Return Airport Transfers.
LOCATIONPyrenees, France
PAYMENTS
Bookings are open!
No hidden Credit Card fees.
- 4 DAY TOURFriday 21st – Monday 24th August, 2022
• $750 AUD – Deposit
• $1995 AUD – Per person twin share*
• $725 AUD – Single supplement or Non-riding partners
- 8 DAY TOURMonday 17th – Monday 24th August, 2022
• $750 AUD – Deposit
• $3,950.00 AUD – Per person twin share*
• $1,350 AUD – Single supplement or Non-riding partners
- SINGLE SUPPLEMENT
* Our twin share prices are per person based on two people sharing one room. If you are traveling 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 supplement.
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Pyrenees
8 Day Bike Hire
$65 AUD/Day$520.00 AUD
Join us on our Phil Anderson Signature Tour to the French Pyrenees.
This Tour Includes Pyrenees Marmotte Granfondo.
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.
Join us in the French Pyrenees, ride alongside Phil Anderson as we explore the beautiful Pyrenees. This tour includes the Pyrenees Marmotte Granfondo, it’s a fantastic event which takes in some pure classics of the region including the Tourmalet, Ancizan, Aspin and the Hautacam.
Our base in the French Pyrenees for this tour, is a beautiful Four Star Bike Hotel. The famed natural spring water in the town is the perfect way to rehydrate after a day on the bike. It’s foremost destination is to visit the Grotto (Cave) of Massabielle, our intent is to showcase not just the region’s best rides, but its culture.
Religion is part of the DNA of this Pyrenean town, it has a unique history that is worth experiencing, we intend to present a picture on and off the bike of a village and region that has so much to offer. We genuinely love this beautiful region of France, it’s superb produce and fantastic cycling.
The style of this tour is simple, daily rides with team leaders, designed to prepare you for the Granfondo Marmotte. We have created a catalogue of ride options, with flatter rides, long hard rides and shorter mountain rides, whatever your preferred ride distance, amount of climbing you like to do we’ll have an option that suits you.
This Cycling Tour is designed to showcase the many stunning Pyrenees mountains, villages and valleys, each day we roll out on rides we’ve collaborated on with Phil that reflect his training routes of old, rides that will have you ready your big day at the Marmotte Granfondo Pyrenees. We’ve pre-prepaired options to suit the individual for the Marmotte Granfondo day, wether you intend to tackle the complete distance or break up the day into smaller parts, we’ll have a great plan ready to suit your preffered distance and amount of climbing.
Phil Anderson is held in such high regard by the local Pyrenean communities, in 2019 they inducted him into the local cycling Hall of Fame prior to the Marmotte granfondo.
#RideWithPhilAnderson
#RideWithPatFitzy
Come Ride With Us.
Accommodation:
French Pyrenees, Four Star, Bike and Spa Hotel
This tour fits our 4 star model, we are based in one Hotel for the duration of the tour. We’ve formed a partnership with one of our favourite Bike and Spa hotels, a service course has been created at the hotel with bike rooms, massages and spa treatments available on request to enable you to ride/train and prepare for the Marmotte Granfondo Pyrenees in comfort and chic style.
Non-cycling options:
Non-riding partners are highly encouraged on this tour, ask us for some options based on your personal interests, we have some great recommendations in and around the region.
The regions beautiful towns and region are rich in culture, history, markets, outdoor activities, walking/ trekking and many other activities
Non Cyclists join this tour for the price of a single supplement. All the elements of the package other than the guided riding are available. It’s a perfect French experience.
TOUR INCLUSIONS
TOUR EXCLUSIONS
8 DAYS / 7 NIGHTS ITINERARY
2022 Pyrenees Marmotte Granfondo
DAY 1 – MONDAY 17 AUGUST 2022
Welcome to France.
ARRIVAL DAY– Grupetto Welcome Ride
Pick up locations: 9am: Lourdes TGV Trainstation. 10am: Lourdes/Tarbes Airport.
Today’s Warm Up Ride: 50km loop
Welcome Dinner: 7.30pm
Accommodation: Lourdes, Luxury Bike Friendly and Spa Hotel
Phil Anderson has created a wonderful first ride, reminiscent of his traditional welcome ride today’s session is a little longer than usual and will start later in the day to allow time for your arrival and bike set up.
Phil also welcomes his right hand man, Rudy Rogiers to the camp. Rudy is your typical Belgian hardman who placed second in 1984 to Sean Kelly in a notoriously muddy Paris-Roubaix. You can look forward to his stoic attitude to cycling induced pain and who with Phil will regale you with tales about the Golden Age of cycling in Europe.
Our Ride:
Today we have a 50 km loop on reasonably flat roads that many will not have ridden. We stay away from the high passes skirting the foothills, rolling the legs out gently, readying for the days ahead.
Après Bike:
7.30pm: Join us for a Welcome Dinner, meet up with your fellow guests – cycling and non cycling over a lovely French dinner.
DAY 2 – TUESDAY 18 AUG 2022
HILLY DAY
Breakfast: From 7.30am
Today’s Ride: 125km Aubisque, Solour Loop.
