France Grand Cycle Tour 2023 - Ride Every Kilometre Week 2 - Into the Alps

  • Location

    The French Alps

  • Duration

    8 days / 7 nights

  • Length

    986 km

  • Climb

    10,000 m+

9 Jul 2023 - 16 Jul 2023

Ride Every Kilometre (REK), where you ride every kilometre of every stage of the Grand Boucle race route, the day before the big event. Discover new routes, enjoy the crowds on mountain stages, make new friends and face your challenges.

Unlike the Giro d’Italia, REK tours in France ride the day before the big race - you don’t wake up before the crack of dawn in order top to arrive at the finish before the caravan and pros; there is time to enjoy the ride, stop for lunch and to take photos; and you and the GTP team do not need to face down, negotiate or plead with the gendarmes to continue along the race route (infamously more strict than the Italian carabinieri). You will still ride the official race route and on the mountain stages, passionate fans will be already in place to applaud and cheer you on as you climb; you will find other keen cyclists on the popular sections of the official route but it will not be a manic crowded mass of fans and cyclists like the next day.

And Week 2 Ride Every Kilometre promises to be one to remember. Stage 10, 11 and 12 are hilly and flat, although looking at the profiles of stage 10 and 12…they have a few low level category mountains making the cumulative altitude gain respectable, i.e. if its typical summer weather, these are two challenging stages.

Stages 13, 14 and 15 are in the French Alps. Although classified as a mountain stage 13 , is flat to start and finishes on the classic climb Grand Colombier and only about 2,400 metres ascent in total. Stage 14, from Annemasse to Morzine, goes to the other extreme and supplies a day with approximately 4,200 metres total ascent. Six category mountain climbs, the highest and last climb being Col de Joux Plane with 11 kilometres at 8 percent. And on your third mountain stage from Les Gets, past Lac d’Annecy to Saint Gervais, 9 category mountain climbs totalling 4,300 metres ascent.

So the GTP Week 2 Ride Every Kilometre is not going to be a stroll in the park, hilly terrain and then 3 straight days of French Alps climbing. A beautiful week of riding; tough but doable…especially since you will be riding the day before France’s premier cycle race.

Total price: €4,190 (6 STAGES)

  • "Ride Every Kilometre" of stages 10 to 15, on the race route, the day before the pros
  • Ride towards and through the French Alps and cols
  • Test yourself on epic classics like Grand Colombier
  • Expert planning and support from our team (guides, mechanics, drivers)
  • Premium rental bike available (Full carbon disc brake + Ultegra di2 electronic)
  • Level of fitness: Advance - fit enough to ride 5 to 7 hours or 130 to 200 km some days at a steady pace.
  • Day 1 - Arrival

    Bienvenue en France


    DAY 1 - 9 JULY -


    Transfer / Arrival to


    International Airport Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne


    or


    Lyon Airport, France

  • Days 2 - 4

    Riding towards the Alps


    DAY 2 - 10 JULY - Stage 10 - VULCANIA > ISSOIRE

    167 km (Hilly)



    DAY 3 - 11 JULY - Stage 11 - CLERMONT-FERRAND > MOULINS

    180 km (Flat)



    DAY 4 - 12 JULY - Stage 12 - ROANNE > BELLEVILLE-EN-BEAUJOLAIS - 169 km (Hilly)


  • Days 5 - 7

    In the French Alps

    DAY 5 - 13 JULY - Stage 13 - CHÂTILLON-SUR-CHALARONNE > GRAND COLOMBIER - 138 km - (Mountain)


    DAY 6 - 14 JULY - Stage 14 - ANNEMASSE > MORZINE LES PORTES DU SOLEIL - 152 km - (Mountain)


    DAY 7 - 15 JULY - Stage 15 - CHÂTILLON-SUR-CHALARONNE > GRAND COLOMBIER - 180 km - (Mountain)

  • Day 8 - Departure

    Au Revoir

    DAY 8


    - 16 JULY -


    Transfer / Departure


    Geneva Airport, Switzerland