9 day Ultimate Tour
of Ardennes

Today’s Timeline *Guests who arrived Pre-Tour Day 0

Welcome breakfast for those who stayed at our Pre-Tour start Hotel.

8.45am Bags to Lobby. Check out of Hotel. Depart Hotel.

Today’s Timeline * For Guests Arriving Today Day 1:

8.30am Meet Collection Point 1 – Brussels Midi Train Station

8.45am Depart Brussels Midi Train Station in Vehicles

9.30am Meet Collection Point 2 – Brussels Zaventem Airport

9.45am Depart Brussels Zaventem Airport – Transfer to hilly Limburg region, Netherlands [approx. 1 hour 45 min]

12:45pm Amstel Gold Race Recon Ride Departs

4.00pm Bike Spa: Clean and prepare bike for tomorrows Amstel Gold Sportif event.

5.00pm Collect entry pack for Amstel Gold Race Sportif

6.00pm Place handlebar number plate on bike etc

7.30pm Three Course Welcome Dinner and Drink

More about our day. Welcome to Belgium

This morning, we depart or pre-tour hotel, or we’ll collect you from your preferred / designated pick-up location of either #1 Brussels Midi Train station or #2 Brussels Zaventem airport.

From Collection Point #1 Brussels Midi trains station, we transfer to Collection Point #2: Brussels Zaventem airport.

Directly from Brussels Zaventem Airport we continue onto our hotel in the Limburg region in the Netherlands.

Upon arrival we’ll check if our rooms are available early, or alternatively we’ll store our luggage securely and build your bike ready for a gentle ride in the surrounding areas to prepare for the Amstel Gold Sportive.

Prior to riding today, it’s best to wander out to have a snack/ early lunch. After lunch we’ll change into our cycling clothing and head out on the bike.

Our Ride 50km Climbing 500m

Today after lunch we’ll head out for a 50km ride into the beautiful Dutch Ardennes. We’ll keep the ride relatively short today to keep your legs fresh for tomorrow, yet it’s a good chance to familiarise yourself with the beautiful Dutch Ardennes roads.

Today’s ride is a perfect distance to flush out the legs and familiarise yourself with the local conditions and not overstress your system ready for the following days.

We’ll take in some of the roads you’ll ride Saturday on the Amstel Gold Sportive, including the final climb up the Cauberg.

What to bring

Each day pack additional cycling clothing, warmer type kit and warm layers to put in your handlebar bag, conditions can be very changeable at this time of year from mild to very cold, wet, windy and very occasionally even snow in the Ardennes.

If the weather is looking to be cool, it’s best to carry warm layers in a small handlebar bag. Most cycling brands offer good compact 2-3 Litre capacity handlebar bags now – we use *Scicon handlebar bags, they are compact yet have enough room to keep your jacket/s and snacks in.

We’ll talk about the weather forecast prior to departing so you can be well prepared.

Tonight’s Soiree

Meet Hotel Lobby / Bar for a short walk to dinner.

Tonight, we’ve opted for an informal welcome dinner with a location within close proximity to our hotel, dinner and a drink are included.

Accommodation [1 of 3 Nights]

4* Chic Cycling Friendly Hotel, Limburg Region, Netherlands.

Timeline

6.30am Breakfast

7.30am Depart on bike to Amstel Gold Race Sportif

More about the day and The VIP Amstel Gold Weekend Package for Saturday, April 18th & Sunday, April 19th, 2026

VIP Weekend Package Saturday and Sunday – Details below
Saturday is the Amstel Gold Race sportif. You’ll be staying in the the heart of the Amstel Gold Race village area. It’s a superb weekend.

Sunday you’ll spend the afternoon watching the Women’s and Men’s elite races in the chic VIP marque at the finish line of the Amstel Gold Race, it’s one of our favourite VIP experiences of the season

More About The VIP Weekend Package Saturday and Sunday:

Cycle the Sportif version of the Amstel Gold Race on Saturday, a distance to suit everyone from 65km – 150km and join as a VIP guest for the Amstel Gold Race on Sunday.

With this ‘Weekend Package’, you’ll participate in the cycling event on Saturday and enjoy all the facilities included in the VIP package on Sunday. Your sportif participation is guaranteed.

