VUELTA A ESPAÑA - TOUR OF SPAIN 2020
Camino de Santiago

2 Tour Options:
6 Days | 22nd – 27th August 2020
10 Days | 22nd – 31st August 2020

  • LOCATION

    French Pyrenees and Spain

PAYMENTS

Bookings are open!

$750.00 AUD – $6,750.00 AUD

Clear

No hidden Credit Card fees.

  • 6 DAY TOUR
    22nd – 27th August 2020

    $750 AUD – Advanced Booking Deposit (Risk Free – it’s 100% fully refundable)

    6 Day Tour Price: TBA – $ AUD per person

    Approximate conversion: USD $TBA

    We’ll have the detailed itinerary up shortly, in the meantime take a look at our 2019 Vuelta a España Cycling Tour. Click through here to view our 2019 Vuelta a España Cycling Tour – it’ll give you a great idication of how the 2020 Vuelta a España Cycling Tour will look, feel and work. In the mean time send us an email or call for any details you require.

    SINGLE SUPPLEMENT

    Single Supplement Price: $TBA AUD per person

    Approximate conversion: USD $TBA

    * Our twin share prices are per person based on two people sharing one room. If you are travelling alone, you have the option of sharing a twin room with another tour participant that we’ll match you with or alternatively, have a room to yourself by paying the additional single room supplement.

    Feel free to give us a call or email, we’re here to help. Click here

  • 10 DAY TOUR
    22nd – 31st August 2020

    $750 AUD – Advanced Booking Deposit (Risk Free – it’s 100% fully refundable)

    10 Day Tour Price: $6750.00 AUD per person

    Approximate conversion: USD $4450.00

    We’ll have the detailed itinerary up shortly, in the meantime take a look at our 2019 Vuelta a España Cycling Tour. Click through here to view our 2019 Vuelta a España Cycling Tour – it’ll give you a great idication of how the 2020 Vuelta a España Cycling Tour will look, feel and work. In the mean time send us an email or call for any details you require.

    SINGLE SUPPLEMENT

    Single Supplement Price: $820.00 AUD per person

    Approximate conversion: USD $545.00

    * Our twin share prices are per person based on two people sharing one room. If you are travelling alone, you have the option of sharing a twin room with another tour participant that we’ll match you with or alternatively, have a room to yourself by paying the additional single room supplement.

    Feel free to give us a call or email, we’re here to help. Click here

Join us on our Phil Anderson Signature Tour.

Vuelta a España 2020 & Camino de Santiago Cycling Pilgrimidge – 10 Day Tour

We’ve teamed up with our longtime friend, Australian and Tour de France cycling legend Phil Anderson on a new series of signature, collaboration tours. This tour takes in the Vuelta a España – The Tour of Spain.

The Vuelta a España is the unheralded Grand Tour of cycling. It offers an explosive three weeks of mountaintop finishes raced in the late afternoon Spanish light and immersed in a culture of relaxed eating and drinking.

Our 2020 Vuelta Tour follows the Vuelta a’Espana from The Col du Tourmalet in the French Pyrenees to the north-west of Spain. We’ll see varied aspects of the Vuelta race, take in the finest parts of Spain and follow a similar path to the Camino de Santiago, “The French & Primativo Camino routes”.

We’ll visit the start point of the Camino deep in the French Pyrenees border region. We then criss cross the camino routes as we traverse the north of Spain, from the central Rioja region across to the west, providing non cyclists a world of optional walking /camino experiences to intertwine with Vuelta race experiences.

The Vuelta a España is now on the bucket list of professional cyclists and weekend warriors alike.  No longer overlooked by those seeking cycling holiday experiences the Vuelta a España also features highly as a desired palmare for all the general classification contenders of the current era.

The 2020 Vuelta a España will again be one of the hardest races you will see, we follow the race for 10 days that includes the combination of riding, spectating, relaxing, cool drinks, Pintxos, Tapas and generally enjoying wonderful Spanish life.

