Corsica Cycling Tour France - Ride International Tours

Corsica, France

8 Day Tours

START | FINISH

Start: Bastia Airport

Finish: Bastia Poretta or Bonifacio Figari Airport/s
DURATION

3 – 10 Days
TOURS OPERATE

April – November
LOCATION

Corsica, France

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AUD $1000 [approx USD $650, €615, £510] reserves your spot, (minimum five guests – cycling and or non-cycling), for the Corsica Tour.

$1,000.00 AUD

In stock

No hidden Credit Card fees.

Welcome to the French – Corsica Tour

Corsica is unique, wonderful location to explore on and off the bike, it’s one of our favourite locations to visit in Europe.

Whether you’d like your Bespoke trip to take in all or parts of the island of Italy, we’ve got you covered.

We can design your dream cycling holiday with specialist non-cycling programs included as well, all you need to do is have five or more of your riding and or non-riding friends sign up, we’ll take care of the rest.

We’ll use all of our experience to design the perfect itinerary for on and off the bike to suit your needs, we can provide as much or as little cycling as you need, plus if you require vehicles, drivers, rider support vehicles, non-cycling program, ride routes, hotels, cycling guides, restaurants and just about anything you can imagine to make your dream trip come true.

Sample Itinerary below: Arrive into Bastia, Corsica, France.

Meet your tour hosts – guides

Pat Fitzpatrick

Director Sportiff

Having descended from a lineage of competitive cycling, Pat is a fourth generation of passionate cyclists. He has excelled in all disciplines of cycling including BMX, MTB: Downhill and Cross Country, Cyclo-cross, and Road racing. His varied background enables Pat to be a global leader in cycling skills coaching, coaching everyone from introductory riders to a current crop of professional cyclists. Pat loves sharing his love of cycling and all that it entails from beautiful secret roads to quaint little villages and local specialties. He also has a knack for locating the best coffee. Pat’s been hosting rides since 1994 and co-founded Ride International with wife Grace in 2007.

Rudy Rogiers

Co-tour Leader - Former Professional Cyclist

In the prime of his career Rudy was a Spring Classics and Tour de France specialist, he raced four editions of the TDF. With some top 10 placings, and some entertaining Mario Cippolini stories. He also raced in 1 Giro d’Italia too! What a legend , the most humble guy you will ever meet.When Rudy’s not working on tour with us, he divides his time with a Belgian professional cycling team - Top Sport Flanders [Vlaanderen]. Rudy has a long list of achievements on and off the bike, yet his 2nd place finish to Sean Kelly in the final sprint at the famously hard/wet 1984 Paris Roubaix is a big highlight. Testament to Rudy’s nature, he works with the Top Sport Flanders team as they are considered a development team for up-and-coming Belgian riders. Rudy’s a man of many talents, he’s also a great bike mechanic and is the man to see if you have any mechanical issues.

Alpine Expert & Chief Fun Officer- Thierry Favre

Thiery Favre

Co-tour Leader, Alpine Expert

Thierry hails from Champery high up in the Porte du Soleil region of Switzerland. He’s the Swiss army knife of biking, he’s the director of the local biking club, which has grown rapidly including over 100 kids as members. Thierry’s wife and children are also part of the local bike club. Thierry’s hails from a passionate biking and outdoor family, he loves road cycling, mountain biking and adventuring in summer. For the winter months he then switches over to winter sports in the Porte du Soleil alpine region. Thierry is a coowner of a ski company, and is a professional ski guide and instructor. Thierry has a vast amount of experience guiding and hosting tours all over Europe, he’s worked with us for over 10 years including tours to the: Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, La Vuelta – Tour of Spain and many private groups tour for guests to enjoy the wonders of Switzerland and it’s majestic mountains, and lake regions.