Saturday: You’ll experience the Amstel Gold Race as a VIP:
– Guaranteed participation of the Amstel Gold Race Sportif.
– Breakfast in the Amstel Gold Race VIP pavilion [You also have breakfast included at your hotel]
– Reserved parking at the VIP pavilion [yet you’ll likely ride to the event start as you’ll be staying nearby]
– Reserved secure bike storage
– Special shower and changing facilities
– Photo with the hostesses
– Buffet after the Tour version of the Amstel Gold Race Sportif. [Pasta Party after the sportif]
– Gift after the event

Sunday:

– On Sunday, you’ll experience the Amstel Gold Race with a VIP package
– Access to the Amstel Gold Race VIP pavilion right at the finish
– Participation in the culinary program, ie non stop food and drinks
– Witness multiple passages of the race at the finish line, finish & award ceremony for men and women
– Attend the interview with the winners in the VIP pavilion
– Meeting with various former professional cyclists
– Reserved parking at the VIP pavilion
– Race booklet
– Gift

Sunday: Enjoy the races from the VIP pavilion where a fantastic culinary offering completes your day. More details in Sunday program over.

Today’s Ride: Amstel Gold race Sportif 65km – 150km Climbing: 750m – 2050m

Choose you distance from the 65km – 150 km Amstel Gold race courses, the courses are colour coded to your preferred length, you’ll identify at the event start the colour of the route arrows you’ll need to follow.

During your ride you will encounter all the classic climbs of the Amstel Gold Race route once, including the final climb to the Cauberg, and complete the event back in the town of Valkenburg.

What to bring

Each day pack additional cycling clothing, warmer type kit and warm layers to put in your handlebar bag, conditions can be very changeable at this time of year from mild to very cold, wet, windy and very occasionally even snow in the Ardennes. If the weather is looking to be cool, it’s best to carry warm layers in a small handlebar bag so that you are self sufficient out on course.

We’ll talk about the weather forecast prior to departing so you can be well prepared.

Tonight’s Soiree

Tonight, after your Amstel Gold sportif we’ve left it as a free program so that you can explore our local area and indulge in some cultural immersion via food, wine, beer and the towns bars, restaurants, and café’s.

We are a short walk to the centre of town; it’s a delightful Dutch city centre to explore. Ask us for some local recommendations depending on your budget, preferences, food styles etc. As it’s Amstel Gold weekend, if you’d like to go to a particular restaurant, we suggest making a booking.

Accommodation [2 of 3 Nights]

4* Chic Cycling Friendly Hotel, Limburg Region, Netherlands.

Today’s Timeline:

6.30am: Breakfast

7.30am: Depart Hotel in vehicle 30 min transfer to race start

8.15am: Arrive race start for Teams Presentations, Elite Women & Men.

10.00am: Race start Women

10.45am: Race start Men.

11.00am: Transfer after race start 30 mins

11.45am: Arrive VIP finish line area

12.30pm: First race pass Women

2.20pm: Race finish Women

3.00pm: First Race pass Men – 2 laps.

5.00pm: Race finish Men

5.30-6pm: Race presentation – Apres the official presentation, the Men’s and Women’s race winners are presented to the VIP guests inside the marquee.

More About Our Day.

Amstel Gold Race & VIP Experience.

An action-packed day at the Amstel Gold Race and VIP guest experience. First up this morning, we transfer from our Hotel to the Amstel Gold race start.

We arrive to the beautiful Markt, [market Square] to see the teams’ presentations, and race starts for the Elite Women’s and Men’s races. The Amstel Gold Race start is a wonderful experience, the Amstel Gold Race is the biggest one day cycling event [Classic] in the Netherlands, the Dutch fans make for an enthusiastic event.

Directly after the race start, we transfer to enjoy the second part of our day in the Amstel Gold Race, official VIP marquee, here you enjoy a fantastic culinary offering while we see multiple passes of the Women’s race, race finish, plus multiple laps for the Men’s race and race finish.

The VIP pavilion offers you an unforgettable day with the opportunity to witness all passages, finishes, awards ceremonies, and the first interview with the fresh winners live. Naturally, this is accompanied by an extensive assortment of snacks and drinks in the carefully curated culinary program.

You can follow both the men’s and women’s races on various screens in the pavilion. Additionally, from the VIP terrace, you have a view of the finish line and can witness all passages and finishes up close. Thanks to this location, as a VIP guest, you won’t get any closer to the finish—a unique experience! The Amstel Gold Race VIP pavilion is the ideal day out for cycling fan / enthusiasts.

Included:

• Participation in the culinary program
• Witness the passages at the finish line, finish & awards ceremony for men and women
• Attend the first interview with the winners in the VIP pavilion
• Meeting with various former riders
• Reserved parking at the VIP pavilion
• Race booklet
• Gift
• One parking ticket per two packages

What to bring

No cycling today, pack a day pack – backpack with additional warmer clothing, conditions can be very changeable at this time of year from mild to very cold, wet, windy and very occasionally even snow in the Ardennes. If the weather is looking to be cool, or wet it’s best to carry warm layers, jackets and an umbrella in a backpack. We’ll talk about the weather forecast prior to departing so you can be well prepared.

