French Cycling Holidays
For the cyclist, France has everything — spectacular scenery, long smooth roads and breathtaking climbs. The French people have embraced cycling for generations and consider the Tour de France one of the most important sports events of the year. So your desire to cycle the country will be understood and welcomed.
French Cycling Holidays have been the cream of the crop for many years now. Created by an avid Scottish cyclist, they offer a mix of successful holiday cycling experiences, suitable to different levels of fitness.
The easiest routes ride through the Loire Valley or Bordeaux. If you’re comfortable riding 250 km a week or so, you may prefer the Dordogne, Provence, Burgundy or Languedoc tours. Hard core cyclists with years of experience in their legs can take on the Classic Cols Tour or Etappé. The climbs are challenging, even for seasoned veterans, but they’re not races. And you always have the minibus for back-up if you need it.
Since most rides finish early enough to give you a leisurely afternoon, soaking up the French ambience, FCT provides guides for additional routes, if you want to add a few more kilometres.
The tourist aspects of the tours are every bit as appealing as the rides themselves. In the Dordogne Tour, for example, you’ll visit the Cromagnon caves of Lascaux, with some of the finest examples of pre-historic art. Because England and France fought over the beautiful Périgord region during the hundred years war, you’ll cycling through charming bastides (fortified villages) and Medieval stone churches as you go.
The landscape is rich with rivers, cliffs, hills and endless fields of sunflowers or tobacco. You’ll get to sample the sumptuous cuisine of the region, famous for its duck and goose dishes, including fois gras, as well as its truffles and its cheeses, not to mention its own Bergerac, Pecharmont and Cahors wines.
Weekly tours run from May through September and cost an average of 945 GBP (1650 USD). Airport transfers, hotels and breakfast are included. On all but the advanced tours, a lightweight alloy framed Trek hybrid touring bike with 24 indexed gears is provided and equipped with a lock, pump and toolkit. Guides are always present to fix punctures and minor mechanical problems. And a bus carries the luggage and any stragglers from one location to the next.
It’s not unusual for these tours to sell-out, so if you’re ready, book it now. For the Etappé, you may even need to book a year ahead.