Our Optional Tour extension will see an additional two stages of the Vuelta, plus finish our pilgrimidge in the famous Spainish town of Santiago de Compostela – the finishing point of the Camino de Santiago route. Contact us directly to register your interest.

We love everything about Spain, it’s a great climate for cycling, beautiful roads and a culture which encourages cycling and the outdoors, we love it so much – we have our European base in a small village in Spain. We’re sure you’ll love Spain as much as we do.

6 Day and 10 DAY ITINERARIES

Vuelta a España – Tour of Spain 2020

2019 Day 1 – Saturday 22 Aug.

ARRIVAL DAY: Welome Ride – Getting settled

Stage 8. Huesca – Sabiñánigo 185.8km

La Vuelta visits the French Pyrenees briefly, it’s your chance to combine the Vuelta and Le Tour to experience the incredible Pyrnees.

Welcome to the 2020 Vuelta which will start on the French side of the Pyrenees.

As always we definitely recommend arriving at our Team Hotel a day or two prior to your tour start, it’ll reduce travel stress and you’ll adjust to the local time zone far better. If you are already in Spain or France navigate to our Team Hotel or alternatively we can pick you up at:
10:00am Tarbes Airport
or
11:00am Lourdes TGV Trainstation.

Once we have all convened at out Tour start hotel we will set up and fit our bikes, readying them for the rigours of the Vuelta a Espania.

We start our tour with the now tradition welcome ride, an easy 45km with sufficient bumps to get the heart pumping and set the theme for the days to come.

Tonight’s meal is on the house, a time to celebrate in style with a classic French welcome meal and drinks at our superb 4 star Hotel. It’s a great chance to catch up with new friends and old and talk about our sojourn into La Vuelta.

Our Ride: Welcome Ride 45km / 650m climbing

We’ll show you one of our favourite local Pyrenees Training Loops. This afternoon we head straight out of the door from our Team Hotel along some small lesser know, yet lovely and quiet roads of the region.

Todays ride is a nice way to make sure your bike and body are all working well for the following days ahead.

Non-cycling options:

Explore our beautiful Pyrenean village, there’s plenty to explore and see, take some time to settle in or relax in the spacious grounds of our historic hotel. If you fancy being active, we have plenty of great walks or hikes we can suggest.

Alternatively ask us for some options based on your personal interests, we have some great recommendations.

Vuelta Race: Huesca – Sabiñánigo 185.8km

We’ll catch the last hour of the race live on TV as the Vuelta heads north toward us in the French Pyrenees.

Après Ride: 3 Course Welcome Dinner and Drinks.

Tonight we gather in the superb restaurant at our hotel for our welcome dinner and drinks. Our hotel and restuarant showcase a bygone era of opulent travel, the elegant restaurant is complete with wood floors, chandeliers, great local food, wine and service with an abundance of character

 Accommodation:

French Pyrnees – Luxury 4 Star, Spa and Bike Hotel.

Tour of Spain
Tour of Spain
Tour of Spain
Tour of Spain

DAY 2 – WEDNESDAY 04 SEPT. 2019

Stage 11: 169km Saint Palias to Urdax

We plan on a classic Spanish start to the day, relaxed enough to allow a little time to explore San Sebastian, before we head out for a mid-morning ride that will have us arrive in Urdax with time for a late lunch before the stage finish. The rides are short enough to allow for at least 60km | 1000m-1600m of climbing on our first incursion into the Spanish mountains.

Stage 11 is a middle-mountain stage running over 4 intermediate climbs before an exciting downhill finish in town. There are expectations of an attacker stealing the day but I would expect the stronger teams to control and dominate the stage, managing time bonuses before a strong finale in the streets of Urdax.

As the temperate cools we will drive back to San Sebastian for tapas, and a late dinner. Spanish already!

Our Rides: Distance 60km | Climbing: 1000m (Extra’s available)

.