Ben Norden

Cycling & Non-cycling Guide, Rider Support

Ben comes to us from Melbourne, Australia. Ben values the art of truly hearing others and understanding their perspectives. Through his experiences in cycling and engaging with diverse communities, Ben has honed his ability to connect with people from all walks of life, fostering genuine relationships and creating spaces where individuals can feel heard and valued. His dedication to strategy, health, and social planning is fueled by his passion for making a positive impact on the world around him. His most memorable achievement was clinching a podium spot in the B-grade category during a 3-day tour. He holds many fond memories of competing in Central Queensland races and taking part in the Terra Australis mountain bike stage race. Engaged in mountain biking, triathlons, and road racing for 25 years, he also enjoys cooking, planning adventures, studying, and delving into human behavior outside of cycling.

Antton Miettinen

Cycling & Non-cycling Guide, Rider Support

We are thrilled to welcome Antton to the Ride International team. He will be joining in this year's Tour de France and brings along a wealth of experience from the cycling world, having worked in the cycling tour industry since 2015. When he's not on tour, he resides in San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain, where he enjoys being a home dad and pursuing his passion for photography. Antton values good company and has led a rewarding life filled with meaningful experiences.

Guido Gazinga

Co-tour Leader

After indulging the cobbles and surprising us with his magical Italian driving skills at our Spring Classics, Guido rejoins us on the Tour de France to indulge his interest and passion in World Tour cycling events. Guido comes from a very experienced and well-rounded background in cycling and cycling tours management along with his vast international experience. He’s a lover of gravel, a well-connected industry guy in the cycling tours world and Italian cycling community. He’s a Jack-of-all-trades: proficient in project management, communication, writing, editing, design, illustration, content management, Specializing in route design & trip planning, he straddles the divide between global and Italian markets. When not on the bike Guido holds a Master’s degree in Interior Design.

Stefaan Rogiers

Co-tour Leader

Stefaan has quickly become one of the key staff members of Ride International Tours and is a superb allrounder, on & off the bike. Stefaan is our European Operations Co-ordinator and designs many of our Itineraries. He comes from a super pedigree of cycling, it's in his blood & DNA, & something he's immensely proud of, yet he excelled in Belgian's biggest sport (soccer) as a professional footballer. Nickname (Off the bike) - El Capitan - working as a Captain/guide on the “Bootjes van Gent”, a company that offers tourist boat tours in Ghent. Nickname (On the bike) - Il Pipistrello “The Bat” Because of his unpredictable way of climbing. We also affectionately call him our “Thibaut Pinot”, as he's as fast up a big climb!

Ryland Mollard

Cycling & Non-cycling Guide, Rider Support

Ryland is a multi-talented individual who not only shines on stage during tours but is also a Judge's Associate by profession. When he's not performing with us, he transforms into a criterium racing machine, donning his lycra/spandex suit. Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, Ryland is a true cycling enthusiast who has worked at bike stores, managed a pub, and served coffee as a barista, making him a respected figure in the cycling community. He is always ready to provide expert coffee recommendations during tours. Ryland's passion for cycling started when he was in high school, using it as a mode of transportation to and from rowing practice. He continued cycling in college and eventually started riding longer distances with his peers, eventually leading to his participation in races. Currently, Ryland is gearing up for bike packing, which he considers a new challenge. During tours, he enjoys supporting cycling and guests, savoring the slow pace of exploration, which provides the perfect balance between self-propelled adventure and the speed of a car. Ryland worked with us at this year's Tour Down Under and we’re pleased to have him on board for the Tour de France.

Nicolas Laclias

Cycling Guide

Nicolas is an experienced and charismatic guide, who brings a wealth of experience and passion to both on and off our tours. He is based in the south of France, in the stunning city of Nice, which also happens to be a cyclist's paradise. Prior to joining our team, Nicolas spent 20 years in the music industry, co-founding a digital music company. Nicolas’ job roles on tour include ‘"Stagiaire" Guide in Training, Super Domestique, Rider Support, Non-Cycling Guide, Driver and Guest Services Hotels - Restaurants Nicolas is also well-versed in the regions that we visit being a native frenchman.

