PERFORMANCE Trip

2011 Advance Reservations Now OPEN Click here to make your advance reservation! Full details of our 2011 trip will be available November 15th. What is an advance reservation? click here to find out! And don't forget to reserve your Orbea Rental Bike (limited supply)

Our "King of the Mountains" series of trips have become the standard for others to emulate. In May our King of the Mountains trip visits the mountain stages of the Giro d'Italia and in September we turn to Spain for the Vuelta a Espana.

In July our attention turns to France and the legendary Alpine climbs of our King of the Mountains Performance trip to the French Alps.

Our 2010 "Performance" trip will continue to set the standard with a full program of challenging rides and TWO of the key viewing days in the Alps; the climb to Morzine-Avoriaz on July 11 and the Col de la Madeleine on July 13.

And no Thomson Bike Tour trip would be complete without a full program of legendary cols to climb. Alpe d'Huez....Galiber.... Colombiere....Telegraphe....Joux Plane....Croix de Fer.... are just some of the famous climbs you'll ride during this fantastic week of cycling!

Click here to view the complete list of famous climbs on this trip.

LIVE VIEWING

Our vantage points will be present on the following climbs:

• July 11 - on the climb to Morzine-Avoriaz
• July 13 - on the Col de la Madeleine

OTHER TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

• Alpe d'Huez: ride the legendary 21 switchbacks!
• Col du Galibier: ride the toughest climb in the Alps; 22 miles and over 6,300ft elevation gain!
• Col de Sarenne: much overlooked alternative access to Alpe d'Huez.
• Haute Savoie Ride: enjoy some of the most scenic rides in the Alps - climbs include the Joux Plane and Colombiere

YOUR DAILY RIDES

Day	Route Summary	Ride Distance	Elevation Gain	Hotel Location
1	Chatel › Pas de Morgins › Chatel	20 miles	2,625 ft	Chatel
2	Chatel › Col de Corbier › Morzine-Avoriaz › Chatel	65 miles	7,175 ft	Chatel
3	Chatel › Col de Joux Plane › Col de la Colombiere › La Clusaz	75 miles	8,625 ft	Megeve
4	La Clusaz › Col de Tamie › Col de la Madeleine › La Chambre	75 miles	7,975 ft	Alpe d'Huez
5	Alpe d'Huez › Bourg d'Oisans › Alpe d'Huez › Col de la Croix de Fer › St Jean de Maurienne	65 miles	8,700 ft	St Jean
6	St Jean de Maurienne › Col du Telegraphe › Col du Galibier › St Jean de Maurienne	60 miles	7,875 ft	St Jean
Total:		360 miles	42,975 ft
Daily Average:		60 miles	7,163 ft

CLIMB THESE FAMOUS COLS

In just 1 week climb many of the legendary cols in the Alps! Here's the complete list of cols included in our itinerary (sorted by difficulty index):

Climb	Elev. Gain (feet)	Average Grade	Length (miles)	Profile (m/km)	Difficulty Index
Col du Telegraphe & Galibier	6312	5.5%	21.2		184
Col de la Madeleine	5062	6.3%	15.2		152
Col de la Croix de Fer	4239	4.7%	17.1		144
Alpe d'Huez	1091	7.7%	8.82		125
Col de la Colombiere	3635	6.8%	10.1		118
Pas de Morgins	3100	5.9%	10.2		99
Col de Telegraphe	2808	7.3%	7.3		93
Morzine-Avoriaz	2756	6.0%	8.7		89
Col de Joux Plane	2333	6.5%	6.8		72
Col de Corbier	1335	7.1%	3.5		62
Col de Mollard	1322	6.8%	3.7		62
Col de Tamie	1286	3.9%	6.3		36

 

OUR VANTAGE POINTS

Enjoy your afternoon on the mountain-side in the comfort and safety of our elaborate vantage points:

• Large marquis tents provided by our partner Orbea
• LIVE Satellite TV in English
• Large "changing-room" tent allowing you to change out of your cycling clothes into dry, warm clothes (the clothes are transported to the vantage point several days in advance by our support team).
• Full picnic lunch and refridgerator stocked with cool drinks
• Prime viewing spots - our vantage teams are in place several days before the race ensuring that we secure prime viewing spots

OUR SUPPORT

Quite simply, we provide the best support in the industry - guaranteed!

• Staff to client ratio of 1:4
• Several ride groups of approximately 10 riders in each group - allows us to manage riders of varying ability levels
• 1 TBT experienced ride leader and 1 SAG van per ride group of approximately 10 riders
• Full-time Mechanic
• Top-of-the-line rental bikes available through our partner Orbea
  

NON-RIDERS

Space for non-riders will be limited in 2010. Please call Paul Rogen on 1-888-446-5502 or e-mail Peter ( ) for full details.

WHAT's INCLUDED

• 7 days / 6 nights fully accompanied trip
  
• MIXED level of accommodations (4-star, 3-star & 2-star hotels)
• All breakfasts
• All dinners
  
• 3 lunches
• Pick-up at Geneva International Airport
• Drop-off at Lyon St Exupery Airportt
• All ground transportation
• All luggage transfer
• Services of our expert guides
• Experienced mechanic
• Support vehicles
• Thomson Bike Tours maps, cue sheets and elevation profiles

WHAT's NOT INCLUDED

• Airfare
• Travel and personal insurance
• Additional hotel expenses i.e. phone charges, mini-bar, gratuities

 

The Thomson Bike Tours Difference Your trip to Europe may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and you deserve the best! Performance cyclists now rate Thomson Bike Tours as the premiere provider of performance trips to Europe. Here are a few details that set us aside from the rest: LIVE Satellite TV coverage in English: our strategically placed mountain-top picnic spots have become the reference for the industry and the envy of the mountain! No-one else has LIVE Satellite TV coverage in English! LESS VAN - MORE BIKE: Minimum Van Transfers between your hotels and the start/finish of the bike rides. Unfortunately we can't avoid the transfer to Alpe d'Huez after the race viewing on the Col de la Madeleine. On all other days we ride from and back to the hotel. Our local knowledge, extensive planning and vast experience mean that you spend less time in a van and more time on the bike! THE THOMSON RIDES: over the years we've also gained a reputation for providing the best (and most challenging) rides. 25 years experience riding in the Alps counts! Best-in-class Support & ride leaders: another key to our success! Sag van and ride leader for every 10 riders.