Tour of Spain

DAY 3 – THURSDAY 05 SEPT. 2019

Stage 12: 175km Circuito de Navarra – Bilboa

Stage 12 involves three short but tough consecutive climbs, very close together through stunning country. The penultimate climb, the steep Alto El Vivero will precede the 7km descent to what will be a dramatic stage finish in Bilbao.

As La Vuelta heads East we will consequently extend our ride to take in the ascent of the Alto El Vivero to watch the race in its closing stages. We are likely to be in the mix of the cycling-mad Basque. It will be unrivalled spectating after a reasonably long ride to secure our positions.

We will return to San Sebastian with our feet up and spirits high for our last night in town before we chase the peloton along the coast to our next hotel.

Our Rides: Distances: 60km-130km Climbing: 850m – 1500m

.

Tour of Spain

DAY 4 – FRIDAY 06 SEPT. 2019

Stage 13: 168km Bilboa – Los Machucos

A tour is designed around the riding and of course La Vuelta, occasionally it involves not just the obligatory transfer, but a ride and a stage finish. We will have the luxury of a relaxed start to our day, typically Spanish followed by a race chase both by car and bike.

A mountain top finish is on our race card. This critical stage includes seven climbs before the final ascent to Los Machucos. This is the climb that Froome faltered on in 2017 and is one the Spanish refer to as ‘rampas inhumanas’. The Cantabrian mountain is a synonym for torture. The climb is only 7.3 kilometres at 8.7%, but this average hides the initial 17.5% ramp before it is followed by a steep descent. A km further and there is a 26% gradient, which continues onto a small plateau and yet another ramp of 25%.

Our ride may be difficult as well but will not be preceded by 6 climbs and we will tackle the mountain from behind.

Our Rides: Distance: 45km – 85km Climbing: 700m – 1400m

.

Tour of Spain
Tour of Spain
Tour of Spain
Tour of Spain

DAY 5 – SATURDAY 07 SEPT. 2019

Stage 14: 189km San Vincente de la barquera – Oviedo

Stage 14 see’s a return of the sprinters on a flat stage which in finishes in Oviedo, reasonably close to home. Bearing that in mind, we have planned a beautiful ride towards the Asturian coast, away from the race with a return planned to catch the stage finish in town.

A late breakfast is planned followed by a ride start time that the pro’s would envy. We will head out easy and have a relaxed lunch en-route, we’ll clip back onto the bikes for the roll home and a race to catch.

Our Rides: Distance: 65km – 90km Climbing: 700m – 1000m (extra’s available)

.

Tour of Spain
Tour of Spain
Tour of Spain

DAY 6 – SUNDAY 08 SEPT 2019

Stage 15: 159km Tineo > Santuario del Acebo

The Vuelta tackles the Alto de Acebo twice in the 15th stage and visit the two most famous mountain passes in western Asturias: Puerto del Conio and Puerto del Pozo de las Mujeres Muertas before what should be a dramatic finale.

We have planned an equally arduous day on the bike. There are mountains to climb as we too head for the Santuario del Acebo and with more than 3000m of climbing en-route it will be a day for the mountain goats.

Always there is the option to shorten the ride and for all of the passage home is in the comfort of our vehicle.

Our Rides: Distance: 70km – 105km Climbing: 600m – 1000m
Tour of Spain

DAY 7 – MONDAY 09 SEPT 2019

Stage 16: 155km Pravia – Alto de la Cubilla

A defining mountain stage presents today and it is one that could determine the outcome of the Vuelta. We do need to be at the finish to witness what could be the winner of the 2019 Vuelta take the stage at the end of a momentous 2nd week.

Our route to the stage finish on the Alto De la Cubilla is less circuitous and via small country lanes. There will be climbing, an inevitability but less so than yesterday and with time for a leisurely lunch en-route it should be a typically relaxing ride day in Spain.

Tonight we will celebrate the end of the middle segment of La Vuela 2019. The final week looks far less challenging and the winner could well be coasting home.

Our Rides: Distance 50km – 80km Climbing: 750m – 1200m

.

