Vancouver, BC - BikeHike Adventures is making it easy for cycling enthusiasts to re-enact the Tour de France while visiting the spectacular countries of France & Switzerland on a variety of self-guided cycling tours. Cyclists can challenge themselves on some of the same mountain passes in the Alps that competitors of the world-famous race have tackled throughout the decades. Tours depart regularly throughout the summer and early fall and begin at $1,099 USD.
Every year travellers come from all over the world to bike the Route des Grandes Alpes, which includes all of the principal high passes of the French Alps between Lake Geneva and the French Riviera. Many of these mountain passes have been featured in the Tour de France several times since the beginning of the race in 1903. Depending on length and steepness, mountains in the Tour de France are rated from four (easiest) to one (hardest), with the Hors categorie even more challenging than the ones. BikeHike Adventures’ Geneva to Alpe d'Huez tour includes both category one and two mountain passes, as well as a few Hors categorie climbs, including the Col de la Madeleine, the Col du Galibier, and the Alpe d'Huez.
All logistics, including baggage transfers, daily meals and hotel accommodations, are taken care of on the self-guided cycling tours, while travellers are given the freedom to bike as fast or slow as they would like to each day’s finishing point. This allows cyclists to focus on the ride without being bogged down with the details. While some people may take the ride at a leisurely pace, most will at least race up the mountain climbs in their own version of the King of the Mountain competition, which celebrates the best climber in a cycling road race. Although the tours do not award white jerseys with red polka dots, they do offer the unforgettable chance to experience some of the same routes as the greats.