Liz Nelson

Cycling & Non-cycling Guide, Rider Support

A relatively late bloomer in cycling, Liz is based in sunny Brisbane, Queensland, where she works as an exercise and sports scientist, coaching cycling and other related endurance sports. Liz provides evidence based programming and advice that helps people improve all aspects of their cycling. Liz’s cycling background is diverse, having competed in all facets of road racing, from local criteriums and road racing through to individual time trials - the ‘race of truth’ being her preferred event! Liz has also participated in mass cycling events, gran fondos and stage tours. Liz is also a fan of the gym and shares her lifting adventures on social media. With her wide range of skills, Liz is well-equipped to support guests on tour, regardless of fitness level or riding experience. Liz also has a health professional background, working as a pharmacist in a previous life. However, she found this a bit dull and prefers to showcase her talents as a “prawn peeler extraordinaire”. Perhaps we’ll have the chance to test this unique talent out during our tour as there are plenty of fresh seafood places to enjoy! Liz has joined us for the Tour Down Under and the Giro d’Italia this year, and we’re happy to see her with us again at the Tour de France. [10 Day Tour Team Member]

Pat and Grace worked tirelessly to make sure everyone’s needs and expectations were met

S. Charlton (2015)Queensland, Australia

A big thanks to you for making my trip, as a non-rider, very memorable

L. Green (2010) New Zealand

Grace and Pat go above and beyond to make sure you have a good time

Steph W. (2015, 2014 & 2013)NSW, Australia

Nothing was too much trouble, their demeanour was always cheery

Andrew S. (2014)Melbourne, Australia

Knowledgeable, multilingual, always helpful, a great team

Tommy. E (2016, 2014, 2013, 2012)USA

Grace is the most organised of guides, no request is too unusual or difficult

A. Saunders (2017)Victoria, Australia

You took care of my wife wonderfully… I am grateful and appreciative

David S. (2016)Canada

Thanks very much for a highly enjoyable and excellently run tour

Daren A. (2012)QLD, Australia

Grace and Pat are remarkable. Thank you so much!

Claudia H. (2104)Canada

Grace… you are warm, inclusive and infectious in your enthusiasm

John H. (2014)Australia

Pat and his team did an absolutely brilliant job

L. Hocking (2015)Victoria, Australia

Big thanks to Grace & Patrick… we had a Brilliant time

Andrew E (2016)Australia

The trip ran like clock work… all we had to worry about was enjoying ourselves

Ben K. (2013)NSW, Australia

Grace… you are still as efficient and organised as always

Richard B. (2016, 2012)Western Australia

Pat’s leadership gave everyone what they needed

Peter F. (2010)New Zealand

Welcome to Corsica!

Our Start Point for the 8 Day Corsica Tour is Bastia in the northern east part of Corsica. Bastia is a great start location for our 8 Day Tour, it’s conveniently located and well connected to the mainland with daily flights from both France and Italy.

We always recommend arriving to our tour start team hotel at least the day prior to your tour start. In our years of experience, we have observed that guests who arrive on Day 0 are better able to respond to potential travel disruptions like flight delays, missed connections and lost luggage. In general, they are better rested, less stressed, less likely to get sick while on tour, much happier and ready for their adventure than those who arrive on Day 1

Where to fly to
Our suggested Arrival Airport to Corsica is Bastia Poretta. The other main airport in the island is Figari South nearby Bonifacio, arriving there will then require an extra 3 hours transfer into Bastia.

More Information
*NB: There’s no official program today Day 0 Pre tour, it’s arrival day, your tour staff will arrive at various points throughout the day. We’ll all be connected via a WhatsApp chat group, we create the group chat just prior to your tour start so that we can all communicate.

Late in the day once your staff are all at our team hotel, we can assist with bike assembly and or introducing you to your hire bike.

