8
15 950
Start St Jean de Luz. If there is time we can go for a short ride along the sea front towards Pointe de Ste Barbe. In the evening the guide will talk through the itinerary for the weeks cycling. *Standard Hotel*
Our journey starts by climbing the Col de St Ignace at 169m, gaining altitude progressively to join the mountains before cycling through St Jean Pied de Port, the renowned medieval city on the Compostelle way. From here the route climbs the Col d'Osquich, officially at 392m of altitude but the road culminates at 500m. After this, we enjoy a nice ride down to the village of Montory where we spend the night. *Standard Hotel*
Distance in Km: 130
Distance in Miles: 81
In the morning, we cycle through the Basque hills as we make our way to the west starting point of the mythic Col d'Aubisque, here we take on the challenging Hors Category pass, a 17km climb at 8% average gradient with sections at 10%. The summit is at 1709m of altitude, then after a short descent we start the second climb up to the Col du Soulor 1474m, this is the last summit before a superb descent to our hotel in Agos-Vidalos. *Standard Hotel*
Distance in Km: 105
Distance in Miles: 66
Today we take on the Col du Tourmalet, one of the most legendary climbs in the Pyrenees, at 2115m of altitude and climbed 52 times by the TDF since 1947 making it the most climbed col of the Tour de France. the Col du Tourmalet is a Hors Category pass, it is 18km long with an average gradient of 8% with some sections at 10%. From the summit there is a nice twisty descent to Saint Marie de Campan. Straight after the descent the second challenge of the day starts with the climb of Col d'Aspin, a first category climb with 12km of ascent from Saint Marie de Campan at 5,2% average gradient. *Standard Hotel*
Distance in Km: 95
Distance in Miles: 59
Three passes are waiting for us today. First up is the Col de Peyresourde, a first category climb with 20km of ascent at 4.5% average gradient with sections at 8%. Then we ride down to the Bagnères-de-Luchon valley where the Tour de France stops regularly. Here we ride over the Col des Ares to join the Col de Portet d'Aspet, a third category pass (4.3 km at 9.7%) that has been ridden 30 times since 1947 by the Tour de France. * Standard Hotel*
Distance in Km: 115
Distance in Miles: 71
From St Girons, we will cycle towards the Col de Port another classic of the Tour de France, starting the climb from Massat the ascent is constant and doesn’t go over 6%. We then descend to Bompas where we join the “route des corniches”, a road that overlooks the Ariège valley with great views. We will then climb the Col de Chioula up to 1431m of altitude. From the summit we will descend towards Ax les Thermes where we spend the night. *Standard Hotel*
Distance in Km: 110
Distance in Miles: 68
Today is the last day of cycling, which means at the end of the ride we can jump into the Mediterranean Sea! Leaving the mountains we follow the rivers that come from the high peaks to join the sea; carving among the rocks we follow the fabulous gorges de l'Aude. Passing beautiful views over the Corbières vineyards we make our way towards the end of the route in Canet Plage by the sea. Here we will have time to celebrate the week’s achievements with a swim in the med and some well-earned drinks. *Standard Hotel*
Distance in Km: 140
Distance in Miles: 87
Free morning to relax or explore Canet Plage at our own pace before the trip ends here.
* 6 days cycling with partial vehicle support (limited seats)
* 100% tarmac roads
* Hilly route with mountain passes
* Group normally 6 to 18 plus leader in suport vehicle
* 7 nights hotels
All breakfasts are included.
For breakfast you can expect a continental style buffet with cold meat,
cheeses, bread, eggs, jams and pastries as well as tea and coffee.
Throughout the trip you can expect really good food with strong influences
from Spain and France. Lunches and dinners are not included in the trip price
to allow you to take advantage of the local restaurants and cafes along the
route and give you freedom over what you eat. Our guide will be able to
recommend the best local restaurants and will have planned some stops at good
coffee shops to break up the days rides.