About the race
More about The Amstel Gold Road race:

The Amstel Gold Race is an annual one-day classic road cycling race held in the province of Limburg, Netherlands. It traditionally marks the turning point of the spring classics, with the climbers and stage racers replacing the cobbled classics riders as the favourites.

Since 1989 the event has been included in season-long competitions at the highest level of UCI, as part of the UCI Road World Cup (1989–2004), the UCI ProTour (2005–2010), UCI World Ranking (2009–2010) and since 2011 of the UCI World Tour. It is the only one-day World Tour race staged in the Netherlands and is considered the most important Dutch road cycling event.

Dutch beer brewery Amstel has served as the race’s title sponsor since its creation in 1966. The name does not directly refer to the river Amstel, which runs through and near the city of Amsterdam. It took place without interruption until the COVID-19 pandemic. Dutchman Jan Raas holds the winning record with five victories, our good friend Phil Anderson [Australian] won the Amstel Gold race in 1983 and so far, remains the only non-European to have won the race. Historically the winner of the race won their own body weight in beer.

Since 2017, a Women’s Amstel Gold Race is held, after a 14-year hiatus. The event is organised on the same day and on largely the same roads as the men’s race and is part of the UCI Women’s World Tour.

Tonight’s Soiree

After a fantastic day at the Amstel Gold Race, we’ve left tonight open to a free program, we’ve left it open so that you can explore our local area, enjoy the post-race atmosphere.

Accommodation [3 of 3 Nights]

4* Chic Cycling Friendly Hotel, Limburg Region, Netherlands.

Timeline

7.30am: Breakfast
* Bring bags down to the lobby prior to taking breakfast, for a prompt departure. Please check out and settle any personal room expenses.

9.00am: Depart Hotel, transfer to the Limburg Region in Belgium [45mins]

10.00am: Arrive to Hotel, deposit luggage, change into cycling clothing.

11.00am Ride Start from hotel

7.00pm Meet Hotel Lobby, 3 Course Dinner included

More about our day. Cycling and Non-Cycling Programs.

This morning, we bid farewell to the Dutch Limburg region, and the Amstel Gold race, after a relaxed morning and breakfast we depart in our vehicle to our home for the next four nights. This morning, we are bound for Belgium’s oldest town – city, it’s a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg, in the southeastern corner of the Flemish region of Belgium.

Our new base, region is believed to be the only Roman administrative capital within the country’s borders. As a Roman city, it was inhabited by the Tungri, and known as Atuatuca Tu. We like the small old town centre’s in this region of Belgium, they’re nice to stroll around, explore shops, historical sights and in particular there’s always something interesting to see at the local antique markets.

Our rides this week are measured to have you recover from the Amstel Gold Sportif, and in great form for the weeks next main event the Liège Bastogne Liège [LBL] Challenge, our aim is to have the rides, distances and amount of climbing at sustainable levels so that you arrive to LBL in good form, refreshed and ready to take on the 80km – 150km challenge routes.

Today’s Rides and Non-Cycling Program: 70km – 500m

The highlight of today’s ride through the country lanes, rural lands, and roads around the Belgian Limburg region is our visit to ‘Reading between the lines’.

From our hotel we head in an easterly direction to visit ‘Reading between the lines’, an architectural, art piece inspired church, it’s visually striking. Reading between the lines is a project by the duo Gijs Van Vaerenbergh, a collaboration between young Belgian architects Pieterjan Gijs (Leuven, 1983) and Arnout Van Vaerenbergh (Leuven, 1983). Since 2007, they have been realizing projects in public space together that start from their architectural background but have an artistic intention. Their projects do not always originate out of the initiative of a classical client, for example, and carry a large degree of autonomy. Their primary concerns are experiment, reflection, a physical involvement with the end result and the input of the viewer.

From the architectural art piece, we continue east through the rural and forest areas of the region prior to returning to the historical centre and comforts of our hotel.

What to bring

Pack additional cycling clothing, warmer type kit and warm layers to put in your handlebar bag, conditions can be changeable at this time of year.

Tonight’s Soiree

Tonight we meet in our hotel lobby, we’ll enjoy a 3 course meal together, highlighting our new region’s seasonal ingredients.

Accommodation [1 of 4 Nights]

4* Chic Cycling Friendly Hotel, Limburg Region, Belgium.

