Vuelta Cycling Final Week

We will be picking up at the Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez Airport (MAD) at 11:00am and will have a lengthy transfer to the Galacia region of Spain. The transfer will be worth it as the Northwest region of Spain is know for its beautiful landscapes and beaches and tasty cuisine. Our hotel is located in Santiago de Compostela which is known for the final point of the Camino de Santiago. After checking-in to our hotel, we will assemble or fit our rental bikes with help from our guides and go for a short ride in the area to shake the dust off from traveling.

We will enjoy a group welcome dinner where our guides will explain the plan for the coming week and we will receive our official La Vuelta a España road books and gifts from Custom Getaways including a cycling jersey.

The cyclists will begin today with a morning ride through the rolling hills in the area around Santiago de Compostela. Some of this route is part of the famous “Camino de Santiago” pilgrimage route. The ride will be about 80 km with 800 meters of elevation gain. We will ride to the finish area for a VIP viewing of the race. The VIP venue offers snacks, drinks and TVs to watch the race before the racers pass in front of us on their way to the finish line!

Today’s stage is an individual time trial that will be very interesting to watch. It will definitely shake the GC standings. You can explore the area and find a place for dinner with some of your new friends.

Today we visit the start village in Lugo. We will walk around the village, where you can watch the riders sign in for the day and walk around the team bus area. With our VIP access, we will see the racers at the starting line as they depart.

This is always one of the favorite activities for our guests as you see the racers come out of the team buses and jump on their bikes. Some guests get autographs and pictures with the pros.

After the racers depart, we will ride approximately 70 km on flat terrain toward our next stop in Porto, Portugal. We’ll enjoy another group dinner featuring local cuisine.

This morning we will depart our hotel and ride north along the coast toward the finish of today’s stage in Porto. This will be a fun challenge with over 900 meters of elevation gain. This ride will cover a shorter distance of close to 60 km.

We will ride on the race course and cross the finish line. After that, we will tour the podium area and get pictures on the podium to celebrate our victory! Our passes will allow us entry to the VIP venue near the finish line where we will experience the race in comfort. After the finish, you will be able to explore the area and find a place for tapas or whatever local cuisine you crave.

Today we ride south of Porto, along the beautiful coast of Portugal. This ride will have some elevation gain of around 500 meters. We will ride for 60 to 80 kilometers, then jump in the bus and drive for a few hours to the historic city of Salamanca.

We should arrive in time for you to explore some of the sites before another group dinner at a great city restaurant, near our hotel. Don’t miss the Plaza Major, known as one of the most beautiful plazas in Spain.

This morning we will depart our hotel and ride toward the finish of today’s stage at La Covatilla. This will be a fun challenge with over 1,600 meters of elevation gain. This ride will cover a distance of close to 82 km as we ride on the course before the pros.

Following our ride, we will find a place for lunch to recover from our ride. Our passes will allow us entry to the VIP venue near the finish line where we will experience the race in comfort. After the finish, we will head to our next hotel in central Madrid, where you will be able to explore the area and find a place for tapas or whatever local cuisine you crave.

Everyone will have the morning free to explore Madrid…the Prado Museum, Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor…the possibilities are endless!

In the early afternoon, we have arranged a special treat for the cyclists…you will be able to ride 3 laps on the 7.1 kilometer course in Madrid before the pros! The streets will be closed and you will ride across the finish line as the crowds build.

Later, we will head to the finish of this year’s La Vuelta a España. We will view this exciting final stage finish in the Neptuno VIP area. This venue is located close to the finish line and has food, drinks, open bar, TVs and comfortable seating to enjoy this experience.

After the race, we will enjoy an amazing farewell dinner with all of our new friends.

This morning we will be departing the hotel at 07:00am with an approximate arrival to the Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez Airport (MAD) at 08:00am.  If you’d rather, you can always extend your stay in Madrid. The Madrid-Puerta de Atocha train station is within walking distance to the hotel.

Safe travels and we hope to see you again.