
Route 2: Southern Drome (116.5km – 73 miles)
This is a long, but beautifully scenic ride through mainly rolling/hilly countryside with a few steady climbs thrown in. This ride is designed for the experienced rider with a good level of fitness to handle the distance and occasional climbing. There is a nice restaurant at Crupies or, alternatively, take a picnic lunch with you. There are plenty of lovely spots along the way to stop for a picnic. Tonight feel free to dine at one of the many restaurants in Vaison-la-Romaine. You will have probably discovered some hidden gems during your wanderings around this delightful Roman town. What better way to celebrate a memorable trip to Provence than with a glass or two of Cote du Rhone.
Day 8: Vaison-La-Romaine
All good things must come to an end and it’s time to say au revoir to beautiful Provence. We hope that your trip has been an enjoyable and memorable one and that we will see you again in the not too distant future!
On your last day our Getawaybybike staff will collect you from your hotel in Vaison-la-Romaine, transfer you to the railway station in Avignon, and assist with your departure.
