Yellow Jersey Final Week

Welcome to France! We will be meeting mid-afternoon at our 4-star hotel in the center of Chambery. Our hotel is ideally located within walking distance of the train station and the start of tomorrow’s stage.

The cyclists in the group will receive help from your guides to fit your bike and get ready for the trip. The warm-up ride will be approximately 25km and will be a great way to check your bike fit and will help shake off the dust from traveling.

The non-cyclists in the group will have the opportunity to take a walking tour around the mountain town of Chambery, a key gateway to Savoie’s valleys. Chambery has regularly seen the Tour peloton pass through and was also a stage finish in 2017.

Tonight we’ll enjoy a welcome dinner in a local restaurant. In addition to meeting our fellow travel guests at dinner, we’ll go over the itinerary for our trip. Each guest will receive a gift from Custom Getaways. The cyclists will also receive a jersey and a water bottle.

Following breakfast and hotel check-out, the cyclists will have a very cool experience where they will start their ride from the official starting line before the pros! Today’s stage will start in the town of Chambery, so very convenient for us to get to the start area of today’s stage. Today’s ride will be approximately 50-60 km on rolling terrain. The elevation gain will be approximately 1,000 meters. We will make a stop along the way to see the racers pass…always an exciting experience. After viewing the race, we will transfer to our next hotel in Vaujany, a town on the back side of Alpe d’Huez.

The non-cyclists will be also be at the starting line of today’s stage but on foot. After snapping a few pictures of your partners at the start line, you’ll ride in the SAG vehicles. We’ll stop and watch the race pass before transferring to Vaujany. No VIP access today, but still a cool experience.

In Vaujany, we will be staying in a mix of hotel rooms and chalet apartments. There is a short walk from the chalets to the main hotel where breakfast and dinners will be served. Because we’re in the Alps, the town is on a mountain, hence a walk down to the hotel and up to the chalets. We’re thrilled to have secured such unique accommodations for guests with delicious food, ideal cycling and amazing views.

We’ll soak in the views as we enjoy a group dinner at the hotel.

The cyclist will ride today in the valley at the base of Alpe d’Huez. Your guides know this area well and are excited to share some of their favorite climbs. The ride will be approximately 50 kms with 800 meters of elevation gain.

The non-cyclists will drive to the La Grave ski resort. From there, you’ll cable car up to the Ruillans Pass at 3,211 meters. From the top you can admire the Glacier de la Girose and surrounding peaks.  

The group will meet back at the hotel for another group dinner with local cuisine.

Good morning and let’s get going! The final ride for the cyclists will be the world famous ride up the 21 bends of the Alpe d’Huez, front-side climb! We start by riding from Vaujany to the valley before turning up the climb with its famous 21 hairpin turns. You will pass the crowds in Dutch corner and will be cheered by the fans! The ride is short, only 33 kms, but about 1,200 meters of elevation gain.

We will stop at the flamme rouge, 1 km from the finish to ride as a group to the finish line.

The non-cyclists can choose to ride SAG up the 21 famous bends of Alpe d’Huez. It is quite the experience with the climb lined with people. If you’d rather take the chair lift and tram from the hotel to the top of Alpe d’Huez, you will meet the rest of the group at the finish area.

Once across the finish line, the group will tour the official podium and have pictures taken individually and as a group.  Today’s stage viewing will be in the Izoard VIP venue. TV’s are located within the Izoard venue where we will watch the racers before they pass us headed to the finish line. This venue is a great way to see the race with snacks, beer, wine, soft drinks, coffee, water, TVs and private restrooms. Champagne will be served to toast the well-deserved stage winner.

Following the race, we’ll take the chairlifts and trams back to Vaujany where a BBQ dinner will be waiting for us. A great way to end a challenging and rewarding day!

Bienvenue à Paris! After a late night, you’ll have time this morning to relax or head out to explore Paris. We recommend a light lunch before arriving to the venue.

We’ll meet at the hotel in the early afternoon and will walk as a group to our VIP venue on the Champs Elysees. Rive Gauche is the best VIP venue from which to view the finish of the Tour. Table seating, a terrace and space at the rail to watch the racers pass 7 times in front of us and 7 times on the other side of the street!

The Rive Gauche offers French food which is served throughout the afternoon, an open bar, TVs, private restrooms and each guest will receive a gift from the Tour de France…it is a great way to see the race and end our trip.

After the race ends, you can take your time to walk back to the hotel via the Champs Elysees and stop for a drink or a bite in one of the many cafes along the famous, tree-lined avenue.

Check out of your hotel by noon or extend your stay in the City of Light. You are responsible for your transfer from the hotel.

Custom Getaways hopes you have amazing memories of this unique experience.

Au revoir!