* 6 days cycling with partial vehicle support (limited seats)
* 100% tarmac roads
* Hilly route with mountain passes
* Group normally 6 to 18 plus leader in suport vehicle
* 7 nights hotels
This trip is classified Drop-bar.
Activity Level 7 (Tough).
Average daily distance: 104km (64 miles)
No. of days cycling: 6 with partial vehicel support (limited seats)
Terrain and route: a classic road tour with some challenging climbs. The
gradients do not get much steeper than 10% but the climbs can be long.
Daily distances are realistic, and there are plenty of opportunities for
stronger riders to add more kilometres if they wish. The support vehicle is
always available for riders who have achieved their personal goal and require
a lift up or down any of the hills (although with limited seats). This trip
is on roads away from traffic however we do have to use some roads which can
be busy; the scenery from the route we take is wonderful. All of the roads
used are good quality tarmac, we recommend using drop bar road bike for this
trip.
You should be aware that cycling of all kinds has its dangers and that
accidents can happen from time to time. Please ensure that you are properly
prepared for the riding you are going to undertake. Helmets must be worn by
all cyclists.
*Please note:* Exodus drop bar cycling holidays are not run in a training
camp style, all our daily rides are group rides and we aim to cycle as a
group wherever possible. The days are broken up with food and coffee stops so
it is likely that we will be outside for the majority of the day (sometimes
between 9am – 5pm). It is common for the group to split on the longer
climbs, please keep in mind that if you are looking to push yourself on the
climbs you might have a wait at the top for other members of the group,
however the support vehicle will be there to offer warm clothes and snacks.
Hotels
We stay in good quality 2-star hotels, all with private facilities. The
hotels are comfortable and ideally located in towns along the route with a
good choice of restaurants serving delicious food to ensure you get a good
meal and a good night sleep ready for the next day’s ride.
Due to the point-to-point nature of our drop bar trips, it is inevitable that
there is some variance in the style and quality of accommodation used each
night. Our priority is to make the riding days as balanced as possible in
terms of distance and elevation gain and once we are happy with the route we
choose the most appropriate accommodation in our chosen location. In some of
the more rural locations there may not be a wide choice of accommodation.
Normally 6 to 18 plus leader in support vehicle.
All breakfasts are included.
For breakfast you can expect a continental style buffet with cold meat,
cheeses, bread, eggs, jams and pastries as well as tea and coffee.
Throughout the trip you can expect really good food with strong influences
from Spain and France. Lunches and dinners are not included in the trip price
to allow you to take advantage of the local restaurants and cafes along the
route and give you freedom over what you eat. Our guide will be able to
recommend the best local restaurants and will have planned some stops at good
coffee shops to break up the days rides.
For airport transfers we use a small bus. The rides are supported by a van,
with limited spaces for clients and bikes. The vehicle will sweep through the
group during the day offering encouragement, water and access to your snacks.
A comprehensive tool kit and first aid kit is carried and the leader is a
qualified first-aider. Lifts up or down the hills are naturally offered, if
this is your desire.
*Travelling flight inclusive from London: 8 days*
The group flight from London is a daytime flight departing on Day 1 of the
itinerary. We normally use the scheduled services of British Airways
(depending on availability). As flight timings and schedules change
regularly we recommend you call one of our specialist sales staff or your
agent to confirm up‐to‐date timings. Please note timings may change
at a later date and cannot be confirmed until approximately two weeks
before departure.
*UK Regional Flights*
The Flight Inclusive price is based on a London departure, but we are happy
to tailor this to your local or regional airport. Please visit
www.exodus.co.uk/regionaldepartures [1] for a useful overview of the options
available, and contact our sales team for expert advice. If booking regional
flights other than with Exodus, you must allow a minimum connecting time (in
addition to the international check in time) of 1 hour at Gatwick, and 1½
hours at Heathrow; this is longer than the official minimum, but baggage
handling is
known to be subject to delays.
