Sports Tours International launches 2019 Tour de France line up

The route of the 2019 Tour de France was unveiled in Paris on October 25th. The 106th edition of the Tour de France will start on Saturday 6th July from Brussels. The 2019 route  has a tough mountain programme in store, with 3 finishes above 2,000 metres in altitude, at the Col du Tourmalet, Tignes and Val Thorens, which is unprecedented in the history of ‘La Grande Boucle’.

This Tour de France will also feature the 100th anniversary of the iconic Yellow Jersey.

Brussels will be hosting the 2019 Grand Départ as Eddy Merckx, the man with the most stage wins on the race, will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of his first victory. Join us for a fabulous long weekend of top class cycling in the capital of Belgium for the 2019 Grand Depart of the Tour de France.

We are pleased to be able to offer tours to the entire 2019 Tour de France allowing our customers to follow the whole event with us from start to finish and be there for every single stage.

The route and our tours

After departing Brussels and the celebrations of the ‘Grand Depart’ the riders head to the Champagne and Vosges regions of France on stages 4, 5 and 6.  Our 5 day ride and watch tour includes VIP access on the stages to Nancy and Colmar and  a hotel stay in Epinal where you are well-located for the highlight of the first week which is an exciting stage finish on the climb up to La Planche des Belles Filles which you can watch from up close with us.

We then move on to the Lyon area and on our weekend spectator package you will be in the heart of Lyon for 2 exciting stages around the area which include 2 challenging hilly stages. Exclusive VIP hospitality and transport is included with this weekend trip.

On our short trip to the Massif Central we follow the riders of the 2019 Tour de France as they come into the Massif Central area ahead of their big visit to the Pyrenees. We will see the stage finish in Brioude, the home town of Romain Bardet who will be desperate for a win on Bastille day. We will also see the start in Saint Flour the next day.

Our Tour to ride and watch the Pyrenean mountains stages of the 2019 Tour de France is combined with the opportunity to ride the Col du Tourmalet and enjoy stage hospitality on several stages. We have managed to get an excellent hotel in Bagneres de Bigorre so we are excellently located for access to all the stages without having to move hotels for your choice of 4 or 5 nights.

We break up the Tour de France with a 3 night stay in Nimes from where we will ride the Mont Ventoux, the Giant of Provence on the rest day before being there for the stage in Nimes and the start in nearby Pont du Gard.

The 2019 Tour de France will have its high altitude finale in the Alps in 2019 with 3 tough stages and iconic climbs like the Col du Galibier, Col d’Iseran, Cormet de Roselend and the climb to Val Thorens up to 2350 metres of altitude.  On our Alpine riders week, arrive at Geneva airport where we will welcome you ahead of the Tour de France and spend 2 full days of cycling in the Tarentaise region of the French Alps before being in the ideal location for the final 3 Alpine stages of the 2019 Tour de France with stage finishes in Valloire and Tignes and the stage from Albertville to Val Thorens the next day.

Please refer to the travel package description to see exactly what is included with each tour

2019 Tour de France travel packages

• Follow the entire Tour de France – July 5 – July 29 – Coming soon
• Grand Depart Brussels – July 4  – July 8 – More information or book now
• Grand Depart to Planche des Belles Filles – July 5 – July 12  – Coming soon
• Champagne and Vosges Tour – July 10 –  July 16 – More information or book now
• Lyon Weekend  – July 12 – July 14 – More information or book now
• Massif Central – July 14 – July 16 – More information or book now
• The Pyrenean stages – July 16 – July 21 – More information or book now
• All Mountains – Pyrenees, Alps to Paris  – July 16 – July 29 – More information or book now
• Nimes to Alps – July 23 – July 30 – More information or book now
• Alpine riders week – July 22 – July 28 – More information or book now
• The 3 Alpine stages – July 24 – July 28 – More information or book now
• Final Weekend in Paris – July 28 – July 30 – More information or book now
• Paris Hospitality Experiences – July 29 – More information or book now

As tradition dictates , the final day will be in Paris, where we will have the official hospitality and grandstand seats available for you to enjoy. Have a look at our options here

Apart from fully supported tours, we also have some of our fantastic Tour de France VIP experiences that we are able to offer as we are an Official VIP Tour Operator of the 2019 Tour de France.

Official Helicopter & Official Car VIP one day experiences

Do you want to see a bird’s eye view of the Tour de France from a helicopter? Want to spend a full day out on the course of a stage of the Tour in an official Tour de France car? Then have a look at our VIP one day experiences here.

If you have other requirements for the 2018 Tour de France, please do not hesitate to contact us on +44 161 703 8161 or email cycling@sportstoursinternational.co.uk

Why book with an official VIP tour operator of the Tour de France?

As we present our selection of Tours and VIP experiences for the 2019 Tour de France we wanted to give you a few good reasons to book with Sports Tours International, an official VIP tour operator of the Tour de France.