Our Ride:
Today we will be riding the classic Aubisque, Soulor loop in an anticlockwise direction enabling us to warm up on small undulating roads getting good endurance kilometres in the legs before we begin the ascent of the Col d’Aubisque. Introduced into Tour de France folklore in 1910 it has savaged the legs of cyclists ever since.
We are not out to break strava records today, more a good climb at a solid tempo all the way up this long climb. At 1709m with a tough gradient this climb is the hard steady effort you need at the start of the week.
With one of the hardest climbs ever introduced into Le Tour ticked we have only a short descent to the valley and home with time to recover for a long day tomorrow.
Après Bike:
7.30pm: Free program to explore the local town, it’s restuarants, bars and eateries. We’ll be heading out for a social /informal French dinner (non-inclusion), we’ll make a dinner plan, feel free to join us – or take time out for yourself.
We’ve got plenty of great suggestions, let us know your preferred food types, budget and dining style! We’ll point you in the right direction for great local places.
DAY 3 – WEDNESDAY 19 AUG 2022
STRENGTH AND ENDURANCE
Breakfast from: 7.30am
Ride Start: 8am
Today’s Rides: 65km – 150km, 1500m/3000m climbing (options available)
Our Rides:
We back up with another hard preparation day, the longest ride of our week and one which includes a couple of Hor Cat Climbs. Today’s ride is not not atypical of a Tour de France stage however today we focus on endurance and save our race face for the weekend.
We roll out on classic small roads before starting the ascent of the Port de Balès, a stand-alone monster followed by the ascent of the Peyresourde one of the most frequently climbed passes of Le Tour de France. The fast technical descent into the valley is time used to recover before we climb the Col d’Aspin. At 1490m it is by no means the highest but it would have to be one of the most beautiful ascents. The entire climb is through alpine pasture, the views memorable.
A mammoth day of steady riding. We’ll have shorter options/ shortcuts available depending on how much or how little you’d like to ride on the day, it’s great preperation for doing the Gradfondo!
Après Bike:
7.30pm: We’ll be heading out for a social /informal dinner (non-inclusion), we’ll make a dinner plan, feel free to join us
– or take time out for yourself, it’s a free program you can explore the local town, it’s restuarants, bars and eateries at your leisure. We’ve got plenty of great suggestions, let us know your preferred food types, budget and dining style! We’ll point you in the right direction for great local places.
DAY 4 – THURSDAY 20 AUG 2022
EASY ROLL
Today’s Ride: 60km flat’ish
Our Ride:
We are starting to taper and a short ride without the prerequisite Cat climbs we ordinarily insist on is on our ride cards for today.
Phil has designed a 60km loop that exits Lourdes via country lane-ways to the North East. It is difficult to avoid some hills in the Pyrenees and so we begin the ride with an undulating 7km gradual climb. With very little variation in the gradient for the rest of the ride we can roll out some tempo kilometres early in the day while enjoying a sensational vista of the high Pyrenees all around us.
A stop in Tarbes is on the cards, perhaps a coffee or pastry before heading home for more recovery, perhaps a spa or massage but definitely feet up.
DAY 5 – FRIDAY 21 AUG 2022
ACTIVE TAPER
Today’s Ride: 60km + elevation 1415
Our Ride:
As the Granfondo Marmotte Pyrenees looms closer and we start to worry about our form, Phil has included another 60km ride to the program but with the addition of a little mountain en-route. Its hard not to prepare for any climbing conquest in the Pyrenees without an assault of the Hautacam so, here it is.
A 15km climb up to 1635m summit the Hautacam is unpredictable and should be approached today as a test of your mental tenacity and ability to adapt to changing tempo’s. The average gradient is 7% but there are flatter sections, even the odd downhill reprieve suggesting a sharp ascent as we near the top.
The approach is flat, it is a short hard climb up the Hautacam, today is a great way to experience and prepare for the final climb of Sunday’s Granfondo. We descend off the mountain, then have a flat finish to home to cool down. Perfect.
DAY 6 – SATURDAY 22 AUG 2022
SHARPENER WITH ADMIN
Today’s Ride: 26km + if you need.
Our Ride:
For those amongst you that are ever hungry for hills Phil has designed a spectacular little loop that will twist and turn, all the while climbing through small villages and hamlets to the Col de Lingus. There is an opt out before the top that will give you a 25km ride back to Lourdes.
There is a 10km addition to this ride if there is any interest. Both rides need to turn and head to Argelès-Gazost to collect race numbers and register which adds another 10km to the ride chosen.
Finally you can simply ride to Argelès-Gazost on the bike path and ride home, easy easy.
DAY 7 – SUNDAY 23 AUG 2022
GRANFONDO MARMOTT PYRENEES DAY
Today’s Ride: 163km +5600m (Shorter options available, ask us how)
Dinner: 7.30pm
Our Ride:
The Granfondo will start in Luz St Sauveuralong before the first climb of the day, the Col du Tourmalet, a Hor Cat. climb at 17.5km long. A fairly consistent gradient followed by a nice descent on a wide open road to the 1st cat Hourquette d’Ancizan. Another long climb at 17km’s but its not as severe as some and should be ridden in reserve with an eye to the scenery on the ascent but on the road on the more technical descent to the base of the Aspin. Familiar with this climb now you need to hold yourself in check before your second ascent of the approaching Tourmalet.