Timeline

8am: Breakfast

9am: Ride Start: Depart Hotel on Bikes

More About Our Day Cycling and Non-cycling… and Our Ride: 60km Climbing: 400m
This morning after breakfast we depart our hotel either on on our bikes, or in our vehicle.

We have another route to explore the region by bike or in our vehicle’s, plus a Liège Bastogne Liège training ride planned, medium distance and minimal climbing.

Our northern most point today takes us to the “Cycling or Walking Through Water” experience in Bokrijk, there’s no need to get our feet or bikes wet, the purpose made bike path cuts through the centre of the lake, at one point you’ll be at eye height through the water, yet without getting wet.

What to bring

Pack additional clothing, cycling clothing, warmer type kit and warm layers to put in your handlebar bag, conditions can be very changeable at this time of year. We’ll talk about the weather forecast prior to departing so you can be well prepared.

Tonight’s Soiree

Tonight is a free program, we’ve left it open so that you can be as relaxed our busy as you prefer, we’ll be heading out locally, feel free to connect, or explore our local area and indulge in some cultural immersion via food, wine, beer and the towns bars, restaurants, and café’s.

Accommodation [2 of 4 Nights]

4* Chic Cycling Friendly Hotel, Limburg Region, Belgium.

Timeline

7.30am Breakfast

8.30am Depart Hotel in Vehicle Transfer approx 1 hour

9.30am Arrive Fleche Wallonne race area – Start Ride

3.00pm Elite Women’s race Finish time, Mur Huy

4.30pm Elite Men’s race Finish time, Mur Huy
Apres Race return transfer to our Hotel [approx. 1 hour].

More about our day: Non-Cycling and Cycling

This morning, we depart our hotel early after breakfast, we’re bound for the finish town of Today’s Fleche Wallonne race. Here today we commence our scenic loop and ride on the local roads and aim to be finished riding prior to the Women’s race arriving back to the Fleche Wallonne finishing circuit.

We then settle in to see the Elite Women’s and Men’s races on this iconic circuit, and finish on the legendary Mur Huy.

Our Ride: 55km – 700m climbing

This morning, we depart from our Hotel with your cycling clothing underneath your casual wear, it’ll make for a quick change upon our arrival, it’s a shortish transfer from our hotel in our vehicle to our ride start town [approx. 1 hour]

Our plan this morning is to ride a loop of the local roads including the Mur de Huy prior to the Women’s Fleche Wallonne race arriving back to the Mur Huy. We’ll change into our off-bike clothing and spend the afternoon enjoying, watching the Elite

Women’s race loops and finish. We then settle in to watch the excitement of the Elite Men’s race approaching, final loops and finish up the iconic Mur Huy.

About the Fleche Wallonne races Women & Men:

The race organisation will provide more details on the races in the days prior to the events, for now we know the 143.5km Elite Women’s race starts in the Town of Huy and heads southeast prior to returning for the final loops through Huy and the Muur de Huy.

The Elite men’s race is approx 200km, the start location is Charleroi, the race arrives to the town of Huy to complete 3 laps of the finishing circuit with the fourth and final ascent as the race finish

Tonight’s Soiree

Tonight is a free program, we’ve left it open so that you can be as relaxed our busy as you prefer, we’ll be heading out locally, feel free to connect, or explore our local area and indulge in some cultural immersion via food, wine, beer and the towns bars, restaurants, and café’s.

Accommodation [3 of 4 Nights]

4* Chic Cycling Friendly Hotel, Limburg Region, Belgium.

Timeline

7.30am Breakfast

8.30am Depart Hotel in our vehicles, transfer approx 1 hour

9.30am Arrive ride start

More about our day: Cycling and Non-Cycling

Today we experience another day in the Ardennes [Belgium Hills] with The Liège–Bastogne–Liège Spring Classics course.

We include our course reconnaissance today either in our vehicle or on the bike, we’ve had a few recovery rides after the Amstel Gold Race sportif, and it’s time to ramp thing back up again so that your system is ready to go for Saturday’s Liège–Bastogne–Liège Challenge.

Today we fire back up your aerobic system and climbing legs in readiness for Saturday yet with plenty of recovery time prior to the event.
Liège–Bastogne–Liège race, also known as La Doyenne (“The Old Lady”), is a one-day classic cycling race in Belgium. First run in 1892, it is the oldest of the five Monuments of the European professional road cycling calendar and the perfect final event of the spring classics.