 Après Bike:
Tour of Spain
Tour of Spain
Tour of Spain
Tour of Spain

DAY 8 – TUESDAY 10 SEPT 2019

Departure Day – Adios

9am: This morning after breakfast, we transfer you to Asturias Airport for your onward travel.

Thank you for joining us at the Vuelta a España, we hope you enjoyed the ride.

Looking forward to seeing you again soon Ciao Pat, Phil and Grace

Tour of Spain

DAY 9 – WEDNESDAY 11 SEPT 2019

Departure Day – Adios

9am: This morning after breakfast, we transfer you to Asturias Airport for your onward travel.

Thank you for joining us at the Vuelta a España, we hope you enjoyed the ride.

Looking forward to seeing you again soon Ciao Pat, Phil and Grace

Tour of Spain

DAY 10 – THURSDAY 12 SEPT 2019

Departure Day – Adios

9am: This morning after breakfast, we transfer you to Asturias Airport for your onward travel.

Thank you for joining us at the Vuelta a España, we hope you enjoyed the ride.

Looking forward to seeing you again soon Ciao Pat, Phil and Grace

Tour of Spain

TOUR INCLUSIONS

  • 9 nights accommodation in luxurious 4-star accommodation.
  • Daily breakfast and 3 Dinners included, plus informal dinner each night
  • Ride and travel with Australia’s Tour de France legend Phil Anderson.
  • Local Professional staff and mechanical support
  • Luxury cycling specific transportation
  • Cycling specific hydration and nutrition
  • Support Vehicle on all rides
  • Rides designed by Phil Anderson in collaboration with Ride International Tours and featuring Phil riding with you
  • Pick up - Tour start Tarbes Airport, France or Lourdes Trainstation
  • Drop off - Tour Finish Asturias Airport, Spain or Oviedo Trainstation

TOUR EXCLUSIONS

  • Travel Insurance
  • Visas
  • Meals other than those specified
  • Drinks other than those specified
  • Snacks
  • Airfares.
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:

The balance of your trip payment is due no later than 120 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:

120 – 91 days prior to departure50% cancellation fee of the trip price
90 – 61 days prior to departure75% cancellation fee of the trip price
60 days and less prior to departure100% cancellation fee of the trip price
10

Years of Experience

63

Tours Completed

1,384

Trip Guests

32,926km

Cycled on Tour

238

Hotels Visited

Your experience is our passion

What Makes Us Première Classe

Experience, Since 2007

We’ve been on the ground running tours for over a decade and have long graduated from the School of Rookie Mistakes. We’ve accumulated thousands of kilometres in knowledge that goes into planning our itineraries and running our trips. When you’re with us, we’ve got your back. We want to see you achieve what you came here for. That’s why we build in contingencies for our contingencies so no matter what challenges the race, road or rain throws at us, we have a solution that will bring a satisfied smile to your face at the end of each day.

Trips Guaranteed To Run

We believe that our trip numbers should never be your problem. Whether our group size is 3 or 33, we run all of our trips to the same premium standard. We value your trust in us and understand how excited you must be. Once you’ve booked your spot on any of our trips, that’s it – you’re coming. So confirm your annual leave, book your flights and start packing!

More Ride Options

We understand that this is your cycling holiday and that you have your own goals and desires. We get to know you and give you a minimum of 3 ride options every day, so you can tailor your trip and manifest your dreams. Our goal is to have you achieve and experience everything you’ve set out to – and more. As corny as it sounds, there is nothing more rewarding for us than your smile at the end of each day. Oh, and hugs. We love hugs, especially after you’ve achieved something so meaningful to you.

Ride More, Transfer Less

We know you’d much rather be sitting on your bike than in a vehicle, so we design our itineraries to ride more and transfer less. There’s a great sense of satisfaction that comes with riding point to point so, whenever possible, we build this into our itineraries. Riding more and transferring less is also achieved by multiple nights stay in strategically located hotels, so there’ll be times throughout the trip where you can unpack your bags and call your room home for a few days.

