Tour de France › King of the Mountains
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Duration |
2012 Trip dates |
Start location |
Ending location |
Accommodations Price per person |
Non-riders |
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PYRENEES PERFORMANCE Trip
Not quite as challenging as our Extreme trip, our Performance trip is the ideal trip for club riders looking to witness the key Tour de France mountain stages and complete their Tour de France experience by conquering a number of legendary climbs in the Pyrenees.
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
- Witness the 2 key Pyrenees stages LIVE on the mountainside
- Climb the legendary Col du Tourmalet
- Climb the Port de Bales, scene of Andy Schleck's unfortunate chain-drop in the 2010 Tour de France
- Climb to Superbagneres, scene of so many epic Tour de France battles, including 1989 when Laurent Fignon attacked Greg Lemond to take the yellow jersey.
LIVE RACE VIEWING
Watch the following Tour de France stages LIVE on the mountain-side:
Stage 16: Col de Peyresourde ...
- Col de Peyresourde: Today's stage is the queen stage of the 2012 Tour de France taking the riders 200km from Pau to Luchon over 4 major climbs (Aubisque, Tourmalet, Aspin and Peyresourde). We'll be present on the final climb, the Peyresourde, to witness the action from our Race-Viewing Hospitality Area on the mountain-side with LIVE satellite TV coverage in English.
Stage 17: Summit Finish in Peyragudes ...
- Summit Finish in Peyragudes: Another huge stage takes the riders over the super-steep Col de Mente, then the massive Port de Bales before the final climb up to the ski station in Peyragudes. Once again, you'll have the oppportunity to witness the action from our Race-Viewing Hospitality Area only a few km from the finish line.
Enjoy the race from the comfort of our Orbea-sponsored Race-Viewing Hospitality Area. Strategically placed towards the summit of the top climbs, our hospitality areas include catered lunch, cool drinks and LIVE TV race coverage from our English-speaking satellite feed!
Click here for more pictures of our Race-Viewing Hospitality Areas
VIP PARIS FINISH EXTENSION
Extend your Pyrenees trip and travel with us to Paris to witness the Grand Finale from our VIP grand-stand seating on the Champs-Elysees.
Click here for full details on our Paris Finish Extension
TRIP ITINERARY
Day |
Schedule |
Ride Distance |
Elevation Gain |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Day 1 SUN Jul 15 |
Vielha › Puerto de la Bonaigua › Vielha |
27 miles |
3,500 ft |
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Day 2 MON Jul 16 |
Vielha › Col du Portillon › Superbagneres › Col du Portillon › Vielha |
64 miles |
8,500 ft |
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Day 3 TUE Jul 17 |
Vielha › Col de Mente › Col des Ares › Vielha |
81 miles |
6,600 ft |
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Day 4 WED Jul 18 |
Vielha › Col du Portillon › Col de Peyresourde
Col de Peyresourde › St Lary |
48 miles |
5,100 ft |
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Day 5 THU Jul 19 |
Siradan › Port de Bales › Peyragudes
Peyragudes › St Lary |
52 miles |
7,700 ft |
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Day 6 FRI Jul 20 |
St Lary › Col d'Aspin › Col du Tourmalet › Hourquette d'Ancizan › St Lary |
64 miles |
9,100 ft |
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Day 7 SAT Jul 21 |
End of our trip and final transfer to Toulouse Blagnac Airport Or continue on to Paris... |
N/A |
N/A |
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Total: |
336 miles |
40,500 ft |
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Daily Average: |
56 miles |
6,750 ft |
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CLIMB THESE FAMOUS COLS
In just 1 week climb many of the legendary cols in the Pyrenees! Here's the complete list of cols included in our itinerary, sorted by difficulty index:
Climb |
Elev. Gain |
Av. Grade |
Length |
Profile |
Difficulty Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Col du Tourmalet | 4,160 ft | 7.4% |
10.7 miles | 133 |
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| Port de Bales | 3,888 ft | 6.3% |
11.7 miles | 130 |
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| Superbagneres | 3,839 ft | 6.3% |
11.5 miles | 126 |
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| Col de Mente | 2,785 ft | 9.1% |
5.8 miles | 119 |
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| Col de Peyresourde (east side) | 3,081 ft | 6.1% |
9.5 miles | 96 |
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| Col du Portillon (west side) | 2,175 ft | 6.5% |
6.3 miles | 95 |
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| Puerto de la Bonaigua | 3,615 ft | 4.8% |
14.3 miles | 82 |
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| Col d'Aspin (east side) | 2,556 ft | 6.5% |
7.4 miles | 81 |
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| Hourquette d'Ancizan (north side) | 2,966 ft | 4.0% |
14.0 miles | 78 |
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| Col du Portillon (east side) | 1,913 ft | 6.8% |
5.3 miles | 68 |
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| Col des Ares | 1,017 ft | 4.6% |
4.2 miles | 35 |
THE TOP SUPPORT
Quite simply, we provide the best support in the industry - guaranteed!
- As VIP Official Tour Operator we have the constant support and assistance of the Tour de France organizers - this opens many otherwise closed doors...
- Staff to client ratio of 1:4
- The best staff in the industry - check out our testimonial page...
- 3 ride groups of approximately 8 riders in each group - allows us to group riders of similar ability into the same ride-group allowing for a better ride experience with less waiting
- 1 TBT experienced ride leader and 1 SAG van per ride group
- Experienced Mechanic
- Top-of-the-line rental bikes
WHAT'S INCLUDED
- 7 days / 6 nights fully accompanied trip
- All accommodations (4-star hotels)
- All breakfasts
- All but 1 dinner
- 3 lunches
- Pick-up at Toulouse Blagnac Airport
- Drop-off at Toulouse Blagnac Airport
- 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