5 days of supported Gravel bike riding in the Oisans area on a Bed and Breakfast basis in shared rooms.
- Saturday – Arrive in Bourg d’Oisans from 4PM
- Sunday – The first day in the area will see us riding the valley gravel roads in the shadow of the mighty Alpe d’Huez – 60 KM of riding mostly on gravel roads
- Monday – The Col de Cloy sits between Alpe d’Huez and the Col de Sarenne. The first part is a big climb up to Auris via the road before tackling the gravel roads of the Cloy. For the faster guys there is a chance to summit the Col de Sarenne before dropping into Alpe d’Huez for lunch. After lunch we will be tackling the balcon route before heading back to Bourg d’Oisans 70KM
- Tuesday – Col de la Croix de Fer and the Col de Glandon – 80KM version of the classic road ride with a twist of gravel roads.
- Wednesday – Free day / Day off
- Thursday – Tackle the old route up to the Col du Galibier first used in the Tour de France in 1911. A real challenge at over 2600 metres above sea level.
- Friday – The classic Alpe d’Huez road climb up followed by a ride over gravel roads to Lac Besson before dropping down a ski run to the Ski resort of Vaujany and a ride back to Bourg d’Oisans.
- Saturday – Depart Bourg d’Oisans by 10AM
Each days ride will consist of a mixture of road and gravel riding. Some of the gravel riding is of a technical nature over rocks and routes so you will need to have good bike handling skills.
What kind of bike do I need ?
You will need a gravel bike or cyclo cross bike with easy gearing as some of it is very steep. We recommend a compact chainset with a 32 tooth rear cassette or similar. We would also suggest that you ride 32mm semi slick tyres as there is also a lot of road sections on each ride.
Mountain bikes are welcome on the holiday but to keep within the spirit of the riding no suspension is allowed (front or rear suspension)
How about me ?
You must be able to climb for a sustained period sometimes for more than an hour and you must be confident both on and off road. The fitter you are the more you will enjoy it and you must be able to ride for 6 hours. There will be stops for lunch and coffee !