Spectators Welcome

Whether you’re a fan of Pro Cycling, or your partner is a cyclist – you are welcome and encouraged to join our trips. Taking care of spectators is a specialty of ours. We give you plenty of options throughout the tour. Whether you want to experience the beauty of the ride routes by vehicle and join up with your cycling partner en route, cheer the pro-riders at race viewing points or spend time wondering the beautiful villages and cities we visit – the choice is yours. We ensure you have as much fun and adventure as the cyclists each day.

We Are "Details" Nerds

There really is no other way to put it. We. Love. Details. We consider every inch of your holiday from the pre-tour organising and planning to the on-tour running of it all. Every decision we make is about giving you the best possible experience. We want you to switch off and enjoy the ride. We know what it’s like to work hard for something, and we love to make you feel rewarded for your efforts. Let us handle the details, so all you have to focus on is having the best time and creating lasting memories.

Pro Bike Mechanic & Rider Support

Each trip has a professional bike mechanic and rider support vehicle. We carry a pro-team work stand, extensive toolbox, essential parts, hydration and nutrition aboard our dedicated support vehicle. Should anything occur en route, we’ll have you sorted and back on your bike in no time.

Bike Security

We take the security of your bike and belongings very seriously when you entrust them into our care. We go the extra mile by implementing a number of security measures and only choose hotels that supply us with secure storage options. We are proud to say that since our first tour in 2007, we have never experienced any problems with personal belongings or bike security on any of our trips.

Fabulous Accommodation

We believe accommodation is more than just a bed for the night. It’s a place to call home when you’re living out of a suitcase. We choose a variety of comfortable, characterful and quality accommodation styles to give you a complete experience. From city chic to family run chalets and everything in between.

Global & Local Experience

When you travel across the globe to be with us, we get excited. We love sharing everything we know and love about the people and places we visit. We ride the secret backroads, reveal the best hidden cafés, introduce you to incredible regional produce and have you feeling like one of the locals sooner than you can say bonjour, buongiorno and hola.

Local Lingo

Travelling to a country where the locals don’t speak your language, can be daunting. So that’s where our local lingo can help alleviate your apprehension. We’ll give you some basic tips on how to interact with the locals so you get the most out of your experience. You don’t have to be an expert, just have a go and remember to pack your sense of humour as there’ll be lots of laughing along the way.

Safety & Skills Coaching

We want you to go home to your family in better condition than when you left, so we place importance on your safety and skills. We’ll infuse you with tips, tricks and customs of riding in the countries we visit to give you the best cycling experience in the safest, most enjoyable way. As part of our service, we offer complimentary skills coaching en route for those wanting to hone any area of their biking. Expert skills coaching has been a unique area of our business for over 20-years, having fine-tuned the skills of pro-cyclists, Olympians, national and world champions.

Travel Tips

We’ve learnt a lot about travelling over the years. Once you’ve booked your trip with us, we can advise you on tips and tricks that will help make your travel experience more enjoyable, less stressful and have you well rested and ready to start your trip in optimum form.

Friendships

One thing you may not have considered when booking your future holiday is the opportunity for friendships. We pride ourselves on creating a group culture with great camaraderie that support and cheer for each other. It’s quite common for our trip participants to become lifelong friends (with us and with each other). Friendships that span the globe is one thing that really gives us a warm fuzzy feeling.

Your Goals Matter

Booking a cycling trip is a great motivator to set health, fitness, riding and travel goals. We are here to cheer you on and guide you through your preparation and link you up to other tour participants upon request. On tour, we do everything we can to see you achieve your goals and celebrate those milestones with you. Our flexible yet organised approach means that we’ve never cancelled a landmark ride in our 10+ year history. Your goals matter and we love seeing you reach them.

We Bring Out The Best

This is our philosophy – our heart and soul. At any given time, we bring out the best of that moment. We’ll show you where to stop and smell the roses, take in the most spectacular views, capture the best selfies and drink the best coffees. We are about savouring the moments and reminding you that you are in the best place at the best time.

Your Cart
Your cart is empty.
Continue Shopping