Accommodation: Pre Tour Hotel Night/s

Our Tour – Sample Itinerary

Day 1

Timeline #1: For Day 0 guests who are already at our Team Hotel
7:00am – 10:00am: Welcome group breakfast at our team hotel.  Meet the team and other guests in the group
9:00am – 11:30am: Bike assembly, and or Meet Your Hire Bike
12am: Pre-ride Lunch in Bastia
1pm: 50km Ride Starts From Hotel
7:30pm: Welcome Dinner and Drink

Timeline #2: For guests arriving today Day 1
9:00am: Pickup from Bastia Airport. We transfer approx 20 mins to our hotel in the Bastia area or alternatively meet in the lobby of our Team Hotel
9:00am – 11:30am: Bike assembly, and or Meet Your Hire Bike
12am: Pre-ride Lunch in Bastia
1pm: 50km Ride Starts From Hotel
7:30pm: Welcome Dinner and Drink

Non-cycling options: Plenty of options available today, this morning is a great chance to familiarise yourself with our immediate surroundings and set up for the week ahead. Bastia offers stunning sights like the Terra Nova Citadel, lively Vieux Port, beautiful beaches, and the picturesque Piazza St. Nicholas. Explore vibrant markets and enjoy local cuisine for an authentic experience.

Today’s Welcome Ride Options: Ride Col de Santo Stefano
50km Climbing: 920m
Today we start familiarizing with the typical Corsican terrain as we initially ride along the coast before veering into the mountains sitting on the back of Bastia. The climb of Col de Santo Stefano, with its gentle grade and stunning views, is the perfect introduction for the week to come.

Day 2

Cap Corse, Northern Tip of Corsica.
Our Rides: 85km-105km [1440m-1730m climbing] Riding to the northern point of Corsica and then back south along the west coast.
Accommodation: San Florent region

Day 3

West Coast: San Florent to Galeria
Our Rides: 45km-107km [600m-1500m climbing] A day across the Agriate desert plateaux and along the coast of the Balagne region.
Accommodation: Galeria, region

Day 4

West Coast: Galeria to Ajaccio
Our Rides: 56km-93km [1200m-2100m climbing] A breathtaking day riding one of the most beautiful routes in Europe. Enjoy the views of the Mediterranean Sea before arriving in Sagone from where we transfer in our vehicle/s to Ajaccio.
Accommodation: Ajaccio

Day 5

Ajaccio Loop
Our Rides: 35km-60km [1200m climbing] A scenic loop to explore the hilly inland region surrounding Ajaccio.
Non-Cycling: If you feel like taking a day off the bike you can enjoy the town of Ajaccio, the birthplace of Napoleone Bonaparte.
Accommodation: Ajaccio, region

Day 6

West Coast: Ajaccio to Propiano
Our rides: 75km-91km [1170m-1540m climbing] We ride the first part of the day following the gulf of Ajaccio all the way to Cap de Muru before arriving in the quiet village of Propiano.

Day 7

Propiano to Bonifacio
Our ride: 45km-88km [700m-1730m climbing] For the last day of riding we tackle the southern part of Corsica’s central mountain range before arriving in the picturesque harbour town of Bonifacio.

Day 8

FAREWELL BREAKFAST.
TOUR FINISH, AIRPORT TRANSFER/S

7.30am – 9:00am: Farewell Group Breakfast.
9:00am: explore Bonifacio, it’s beautiful harbour, rugged coastline and towering cliffs
10:30am Airport Transfer/s: Bastia Poretta (approx. 3 hours) or to Bonifacio Figari South (approx. 30 minutes)

*Alternatively contact us if you’d like to stay additional nights and at our Team Hotel to explore Bonifacio some more.

Where to fly from: Bastia Poretta or Bonifacio Figari South.

Advance Bookings:

We open up our Advance Reservations for trips so you can book well ahead. Guarantee your position by booking up to 12 months prior.

If you’d like to organise and book your trip more than 12 months prior, contact us via email or phone, we’ll arrange everything so you can make an advanced early booking.

An advance booking, accompanied by a fully refundable $750 AUD (Australian Dollar) ensures priority booking status when the trip details are announced. Note, an advance booking is not considered final until payment is received.

Once specific trip itinerary details are finalized, we’ll contact everyone on the advance reservation list via email, we’ll include the itinerary and offer a priority booking position before opening up bookings to the wider community.

