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 Welcome
to our 2008 L'Etape du Tour or "Stage of the Tour"
cycling vacation where you can live the dream of being a professional
cyclist in the Tour de France for one day while also experiencing
all the comfort and amenities of the Pyrenees' finest hotel, the
luxurious 4-star Hotel Parc Beaumont in Pau!
From the time you arrive
at the hotel, you will be in the center of all the weekend events
for the Etape du Tour! The Etape Expo Village,
featuring all of the Tour's sponsors, will be 5 minutes away. Also,
if the Etape begins where the Tour traditionally does at
the Palais des Congress in the Parc Beaumont, you will be right
across the street! Thus, you won't have to worry about lengthy transfers
or getting up before dawn to eat. Other highlights include nightly
dinners in the Jeu de Paume Restaurant, post-Etape
massage, pool, hamman, spa, and the Grand Prix Bar.
Finally, during the
Etape, you'll ride on closed roads through picturesque French
villages and over two of the Tour's greatest climbs, the "beyond
category" Col du Tourmalet and the challenging "montee"
to Hautacam, where you'll be cheered as though you were
wearing the Yellow Jersey. In addition, you'll refuel at official
feed zones as well as our 2 private feed zones
while Mavic provides the on-road support. Finally, you'll feel the
elation at the "Arrivee" when you cross the finish
line, knowing that you have lived the ultimate cycling dream of
having been a part of the Tour's great history as a cyclist....and
not a spectator!
To get an idea of what
it is like to ride the L'Etape du Tour, we invite you to
read the following stories from our VIP cycling guests who have
joined us the past three years:
After reading these first-hand
accounts, you will realize that the Etape du Tour is nothing
like a Century ride near your home. This is one day inside the biggest
and baddest bike race on the planet with all of it's beauty and
severity...and when you finish, you will have a new legend to call
your own!
For the Record.
Over the past three years, here is the percent of our guests
who have finished the Etape du Tour by following our training
program and trip schedules:
- 2005 - 100%
- 2006 - 25%
- 2007 - 99%
Here is what's
included for this Etape du Tour Cycling Vacation Program:
- Entry into the Etape du Tour.
- Professional coaching and training program from Kent McNeill,
a USA Certified Expert Cycling Coach and a 5-time Etape du Tour
finisher.
- 2 private Velo Echappe' aid stations along the Etape
du Tour course on the day of the event!
- Velo Echappe' supplied food / drinks at the finish.
- Professional Velo Echappe cycling jersey, bibs, and socks.
- Post-Etape massage.
- All transfers.
- 3 nights of hotel accommodations in the prestigious Hotel Parc
Beaumont, the finest hotel in the entire Pyrenees Region.
- All breakfasts and 3 evening group dinners with wine as outlined
on the itinerary.
- All gratuites, taxes, and fees for all hotels, meals, and porter
services.
- All daily transfers, luggage transfers, and on-road sag support
in either our autobus or our Thule-equipped vans.
- All daily transfers of bicycles both before and after the Etape
du Tour.
- All daily prepared routes with maps and cue sheets detailing
each days route with each turn and its corresponding mileage.
This is all outlined for you in advance.
- Professional mechanics who will build your bike up for you,
do the daily maintenance if needed, and repack your bicycle for
you when the tour is finished.
- Professional staff with a ratio of 1:6 so everyone gets the
needed attention during the tour.
- Daily supply of bottled water, fruit, cookies and other goodies
to keep you fuelled on the road!
- First aid and cell phone communications
- Pre-departure packet detailing the entire vacation, our hotels,
contact info, what to bring, how to prepare, how to pack your
bike, and other essential info guaranteed to get you ready for
the Etape du Tour!
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