A safe pair of hands – READ MORE HERE

• The organisers of the Tour de France don’t just partner up with anyone so book with an approved tour operator
• All of our tours are guaranteed to run (unlike some other operators)
• Our ABTA membership guarantees the financial security of your booking with us
• We take great care with our health and safety and quality control systems
• We take care of the logistics so you can enjoy the Tour
• We offer great value for money. Just compare like for like weeks with our competitors
• Join our group
• All nationalities welcome
• Single travellers welcome to join our group

If you are still not sure and want some further information, why not ask us to be put in touch with one our former customers? Call us on (00)44(0)1617038161 or email on cycling@sportstoursinternational.co.uk

Our heritage and experience

We are the only international tour operator who has official partnerships with the 3 Grand Tours of Cycling, the 6 Marathon Majors and the 5 Monuments of Cycling. We provide an unrivalled selection of travel options to provide sports fans as well as the travelling amateur runner or cyclist access to a whole host of amazing events throughout the year. We have been operating tours to the Tour de France for over twenty years and our team of drivers, bike mechanics, bike guides and tour hosts have unique knowledge and expertise of this incredible event. Our partnership with Le Tour allows us to include exclusive VIP access into all our tours for cyclists and spectators to ensure our customers have the most authentic and unforgettable experience.

Enjoy the Tour de France your way

Imagine riding your bike on the roads that you have watched on TV for years. Watch the riders on iconic mountains that have shaped the history of cycling like La Planche des Belles Filles, the Tourmalet, the Mont Ventoux the Col du Galibier, Col de La Madeleine, Col d’Iseran. You may even bump into cycling legends, active or retired as we work our way around France at our prime viewing locations at the stage starts and finishes.

We welcome all nationalities and we provide a daily itinerary for both cyclists and non riding cycling fans. Our tours include the option to rent a bike so you don’t have to take your chances with the airlines. From a weekend to see the Grand Depart in Brussels to a longer tour following the Grande Boucle as it weaves its way through the Alps and the Pyrenees to a couple of nights in Paris with hospitality tickets on the Champs Elysees, we have it covered.

Special access included

A tour with us includes exclusive Tour de France elements namely VIP access to the Official Start Village (Village Depart) or hospitality at a stage finish with ‘Izoard’ finishline hospitality or a ‘Relais Etape’ ride experience. Have a look at the video here

Please find below a description of all of the VIP access elements included in a tour to the 2019 Tour de France with Sports Tours International.

Start Village (Le Village Depart)

The 2019 Tour de France entourage and organisation travel around with the riders. The team buses park within an enclosed and restricted area. An expo type village is created at the start of each one of the stages. It’s usually here that everyone who is linked in any way to the Tour de France like TV, sponsors and celebrities from the cycling world will appear. Also local companies will be keen to show off their wares. Your VIP passes will give you access to the village and the rider’s paddock to see the riders warming up.

If you’re into collecting autographs, this is the best place for you. On arrival you will be greeted by someone from the Tour de France organisation who will show you around the area and give you an insight into the inner workings of the Tour. This area is strictly off limits to the general public so only spectators with VIP passes gain access to view the shops,exhibitions and there entertainment. The start village access is very popular due to the fact that you get very close to the actual riders and you gain a great insight into the inner workings of the Tour de France.

Izoard finishline hospitality

The Tour de France sets up a limited number of areas located on course within the final segment of the stage. These have names like Izoard and Galibier. We offer access with our travel packages to enjoy this exclusive Izoard VIP hospitality access. Access to these areas is usually reserved and by invitation only. You will see famous ex-cyclists, sponsors and team guests. Typically these areas are within 200 meters or so of the finish line. There is also a spectator friendly elevated viewing area. Everyone will be served with drinks and snacks and there is a big screen to watch the LIVE action as it unfolds. After watching the finish, you will celebrate the victory with Champagne.

Relais Etape

The ‘Relais Etape’ is an area on the course of a Tour de France stage which takes the form of a small village in a prime position along the route, just a few kilometers from the finish line. We will accommodate a ride to this area for those who are cycling and spectators will be taken directly to the ‘Relais Etape’ to enjoy the day. This inspiring package mirrors the excitement of the race. What your Tour day includes:

• A clubhouse to accommodate all guests
• Welcome aperitif and unlimited buffet
• Entertainment and live coverage of the race on a giant screen
• Champagne celebration of the day’s action
• Tour de France gift

To see what your day includes please have a look here: Relais Etape video

Cross the Finish Line Experience

You will ride the final section on closed roads of a stage of the Tour de France on the same day, just hours ahead of the Pro Peloton. Once you’ve finished under the same finish as the Pro, you will stand on the podium to have your photo taken. You will then get a seat on the Grandstand and you will see the finish of the day’s stage.

The post Sports Tours International launches 2019 Tour de France line up appeared first on Sports Tours.

from Sports Tours https://ift.tt/2F9LUdj
via IFTTT