Grand Tour of Spain - La Gran Salida Portugal

Welcome to Lisbon! We will meet you at Lisbon Airport and transfer you to your hotel. Our team will help you to check in and unpack your bike or fit you to your rental bike. After a light lunch or snack, we’ll test-ride the bikes and ride out along the bike routes on the coast. Back at our hotel, we can adjust the bikes, and then head over to the Team Presentation Ceremony. After the presentation, the GTP team will provide the Experience tour briefing over apero before your first Portuguese dinner together.

The day starts with a leisurely ride outside of Lisbon. The Atlantic coast is stunning and an opportunity to dive into the waves of the sea at a beach…or two plus explore the Cabo da Roca and the impressive waves crashing below. You will also ride inside the hilly Sintra-Cascais Nature Park, home to a volcanic massif and perfect for testing your climbing fitness before arriving at beautiful Sintra…BYO comfy clothes and shoes. The team will transfer you back to the hotel where you can explore the old streets and sites of Lisbon or just relax.

After an early breakfast, the team will guide you to the start area to ride the full Stage 1 ITT route before it is closed to the public. Empty of traffic, this is an opportunity for you to ride as fast as you can and then compare your times against the pros at the end of the day!

There should be time to change into comfortable clothes and then join the crowds in cheering on the teams as they approach the finish.

After a leisurely breakfast, we will transfer to Cascais. Stage 2 starts here but it is also an opportunity to visit the Boca do Inferno, a scenic oceanfront cliff featuring a natural archway created by pounding waves before diving into the increasingly exciting atmosphere of the Stage 2 Depart. You can wander past the team buses, chat to the support teams, and possibly meet some of the pro riders. The build-up to the race start is exhilarating and not to be missed. Once the racers have departed, you will either ride north along the race route or be transferred to a start along the route (race route TBC). Tonight a new hotel near the Serra da Lousã.

The map route has not been released but the Stage 3 Depart is in Lousã and the Arrive is in Castelo Branco - in between is Serra da Lousã so we are making an educated guess that the route will pass over the mountains. Straight after breakfast you will ride the race route over the Serra da Lousã and stop for lunch on the race route and to watch the leaders and peloton ride past along with the red coloured fans. The team will transfer you to your hotel.

The departure day has arrived already. Perhaps you plan to continue following the tour into Spain with us. If not, we will assist you in checking out and arrange for you to be transferred to the airport for your trip home or ongoing journey.

We hope the Gran Salida Grand Tour of Spain Experience description inspires you to join us on the final Grand Tour of the season.