FRANCE GRAND TOUR 2024 - ‘RIDE EVERY KILOMETRE’ Week 3

We will meet you at the Airport and take you to your hotel nearby. After check in, we will help assemble your bike or fit you to your rental bike and then ride a route to test the bikes and enjoy the lagoon seascapes and enter one of the most beautiful villages in France, Gruissan. Back at the hotel we will meet for pre-dinner drinks to present the GTP musettes and discuss the logistics for the coming week. Finally, our first dinner together.

Straight after breakfast you are on the road riding from picturesque Gruissan. A flat route, first north along the popular coast before heading inland through populated areas, fields of summer crops and of course the heat. Drink plenty during the ride and especially if the Occitanie Mistral is blowing…hopefully a tail wind! The landscape changes briefly as you ride between the impressive Pic Saint-Loup and Pic de l’Hortus before re entering populated areas and finally ancient Nimes.

The Grand Boucle is back into the mountains but first a flattish climb ride until around the 70 km mark. The climb gradient gradually increases and rolls through the valleys until Gap (735 m) and then your mountain stage starts. First up Col Bayard (1,246 m) offering amazing views and a heart starter 10 percent ramp near the top. Then Col du Noyer (1,664 m) a real test with ramps up to 14% and finally the finish at Superdevoluy (1,502 m).

Originally a Roman outpost called Vappincum and then Vappum, Gap is the start of Stage 18. The route heads north east past the white capped rocky Plateau de Bure to Lac de Sautet before returning to the popular Lac de Serre-Ponçon and finishing in Briançon.

If you are here for the mountains, then today is your day. Three climbs over 2,000 metres - Col de Vars (2,109 m), Cime de la Bonette (2,802 m) and finally Isola 2000 (2,024 m). Cime de la Bonette is the highest paved road in France and from Jausiers is over 23 km and 1,586 m of climbing! There is a reward…almost 1,890 m and 40 km of descent. The final 16 km climb to the finish at Isola 2000, starts steep but eases off.

The final mountain stage of the Grand Boucle - not huge like the day before but with tired legs still a challenge. Starting from 50 m elevation in glamorous Nice, the route will head north back into the Alps Maritime - Col de Braus, Col de Turini, Col de la Colmiane and finally Col de la Couillole. None of them, massive climbs but the accumulated elevation is impressive - think over 4,000 metres!

The final stage for you and to stir things up and ITT from uber glam Monaco into Nice. Sleep in and then enjoy a short and challenging ride on the Monte Carlo waterfront and then into the hills behind to La Turbie and then Col d’Eze before down to Nice along the magnificent Promenade des Anglais on the waterfront and returning to the finish of Stage 21 at Place Massena. A relaxing day for you to continue riding, do some sightseeing or relax at the hotel or one of many beaches.

You completed the last 6 stages of the Grand Tour of France the day before. Today you can chill before the team takes you to the Nice VIP Finish zone to enjoy the spectacle of this classic race. Unusually, the race may well be decided on this final stage, the ITT! The last time an ITT was the final stage was in 1989 and caused a major upset with Greg Le monde taking the yellow jersey from Laurent Fignon. No matter who the winners are, the atmosphere will be intense and exciting and especially so as the last 10 riders start their ride of the season.

Six stages of the Grand cycling tour of France, France’s premier sporting event. The GTP team will support and encourage you to complete your aim to Ride Every Kilometre. If you don’t, no problem, you will have tasted a small part of what the pros do and you can always return.

The team will assist you in checking out and take you to Nice Airport for your flight home or to your next destination. As always, ride safe and see you on the road again soon.