*Travelling land only: 8 days starting in St Jean de Luz and ending
in Canet Plage*
Your trip normally starts at our accommodation in St Jean de Luz in the
afternoon of Day 1 of the itinerary. Details of how to reach the start point
are provided in the Final Joining Instructions ‐ sent approximately two
weeks before departure.
Airport Transfers
Full joining instructions including local emergency numbers will be sent to
you as part of our Final joining Instructions. If you do not receive these at
least a week before departure, or require them earlier please contact our
office or your travel agent.
[1] http://www.exodus.co.uk/regionaldepartures
Airport transfers are included for those on the group flights. Please note
that transfers are not included for clients arriving on any other flight,
even if Exodus has booked it.
If you require airport transfers, you may (by prior arrangement only) be
able to join the group transfer. Transfers are arranged to coincide with the
arrival time of the group flight ‐ please check the group flight details 2
weeks before departure. If you do not take this transfer, or miss it, you
must make your own way to the joining point at your own expense.
The weather in the mountains can be very changeable, with hot sunshine at the
start of a climb and sometimes heavy rain at the summit. The Central Pyrenees
gets some rainfall throughout the summer, although mostly at night time and
some afternoon thunderstorms. On average, over the course of a week you
should expect 1 or 2 wet days. Maximum temperatures can be over 30ºC, but
this will vary with altitude. If we are riding through low cloud it can get
very chilly on the descents, but these should be short spells only, you will
feel the temperature increase as you descend in altitude.
You will need to bring the following equipment with you:
Normal daily clothes
Cycle helmet (compulsory on this trip)
Sunglasses /eye protection
Base layers, short and long sleeved jerseys
Windproof Gillet and
Lightweight waterproof jacket
Several pairs of quality padded bib shorts
Full length tights or knee/leg warmers, cycling gloves and arm warmers
Chamois cream
Energy drink powder and energy bars/gels
If you are bringing your own bike we recommend packing the following items:
Spare tyre, inner tubes, brake pads and correct length spokes (especially if
using Mavic wheels)
Multi tool, mini pump, tyre leavers and a puncture repair kit
The support vehicle carries a range of tools and 2 track pumps that you are
free to use during the trip. Basic spares are also carried, but we are never
too far from a bike shop, in the case that you require a specialist
replacement part. Every night the bikes will be put in a garage/shed, but it
is best to bring a lock, just so that you can be sure yours is safe. Your
bike box / bag will be transported to the end hotel on the roof rack of the
support vehicle. On all departures of this trip we can expect to be cycling
in just shorts and a short-sleeved jersey. The temperature is naturally
dependant on the altitude, so on some of the higher cols it can get fairly
chilly. Unfortunately rain cannot be ruled out but the showers tend to be
fairly short. There are no laundry facilities in any of the hotels, but if
you rinse out the cycling kit in the shower, it is normally dry in the
morning.
You may like to bring your own pedals and saddle (excluding the seat post) or
gel saddle cover to fit to the hire bikes. We encourage this, if it is your
preference. However, please note that you are responsible for your own
equipment, and removing your saddle/pedals at the end of the trip. We cannot
guarantee the return of any bike parts left behind.
*Local Bike Details:* /Bike hire is not included in the holiday price of our
Drop Bar holidays./
Scott Speedster, Orbea Aqua or Cube Peloton drop bar road bikes with triple
chainset available on request.
This is entirely at your own discretion. However, as a guideline, we suggest
you allow a few pounds each day for tips for the guide‐ about £4 (approx.
US$6‐7) a day per client would seem reasonable.
* Travel insurance
* Local bike hire (available on request)
* Single accommodation (available on request)
* Visas or vaccinations
Ved skriftlig aksept av vårt tilbud bekrefter du/dere at våre betingelser er både lest og forstått og at evt kansellerings gebyrer kan tilkomme ved en evt. avbestilling av reisen.