Welcome to the 2005 Tour! Our Tour de France programs are shared with you below. We are purposely including a mix of Tour stage viewing along with the flexibility to take personal time to relax and/or ride more as well as minimizing the driving time. I hope that you can join us for a memorable vacation to the heart of cycling’s holy grail, the Tour de France.

Alex Stieda Cycling Tour de France Experience
The Alps: July 9– 15, 2005
7 Days/6 Overnights
Cost: $4475 USD ($5395 CAD) per person, double accommodations
Single Supplement: $595 USD ($725 CAD)
DVD highlight movie: $100 USD ($120 CAD)

HIGHLIGHTS
All Inclusive: All ground transfers from designated arrival point to departure point. Fully supported rides with water, energy bars & mechanical support. 5 of 6 lunches and 5 of 6 dinners included.

Hands-on Expertise: Ex-professional cyclist and Tour de France Yellow Jersey holder, Alex Stieda will ride (and eat!) with our group every day of the trip. Alex will provide daily, skills-based riding clinics specific to the terrain that we ride each day.

Intimate Experience: A maximum of 20 clients with 6 support staff makes this trip a truly memorable experience.

Flexibility: We provide flexibility in the daily itinerary so that you don’t feel like you are holding up the group or having to wait.

Custom Sugoi Cycling Clothing: Everyone will receive 2, 2005 custom Stieda Cycling Sugoi jerseys; 2 pair Sugoi shorts; 2 pairs of socks and a Sugoi wind breaker.

Best Day: The ride up to and viewing in Courchevel, at the only mountain-top stage finish in the Alps. After riding the last kilometers of the race route and the finish climb, we'll enjoy a reserved lunch buffet prior to the exciting stage finish. A spectacular helicopter transfer off the mountain above the post-race traffic jam completes a day that is definitely “hors categorie” (out of this world!).

Toughest Ride: We will preview the Col du Telegraph/Col du Galibier climbs prior to the race day. This portion of the route contains over 25 consecutive kilometers of climbing. For fun (!), we can add additional climbs if the desire and strength is there.

Coolest Inclusion: If it's not the helicopter ride after the stage 10 finish, it's the race viewing on the Galibier the next day.

Bonus # 1: Wine connoisseur, humourist and noted journalist, Nick Lees will be along to carefully guide us through the maze of French wines as well as ride with us and keep us in good humour!

Bonus # 2: A television producer will be along to record our trip on digital video after which he will produce a short ‘bikeumentary’ of our trip for an additional $100 USD fee.

Bonus # 3: We only stay at 2 hotels for our 7-day trip, making for a more relaxing and enjoyable cycling vacation.

Viewing Stats: Three viewing days of three possible, including, 1 mountain-top finish (Courcheval) and 1 mountain pass-through (Galibier) and 1 finish (Digne-les-Bains).

Daily Rides*: 6 total - 2 long, 3 medium, 1 short
*there will be options on some days to ride more or less depending on how you feel.

DAILY PREVIEW
• Day 1 (Saturday, July 9): Air arrival in arrival point of Lyon International Airport. Arrival by train in Grenoble. Transfer to our luxurious spa hotel just outside of Grenoble in Uriage, followed by a short shakedown ride and welcome dinner.

• Day 2 (Sunday, July 10): We’ll ride (or drive) to the base of Alp D’Huez and ride up the famous ascent at our own pace. Lunch at the top before we descend to watch the finish of the Tour stage on TV.

• Day 3 (Monday, July 11): TDF rest day. After a van transfer, we’ll do a preview ride of the Telegraph/Galibier climbs with an option to extend and ride home. For those who ride less there will be an option to visit a team hotel in the early afternoon.

• Day 4 (Tuesday, July 12): After a van transfer to the heli-port at Albertville, we ride onto the race route and up the final 22km, 6% climb. After we arrive at the top, we’ll have a traditional “Savoyard” regional lunch to get us ready to watch the race approach our viewing point, first on TV and then live, at the “ligne d’arrivée” (finish line).

• Day 5 (Wednesday, July 13): While the peloton rides the cols of Madeleine and Telegrpah, we ride up the Galibier to watch the peloton drag themselves up to the highest point of the Tour before they hurtle down to the finish.

• Day 6 (Thursday, July 14): The Tour has a hilly stage today and we’ll drive to intersect towards the end of today’s course, ride to the finish and watch the race arrive in Digne-les-Bains. Then it’s off to our next hotel in beautiful Provence.

• Day 7 (Friday, July 15*): It’s departure day today. We will drive you to Marseille our designated departure point, were you can leave via plane or TGV train, or choose to continue your stay in Provence on your own.
*The transfer from the Alps to the Pyrénées group will take place on July 15th with an approximate 5 hour drive from Marseille to Lourdes.

HOTELS
• Nights 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 (July 9 – 13): Grand Hotel Uriage
Flash version of Grand Hotel website
• Night 6 (July 14): Royal Mirabeau

MEALS
• 5 lunches will be included
• 5 dinners will be included (table wine is included with dinners)

All itineraries are subject to change.