If a trip fills – as it often does in the advance bookings, we create a waiting list and then offer reservations on a first-come, first-serve basis (based on the date the advance reservation was made) once our advanced booking guest have finalised.

To cancel an advance reservation a cancellation request must be submitted in writing/ via email within 14 days of the trip details being published. The (AUD) $750 advance reservation payment will be immediately refunded for any cancellation received within this 14-day period.

Final Payments:

Please Note: Our Private Tours, and various other tours operate in the “Peak European Travel Season” each year.

Our suppliers engage their special conditions during “Peak Travel Season”, including non-refundable payments for bookings to secure the needs to operate our tours.

Our private tours require payment conditions which include a 50% tour progress payment once we supply our tour “Itinerary in Brief”. We forward your first progress payment invoice/s via email, these tour progress payments made to Ride International to secure your position/s on the tour are non-refundable by our suppliers.

Travel Insurance is compulsory for guests on all our tours, should you need to cancel your tour once your tour progress payment/s have been made, contact us via email to notify us of your intention to cancel. We can provide you with written confirmation that your tour position/s have been cancelled, this confirmation of cancellation can then be forwarded by guests onto your travel insurance provider for their consideration.

The balance of your tour payment/s is due no later than 150 days prior to your tour departure date, we will forward via email your final payment invoice. You can choose to make full payment earlier if you prefer to finalise your trip payment early, contact us and we will arrange for an invoice to be sent.

What if I have to transfer, change or cancel my trip:
We understand you may not be able to go on your tour, you have the option to cancel due to personal or medical reasons, tour payments, progress payments are considered final, non-refundable. If you have a question give us a call or email. We can provide you written confirmation that your tour position/s have been cancelled, this confirmation of cancellation can then be forwarded by guests onto your travel insurance provider for their consideration.

Due to the high demand, limited cycling friendly hotel availability, and the advance payments expected by our hotels, various suppliers, and restaurants we use, the following cancellation conditions apply to all of our trips.

AFTER BOOKING, IF YOU CANCEL:

Prior to 150 days to departure	50% cancellation fee of the tour price
90 – 61 days prior to departure	75% cancellation fee of the trip price
60 days and less prior to departure	100% cancellation fee of the trip price

Years of Experience

Tours Completed

1,423

Trip Guests

36,122km

Cycled on Tour

267

Hotels Visited

Advance Bookings:

We open up our Advance Reservations for trips early so you can book and plan well ahead. We guarantee your position by booking prior. If you’d like to organise and book your trip further out than the dates/years we have listed on our website, please contact us via email, phone, & or video call and we’ll arrange everything so you can place an advanced booking.

To cancel an advance reservation a cancellation request must be submitted in writing/ via email within 10 days of the trip details being published. The (AUD) $750 advance reservation payment will be immediately refunded for any cancellation received within this 10-day period.

Final Payments:

The balance of your trip payment is due no later than 150 days prior to your trip departure date, we will forward via email your final payment invoice. You can choose to make full payment earlier if you prefer to finalise your trip payment early, contact us and we will arrange for an invoice to be sent.

What if I have to transfer, change or cancel my trip:
We understand you may not be able to go on your trip, cancel, change or transfer due to personal or medical reasons. We want to make it as easy as possible for you to transfer to another trip that has places available. If you have a question give us a call or email.

Due to the high demand, limited hotel availability and the advance payments expected by our hotels and restaurants we use, the following cancellation conditions apply to all of our trips.

* PLEASE NOTE: For Phil Anderson to attend this tour, there needs to be a minimum of 4 guests booked. In the event that Phil does not attend this tour, our experienced, professional team of Australian and local on and off-bike guides will host your tour.

AFTER BOOKING, IF YOU CANCEL:

150 days prior to departure	50% cancellation fee of the trip price
90 – 61 days prior to departure	75% cancellation fee of the trip price
60 days and less prior to departure	100% cancellation fee of the trip price