Anyone want to join our charity cycling Tour de France trip?

christiandransfield
christiandransfield Posts: 127
edited February 2013 in Tour & expedition
Hey guys,

Last year I cycled 5 mountain stages of the Tour de France for charity and want as many people to join me as possible this year, especially as it's the 100th one! We'll be both cycling and watching stages of this year's tour. Details are in the images below. This isn't a commercial post. I simply want as many people to experience this incredible experience as possible. All I'd ask is that you'd be comfortable with cycling for 1 charity that we all decide upon.

We shall be cycling a number of past and present stages, along with watching 3 key stages this year. These are stages 15 (Mont Ventoux), 18 (Alpe-D'Huez), and 21 (Paris). I won't know exact costs per person until I know how many will be coming, but would be surprised if we have to pay more than £500 - 750 each, including petrol, toll road fees, accommodation etc.

Underneath are small write-ups of each day of cycling, plus links to the videos of my charity ride last July, to give you an idea of what an amazing experience it will be!

Itinerary:
65shtz.jpg

1st day of cycling:
e6600i.jpg

2nd day of cycling:
11h4apx.jpg

3rd day of cycling:
2qamn1k.jpg

4th day of cycling:
o9mt6a.jpg

5th day of cycling:
10i83ye.jpg

6th day of cycling:
mmvkwg.jpg

7th day of cycling:
66i7gz.jpg

8th day of cycling:
29cxbfl.jpg

9th day of cycling:
2ppdgdk.jpg

July 2012 charity ride links:

Stage 1:
https://vimeo.com/49067772

Stage 2:
https://vimeo.com/49077785

Stage 3:
https://vimeo.com/49109088

Stage 4:
https://vimeo.com/49147009

Stage 5:
https://vimeo.com/49165135

Comments

  • essjaydee
    essjaydee Posts: 917
    Unfortunately I can't do this, but it looks bloody amazing and I wish you all the best, you lucky bugger 8)
    Share The Road Event http://www.sharetheroadride.co.uk
    Lancashire Cycle Link Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/126682247491640/
  • JackPozzi
    JackPozzi Posts: 1,191
    That does look very good! Out of interest would we be looking to hit a specific amount of sponsorship, or raise as much as we could however pitiful that may be?
  • christiandransfield
    christiandransfield Posts: 127
    Thanks, essjaydee. I'm hoping to make it a yearly thing, so get in touch if you fancy doing it next year!

    Jack, there won't be a minimum amount that each person has to raise. I'm just looking for us all to pay our share of the costs and, perhaps, choose a charity that we can cycle for as a group.
    If you're interested, get in touch :)
  • dylanfernley
    dylanfernley Posts: 409
    love the enthusiasm , but practicalities are going to be harder--- accomodation--camping?-- i think if you are self contained you have more control over your destiny, a big truck with all the gear, this would need a dedicated driver, but thats not impossible-- costs are going to be way over your estimates if you are staying in hotels/bnb-- but the riding schedule is awesome-- hope the weather is kind--

    in the past, me and a group of mates(9)--flew to Nice, then cycle camped , making our way to bourg d, and les deux alpes another year. Bagged a few cols, stopped at bars to watch the last hour each day, and had a great time.we booked early, cheap as chips --- wish you all the best....
  • christiandransfield
    christiandransfield Posts: 127
    Hey Dylan, thanks for the reply! When I cycled the stages last July, I had a friend who drove me between stages in a car and we stayed in hotels each night. They worked out at just under £20 per night each.
    I'd be hoping to stay in hotels again, as a bath/shower after each day of riding is a wonderful thing. I also required about motorhome rental, but prices were ridiculous. I personally think that camping is out of the question, given the challenging nature of the stages I have chosen.

    I sounds as though you had a great trip, too! Which mountains did you climb?
  • dylanfernley
    dylanfernley Posts: 409
    there are campsites in every french village/town--usually municipal, with hot showers, scrupiously clean-- we went over col du bonnette, col du vars,lautearet/ galibier,les deux alpes, alpe d, then on return col de cayolle( superb)-- all with panniers etc. doing about 50/60 miles a day.

    col du bonnete, has two routes up from the south side, the standard all tarmac, and the old route that is a bit otf a track the last few clics.

    Size of group is important, you don't want too many, otherwise the fun will be replaced by headaches...we wild camped in a couple of places, bottom of the lauteret, and in bourg d --place was rammed to the gills, so we found a spot about 2km out of town in a woodland clearing-- campfires, no bother--used the showers on the municipal site though :wink:
  • christiandransfield
    christiandransfield Posts: 127
    Yeah, the French are always accommodating when i comes to camping, even letting you camp on the local football pitch if there's nowhere else! Sounds like it was an epic trip... Kudos for cycling those beasts with panniers, too!

    There are 4 definites already... I would have thought 5 - 10 people will go, but could be more, depending on interest on here.

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