Tour de France cycling tour

We can meet you all at Toulouse Airport or a local airport hotel at around 10:30am. There will be a 1hr 15min drive to beautiful Castres which is our base for the next three nights. Castres is located in the Haut-Languedoc region and in its own right is rich in TDF history as it hosted the Stage 12 finish in 2007 and the Stage 8 start during 2013. This afternoon is also all about getting ready for the upcoming days. There will be time for a bike fitting before a short warm-up ride. During dinner our team will also provide a briefing of the fantastic cycling that now awaits.

Meals: Dinner Included / Sleep: Castres

Today you will ride through the agricultural land to the north of Castres. This ride takes you through the fertile fields of the Haut-Languedoc region. It is rolling terrain that sees the elevation gain constantly accumulate. The ride finishes in the beautiful city of Albi which is often referred to as the ‘majestic red brick giant over the Tarn river’. Albi is always a vibrant place with its food markets, museums and cathedrals. Today though there will be extra excitement as the town will also host the Stage 15 Tour de France finish. Following the TDF stage finish there will be a 45min drive back to Castres.

Distance: 75km (850m elevation) / Meals: Breakfast & Dinner Included / Sleep: Castres

Our base in Castres in the Languedoc region is perfectly located to re-create the Stage 10 finish from the 2016 TDF when Aussie Michael Matthews spectacularly defeated Peter Sagan! The cycling route will take you through nearby woodlands (Forêt de Montaud and Forêt Domaniale de la Montagne Noire) before arriving to where the 2016 Stage 10 finish was contested in Revel. This will be your chance to go for the sprinters points! The ride is a fantastic hotel to hotel loop ride which follows quiet road!

Distance: 100km (1250m elevation) / Meals: Breakfast & Dinner Included / Sleep: Castres

Today it is all about getting to Toulouse to watch the Stage 16 Individual Time Trial during the mid-afternoon. Closer to the tour dates we will assess the stage departure times, however, the plan is to first offer a 50km cycling route towards Toulouse. Once in Toulouse there will be time to find some lunch before witnessing the team buses and riders as they prepare for the 33km Stage 11 time-trial through the centre of Toulouse. A time-trial stage always offers amazing access to the riders and the chance to catch the excitement of the race!

Distance: 50km (500m elevation) / Meals: Breakfast Included / Sleep: Toulouse

Following a 1hr 15min transfer to Montrejeau, you will ride 90km through to your new base in Lourdes for the final 4 nights of the tour. This is one of our favourite routes as it heads through the pre-Pyrenees. The ride includes a number of shorter 2-5km climbs which never get too steep. Passing by the Chateau de Mauvezin is always a highlight as the first views of the Pyrenees come into sight. On a clear day one can see the Pic du Midi Observatory which towers above the Tourmalet at 2877m elevation.

Distance: 90km (1150m elevation) / Meals: Breakfast & Dinner Included / Sleep: Lourdes

Today you will ride up the world-famous Col du Tourmalet summit only hours before the professionals. Here we will join other passionate fans roadside to watch the excitement unfold as the riders come past. These are the stages that cycling fans around the world look forward to as the peloton takes on the gruelling, relentless accents. Col du Tourmalet is a challenging climb (18km / 7.2% average grade) which is probably the most famous of all TDF ‘cols’ with over 100 race route passings! A highlight for everyone is greeting the giant structure (`Geant`) dedicated to Octave Lapize the first cyclist to cross the Tourmalet during the TDF over a century ago. Depending on the weather at the summit (sometimes it can be bitterly cold) we might decide to descend to the quaint Luz St Sauveur township to view the race.

Distance: Min. 70km (1750m elevation gain) / Meals: Breakfast Included / Sleep: Lourdes

Cycling from Lourdes and another of the great Pyrenees climb doubles is calling; Col du Soulor and Col d´Aubisque! The hors categorie Col d´Aubisque climb has been passed almost 50 times during the Tour de France putting it in the top 5 most used climbs in race history. After first passing Col du Soulor you will cycle the dramatic mountain road which links the Soulor and Aubisque summits. The road breathtakingly hugs the cliffs of the Cirque du Litor, passes two striking tunnels and is simply a cycling experience like no other! On reaching Aubisque take some time to soak up your great achievement and enjoy some fun photos with the giant TDF inspired bikes found at the summit! The descent towards Laruns will take you directly to the Stage 19 finish. The tour was last in Laruns during 2023 when Jai Hindley won the Stage 5 finish from the breakaway. Post-stage there will be a 1hr drive back to our base in Lourdes.

Distance: 65km (1500m elevation gain) / Meals: Breakfast Included / Sleep: Lourdes

We will depart from the hotel on the bikes firstly in search of Col de Spandelles. This 14.7km climb from Argeles-Gazost has a 6% average grade and is one of the easier climbs in the Pyrenees. It will be a good climb to get started on! Col de Spandelles was the highlight of the 2022 Tour de France, as during Stage 18 it hosted an aggressive battle between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard. If you remember, it was the stage where Pogacar actually crashed on the descent! 

Now back down along the River Ousse our route will head to the base of Hautacam. From Argeles-Gazost the 16.5km at 7.5% average makes for a testing climb. The Stage 12 finish of the 2025 TDF took place up on summit of this colossal Pyrenees climb. Hautacam is a relative newcomer to Le Tour having only 7 summit finishes since its arrival during 1994. Bjarne Riis, Vicenzo Nibali and Jonas Vingegaard have all taken line honours on this summit. We actually think Hautacam is a more difficult climb than Aubisque and Tourmalet! The ride will finish with an enjoyable ‘cruise’ along the asphalted bike path that leads all the way back into Lourdes. Now for the champagne celebration!

Distance: 65km (850m) or 90km (2000m) / Meals: Breakfast & Dinner Included / Sleep: Lourdes

Following breakfast the guides will be available to transfer you directly to Toulouse Blagnac Airport by 12 noon. Please keep this time in mind if you need to book onwards international flights. From here we will say our goodbyes before you continue on your own adventures.

Meals: Breakfast included