View from atop Alpe d'Huez towards the town of Bourge d'Oisans and the valley below
Our original Classic Climbs program took a handful of hardy cyclists up, down, and through the Alps back in 1997. It was all based on a casual suggestion from a guest at the Tour, who wanted to come back to France and suffer up the passes with a few less people around. That first 10-day trip was epic, including ascents of the Galiber and Izoard (izz-so-hard!). Not to mention a chilly day in the rain up to Alpe d’Huez, followed by a sunny morning flipping pancakes with the hotel owner.
Climb-focused trips have been popular ever since and 2012 is no exception. In June, we’re taking on the Alps with a private group set to cover the Col de la Madeleine, the Glandon, and a few other choice passes. They’ll wrap up with a jaunt down to northern Provence for a final climbing session on the Mont Ventoux.
Indeed, we have a couple of May-June weeks based around Provence and the Ventoux, both with a few spaces left as of this posting. The highest-altitude show is, of course, the USA Pro Cycling Challenge in Colorado this August. Though the climbs there are generally less steep, the passes can be 5000 feet higher then their European counterparts.
If you are interested in climbing to new heights, please contact us. To stay current on our Tour and other trip offerings, just sign up for our e-newsletter.
Crowds at the top of Lookout Mountain near Golden, CO during the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge
As the 2011 road-cycling season wraps up, the pro cyclists are already making travel plans for preseason training camps and team presentations. Fans and less serious riders are also making plans, but for things like fun rides or [...]
VéloSport Vacations is the official tour provider for the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge, an international pro-cycling stage race traveling through Colorado August 22-28, 2011.
The event will include seven stages, visiting 11 Colorado host cities and cover nearly 600 miles of the region’s demanding terrain.
As the official Tour Provider, VéloSport will have several VIP packages [...]
Cycling fans everywhere are looking forward to the Alpe d’Huez mountain-top finish on July 22. Not only is it a crazy-short road stage at 110k (68m), but it really consists of just the Telegraph-Galibier climb, the subsequent descent, followed by the 21-switchback suffer-fest to the finish line.
The short distance and course profile are enough [...]
Full details for our 2011 programs are now posted. Our main July cycling program will be a high-service seven-day trip in conjunction with the Tour (our 22nd year!) with a focus mostly on the Alps. The week will include our signature mix of relaxed days and longer rides contrasting with action-packed days of Tour-viewing and [...]
© 2012