As we approach the Tourmalet again we are now having to dig deep into reserves. Whatever pace you ride the pain will be tearing through your legs but as you press on and up approaching La Mongie you will realize that there is only 3 kms to the top followed by a reprieve – descent and only one more mountain, just one.
The climb to Hautacam 14.7km’s and only 7% average grade, however the 4 climbs preceding will have taken a toll and this will be one hell of a climb to the finish.
We will facilitate a transfer or roll back on the flat to the luxury of our hotel.
Après Bike:
7.30pm: Tonight we’ll celebrate a great week in the Pyrenees with a final group dinner.
4 DAYS / 3 NIGHTS ITINERARY
2022 Pyrenees Camp – Marmotte Granfondo, Long Weekend
DAY 1 – FRIDAY 21 AUG 2022
Welcome to France.
ARRIVAL DAY– Grupetto Welcome Ride
Pick up locations: 9am: Lourdes TGV Train station.
10am: Lourdes/Tarbes Airport.
Today’s Warm Up Ride: 50km loop
Today’s Ride: 60km + elevation 1415
Welcome Dinner: 7.30pm
Accommodation: Lourdes, Luxury Bike Friendly and Spa Hotel
Phil Anderson has created a wonderful first ride, reminiscent of his traditional welcome ride today’s session is a little longer than usual and will start later in the day to allow time for your arrival and bike set up.
Phil also welcomes his right hand man, Rudy Rogiers to the camp. Rudy is your typical Belgian hardman who placed second in 1984 to Sean Kelly in a notoriously muddy Paris-Roubaix. You can look forward to his stoic attitude to cycling induced pain and who with Phil will regale you with tales about the Golden Age of cycling in Europe.
Our Ride:
As the Granfondo Marmotte Pyrenees looms closer and we start to worry about our form, Phil has included another 60km ride to the program but with the addition of a little mountain en-route. Its hard not to prepare for any climbing conquest in the Pyrenees without an assault of the Hautacam so, here it is.
A 15km climb up to 1635m summit the Hautacam is unpredictable and should be approached today as a test of your mental tenacity and ability to adapt to changing tempo’s. The average gradient is 7% but there are flatter sections, even the odd downhill reprieve suggesting a sharp ascent as we near the top.
The approach is flat, it is a short hard climb up the Hautacam, today is a great way to experience and prepare for the final climb of Sunday’s Granfondo. We descend off the mountain, then have a flat finish to home to cool down. Perfect.
DAY 2 – SATURDAY 22 AUG 2022
SHARPENER WITH ADMIN
Today’s Ride: 26km + if you need.
Our Ride:
For those amongst you that are ever hungry for hills Phil has designed a spectacular little loop that will twist and turn, all the while climbing through small villages and hamlets to the Col de Lingus. There is an opt out before the top that will give you a 25km ride back to Lourdes.
There is a 10km addition to this ride if there is any interest. Both rides need to turn and head to Argelès-Gazost to collect race numbers and register which adds another 10km to the ride chosen.
Finally you can simply ride to Argelès-Gazost on the bike path and ride home, easy easy.
DAY 3 – SUNDAY 23 AUG 2022
GRANFONDO MARMOTT PYRENEES DAY
Today’s Ride: 163km +5600m (Shorter options available, ask us how)
Dinner: 7.30pm
Our Ride:
The Granfondo will start in Luz St Sauveuralong before the first climb of the day, the Col du Tourmalet, a Hor Cat. climb at 17.5km long. A fairly consistent gradient followed by a nice descent on a wide open road to the 1st cat Hourquette d’Ancizan. Another long climb at 17km’s but its not as severe as some and should be ridden in reserve with an eye to the scenery on the ascent but on the road on the more technical descent to the base of the Aspin. Familiar with this climb now you need to hold yourself in check before your second ascent of the approaching Tourmalet.
As we approach the Tourmalet again we are now having to dig deep into reserves. Whatever pace you ride the pain will be tearing through your legs but as you press on and up approaching La Mongie you will realize that there is only 3 kms to the top followed by a reprieve – descent and only one more mountain, just one.
The climb to Hautacam 14.7km’s and only 7% average grade, however the 4 climbs preceding will have taken a toll and this will be one hell of a climb to the finish.
We will facilitate a transfer or roll back on the flat to the luxury of our hotel.
Après Bike:
7.30pm: Tonight we’ll celebrate a great week in the Pyrenees with a final group dinner.
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 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 |
10
Years of Experience
63
Tours Completed
1,384
Tour 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 tours. 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.
Tours Guaranteed To Run
We believe that our tour numbers should never be your problem. Whether our group size is 3 or 33, we run all of our tours 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 tours, 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 tour 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 tour 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 tour. 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 tour 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 tours.
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 tour 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 tour 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 tour 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 tour 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.
ABOUT US
Operating since 2007, we offer a range of bespoke cycling tours across Australia, Europe and Asia.