It is considered one of the most arduous one-day cycling events in the world because of its length and demanding course. The most successful rider with five victories is Belgian rider Eddy Merckx, trailed by Italian Moreno Argentin in the 1980s and Spaniard Alejandro Valverde in the 2000s, who both won the race four times. In more recent times the man of the moment Tadej Pogacar has now won the race 3 times

Liège–Bastogne–Liège is part of the UCI World Tour competition. It is the concluding race of the Ardennes Classics series, which includes La Flèche Wallonne. Both are organised by French owner Amaury Sport Organisation, which also organises the Tour de France and Paris–Roubaix.

In 2017, the Liège–Bastogne–Liège Femmes was inaugurated and added to the UCI Women’s World Tour, becoming the second of the cycling monuments to introduce a women’s edition after the Tour of Flanders in 2014. We were super proud when Ride International’s scholarship athlete, Grace Brown [Australia] won the 2024 Liège–Bastogne–Liège race.

Our Ride: 50km – 85km Climbing 700m – 1750m

Today we experience a sample selection of the Liège–Bastogne–Liège challenge course including – parts of our Eddy Merckx Training Ride. We include the nicer portions of La Doyenne [the old lady] of cycling on the Liège-Bastogne-Liège course south of Liège. Similar to the course you’ll complete for the Liège–Bastogne–Liège challenge on Saturday and the pros will race on the very same roads on Sunday.

We’ll ride some famous slopes such as the Côte de la Redoute 2km at 9% average gradient, and col de Stockeu, save your attacks for late in the climbs, they are tough little climbs. Overall, today we’ll sample the undulating, twisting, turning nature of what makes the Liège-Bastogne-Liège course so tough, there’s very little flat, straight road to relax on.

For several years the racecourse has consisted of the Côte de la Redoute, where the late Frank Vandenbroucke and Michele Bartoli fought a captivating duel, the Côte des Forges, which should not be underestimated, and the all-consuming Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons.

Our ride starts off fairly easily with a nice warm up, we then head west towards Sougné-Remouchamps where we experience one of the most famous climbs in Belgium: the Côte de la Redoute.

Our medium length ride route packs in plenty of climbing, then from the December 44 Museum, we head towards Stavelot, and climb up Eddy Merckx’s old training route/climb the Col de Stockeu 1.1km at Avg 11.1% – Max gradient -18.9%.

Once at the top we pause at the monument to Eddy Merckx for a photo, Merckx is arguably the best bike rider in history of cycling. From the top of the Col de Stockeu we loop back past the F1-racetrack in Francorchamps, and finish our ride back where we started earlier today, it’s a lovely tour of the region and sample of the Liège–Bastogne–Liège course

What to bring

Pack a day pack today to have in our vehicle, pack a towel and additional dry clothes for when you finish your ride, also pack additional cycling clothing, warmer type kit and warm layers to put in your handlebar bag, conditions in the river valleys in these parts can be very changeable at this time of year in the Ardennes.

Tonight’s Soiree

Tonight is a free program, we’ll be heading out locally, feel free to connect, or you can explore our local area and indulge in some cultural immersion via food, wine, beer and the towns bars, restaurants, and café’s.

We are a short walk to the centre of town; it’s a lovely Belgian city centre to explore. Ask us for some local recommendations depending on your budget, preferences, food styles etc.

Accommodation [4 of 4 Nights]

4* Chic Cycling Friendly Hotel, Limburg Region, Belgium.

Timeline

7.30am Breakfast
* Bring bags down to the lobby prior to taking breakfast, for a prompt departure. Please check out and settle any personal room expenses

8.45am Depart Hotel in Vehicle Transfer [approx. 30mins]

9.15am Arrive to Hotel in the region of Liège, deposit luggage, change into cycling clothing.

10.00am Ride Start Liège, from hotel

1pm-7pm Collect Participation Package for Liège-Bastogne-Liège Challenge, Banneux. [30 mins transfer from Liège]

More about our day: Non-Cycling and Cycling

This morning, we depart after a relaxed morning and breakfast. We depart in our vehicles for our new home for the next three nights. This morning, we are bound for region of Liège, the city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from borders with the Netherlands and Germany.

We’ll arrive to our new Hotel in the region of Liège, we’ll deposit our luggage, or if our rooms are ready early, we’ll check into our rooms, either way we’ll securely store our luggage at the hotel prior to heading out on our “Explore Liège ride into the hills above Liège.

After we return from our ride, we’ll head out in our vehicle to the town of Banneux to collect our participation package, frame plate and bib number for the Liège-Bastogne-Liège Challenge. The participant package can be picked up at the start-finish location in Banneux between

1 pm – 7 pm. We’ll arrive late in the day after our morning ride to collect our participation packages.

More about Liège: