Cycling holiday in the Alps, France

The French Alps are home to the most famous Tour de France climbs, and our classic, pass-bagging tour will take in the finest of them all, so get your climbing legs on!

Upon arrival we transfer to a small village on the outskirts of the beautiful and historic lakeside town of Annecy, which is where we will be based for the first couple of nights of our tour. This is the region where France meets Switzerland and Italy and the scenery is some of the most dramatic in Europe. It is from here that we ride ourselves in before tackling the mighty passes of the Savoie region; The Forclaz, Aravis, Colombiere, Telegraph and Galibier are all on the itinerary and you’ll soon discover that each has its own appeal and each offers its own unique set of challenges.

Of course, no alpine cycle tour would be complete without a pilgrimage to the great Alpe d’Huez; 21 numbered hairpins, 14 kilometres and an average gradient of 8.3%, it really is a must for those who love to climb and marks a very fitting end to our journey around the legendary cols of The Tour.

Undoubtedly we’ll be working up a healthy appetite during our rides and as always the Skedaddle team will be providing plenty of appetizing food to keep you going throughout each day.

Riding in the Alps is challenging and physically demanding and because of the amount of climbing involved, some of the daily distances have been kept deliberately lower than those on some of our other high grade rides. We have to be sure after all to make it back to our accommodation in good time each evening to enjoy the fine wines and cuisine on offer in this remarkable region.

Detailed Itinerary:
Day 1 - Arrival
With easy access from around Europe we use Geneva as our gateway to the Alps. After arriving at the airport we transfer to a small and pleasant village on the outskirts of the historic French city of Annecy, one of the most atmospheric and pretty towns in the Alps. After building bikes we’ll settle in for the evening and dine together in a local restaurant where your Skedaddle guides will talk through the program for the week.

Day 2 - Annecy Loop
To ease into things we head along the lakeside and then into the mountains to the west of town, tackling the first of our alpine challenges, the Crêt de Châtillon, at a leisurely pace. Climbing through the forest we ride high into the alpine meadows above the city before descending back to ground level and winding our way back to our hotel through a maze of picturesque alpine villages.

Day 3 - Annecy to Morzine
Today we leave Annecy with an early morning transfer (approx 1.5 hrs) and head for Chatillion de Cluses where  we begin with a gentle warm up ride along the valley floor to Samoens. From here we begin our climb to the Col Du Joux Plane, which takes us through fantastic fragrant pine forests and spectacular mountain scenery with dramatic views of Mont Blanc in the east. Weather permitting, we picnic by the lake at the top of the climb where there's usually time for a hot chocolate before beginning the breathtaking descent into Morzine where will spend the evening. A mid-afternoon arrival means there maybe time to climb to the ski resort of Avoriaz above Morzine, alternatively we may choose to rest those legs and relax in the town.

Day 4 - Morzine to St Jeanne De Maurienne
Today, one of our toughest days begins again with a short transfer (approx 1 hour) from our hotel. Arriving at Cluses we saddle up for another day of truly classic climbs and descents. First we tackle the legendary Col du Columbiere, the mountain is a Tour de France favourite and it is a challenging but extremely satisfying ride. At the summit we will regroup for a coffee before a beautiful and exhilarating descent takes us down to La Clusaz where we prepare for our second climb. A hearty picnic lunch awaits, surrounded by mountain pastures and sound of cow bells, at the top of Col du Aravis. Suitably refreshed we descend into Flumet and begin our final climb to the top of Col Des Saises. Here the van will meet us and we transfer to our hotel in St Jeanne De Maurienne where we will take a well-earned rest. St Jeanne De Maurienne will be our base for the next two nights.

Day 5 - St. Jeanne De Maurienne Loop
No transfer today and no need to pack as we will return to the same hotel. Riding from the hotel we head west along the valley to St Marie de Cuines. Here the road rises as we begin our ascent of the magical Col Du Glandon. Upon reaching the summit we climb a little more to the top of the adjoining Col du Croix de Fer where we will take lunch. This combined ascent is truly revered in cyling lore and is considered to be amongst the greatest of alpine climbs. Having digested lunch we begin a superb descent from the Croix de Fer back into St Jeanne de Maurienne. Here we have time for a rest and some relaxation before dinner.

Day 6 - St Jeanne De Maurienne to Les Deux Alpes
Today's ride is perhaps the toughest and most spectacular of the week. Riding from the hotel it is not long before we hit the foot of the Col du Telegraph. The long and twisting road eventually leads to bottom of the awesome Col du Galibier, which is one of the more challenging alpine climbs and definitely one of the most scenic. The steep and narrow road to the summit twists and turns for an eternity as we ride higher into the thin air. The summit is often still snow-capped even during mid summer. Over the summit we make the long and dramatic descent off the mountain before settling down for the evening in the ski resort town of Les Deux Alpes

Day 7 - Alpe d’Huez
This is the day every cycling fan dreams of, the day we ride the most famous of all Alpine climbs - the legendary Alpe d’Huez, 14 kilometres of sheer hairpinned bliss. As we climb in the tyre marks of the greats of the Tour de France we count down each and every one of the 21 famed hairpin bends before finally reaching this high ski station, and ticking off the last of our week's climbs. But, we also get to ride down the hill, which is a whole lot easier! Following this we transfer back to Annecy for our final evening in town.

Day 8 - Return
Following our final continental breakfast and with a whole heap of legendary alpine climbs bagged, we leave Annecy behind and head back to Geneva

Equipment
We provide everything except a bike, personal equipment and clothing. If you are taking your own bike it should preferably be a road bike or, alternatively, a mountain bike fitted with slick tyres.

Although we will be taking things at a relatively leisurely pace, on occasions the route is hilly, we recommend that you have either a triple or compact chainset or a 27 bottom sprocket to ease the climbing. Please contact us if you are unsure whether your bike will be suitable.

It is imperative that your bike is in good mechanical order. If you are not mechanically minded, we advise you to take your bike to a local bicycle dealer for a service. Our guide(s) will of course be taking a full tool kit and a selection of spares, which we will provide should the need arise but please be sure to carry your own basic tool kit, pump, spare tubes, and any specific spare parts you may require for your bike - especially unusual spokes.

You will need to bring your own accessories including, helmet, gloves and hydration pack / bottles for drinking water. It is also a good idea to bring shoes suitable for walking along with your cycling shoes as well as a light, but waterproof rain jacket and a fleece / sweater for mornings and evenings.

What the price doesn't include
A) Personal clothing and equipment.
B) Alcoholic drinks.
C) Travel insurance (if required, £26).
D) Bar bills, telephone calls, souvenirs, etc.
E) Bike hire (if required, £165).