Ride le Tour

It is a condition of booking with Cycle Adventures Limited that you are covered by a medical and personal accident insurance policy that includes repatriation to your home country, and cover for the cycling activity.

Care must be taken of any funds you bring on holiday with you. You will need money to pay for lunches, and any hotel expenses that you incur (other than breakfast and evening meal). Debit & credit cards such as Visa and MasterCard and may be used for buying goods, paying for food etc as well as for withdrawing cash in the larger towns.

Our season runs from May to September. As with all mainland European countries France can be hot in the summer months, with temperatures in the 30s. France can also demonstrate temperate conditions meaning you will need to ensure that you have adequate wet weather cycling clothing too. The Alps can be blistering hot one moment and freezing the next. Please take that into account when packing.

It is your responsibility to ensure that your bike is up to the task ahead. To make life easier for you we recommend that you use either a triple chainset or compact drivetrain to ease the climbing. Ride le Tour will have some sundries available (pump, tubes, tools etc) but you should come equipped and tooled to undertake minor bike servicing if needed.

It really is vital that your bike is in good mechanical order. If you are not mechanically minded, we advise you to take your bike to a local bicycle dealer for a full service before you arrive in France.

You should have a dental and medical check-up before the holiday. On all of our trips a medical kit is carried at all times.

From 1 January 2006 the E111 form has been replaced by the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) so if you are a UK resident, you can apply for an EHIC by any of the means shown below.

The EHIC entitles the holder to free or reduced cost, state-provided medical treatment if you fall ill or have an accident while visiting any country in the European Economic Area (EEA). Please note that an EHIC is not a substitute for comprehensive travel insurance.

Who's eligible?
You're eligible to use an EHIC if you are a UK resident. Your EHIC is valid for 3-5 years.

Who's covered?
EHICs are issued on an individual basis. All individual travellers are therefore required to carry their own EHIC, regardless of age.

Useful information
Only state-provided emergency treatment is covered. You generally won't be covered for private treatment.
The EHIC pack and form, is available any Post Office™ branch along with details of the countries covered by the EHIC scheme.

How to apply
You can apply for an EHIC by any of the following means:
At the Post Office^TM: Pick up an application form at any branch. Once you've filled in the form you post it off yourself or use the Post Office's EHIC Check & Send service.
Online: By visiting www.dh.gov.uk/travellers. Your application should be processed within 7 days
Telephone: By calling the EHIC Application Line 0845 606 2030

Although we apply no weight restrictions on individual baggage we recommend that you use one large bag and a small daypack as hand luggage.

You will need to confirm allowances/restrictions with your airline and arrange for the carriage of your bike. It is vital that you package your bike up in such a way that it meets your airline's carriage guidelines. We will look after the transfer of your baggage during the holiday.

A full ten-year passport is required. If this is not currently held it is your responsibility to obtain this in good time, especially if you are applying during the busiest processing times of July and August.

Details of the airport you will need to fly into will be sent to you. You will need to arrive by a certain time to connect with the rest of the Ride le Tour party.
PLEASE CONTACT US PRIOR TO BOOKING YOUR FLIGHT TICKETS TO CHECK AVAILABILITY OF PLACES DURING YOUR CHOSEN WEEK.

FAQ

Q: What is included in the trip?
A: The transfer from your arrival airport to your first hotel. Your hotel accommodation. All transfers during your stay. Your breakfasts and your evening meals.

Q: Are airfares included in the price?
A: No. The details of the holiday stipulate which airport you will need to fly into to be collected by the Tour Leader.

Q: How many riders will there be?
A: Each party will consist of a Tour Leader and 10 riders.

Q: Do you hire bikes?
A: No. We decided that this is the kind of challenge that someone would want to undertake on their own bike.

Q: How long are the rides?
A: The length of each day’s ride is detailed in the Holidays page. You will be cycling the same stages as feature in the Tour de France. You will be cycling at least 100 miles per riding day.

Q: How will I know the route?
A: There will be a briefing the night before each stage, where all riders will be issued route maps. You will also be issued with a bar-mounted GPS unit that has the route programmed into it.

Q: What if I need to get hold of the Tour Leader during the ride?
A: You will be issued with a courtesy mobile phone whose sole use is to contact the Tour Leader if needed.

Q: How fit will I need to be?
A: Ride le Tour is billed as the Ultimate Cycling Challenge. You will be cycling long distance that may be over strenuous terrain. These holidays are only for the fit and cycle proficient.

Q: What support will be given during the rides?
A: The Tour Leader will be waiting at pre-determined points en-route to replenish drinks bottles and hand out energy bars. Anyone who wants/needs to abandon will be collected by the Tour Leader and complete that day’s stage in the Tour vehicle.

Q: What kind of bike should I bring?
A: The most suitable bikes for this type of adventure are road race bikes and tourers.

Q: Do I get to ride everyday?
A: Do to the strenuous challenge ahead of you we schedule a rest day between each stage. Of course if you want to ride on the rest days you can!

Q: Approximately what time does the ride leave in the morning?
A: You have a long day ahead of you, so we aim to be on the road by 8:00 in the morning.

Q: When should I purchase airline tickets?
A: You should not purchase a ticket until you have received your holiday confirmation from Ride le Tour.

Q: Must I have travel insurance?
A: It is a company policy of Ride le Tour.com/Cycle Adventures Limited that all clients travelling with us have adequate travel insurance covering accident, personal injury, loss of luggage and cancellation.

Q: What equipment should I bring with me?
A: Personal Safety Equipment:
We strongly recommend that you bring the following personal items, which we view as crucial for the health and safety of our clients:
A helmet, eye-protection (sunglasses), cycling gloves and water bottles or hydration system.
Recommended cycling clothing:
Padded cycling shorts, breathable clothing, and a lightweight waterproof / windproof top. Winter cycling clothing if cycling mountain stages (the weather can change very quickly!)
Most people want to carry certain items with them during the day, for this we recommend a large bum-bag or small close-fitting backpack.
Other recommended equipment or clothing:
Sun-cream, swimming clothing, camera

Q: Is mechanical assistance available?
A: You must ensure your bike is roadworthy and up to such a challenge. The Tour Leader will have a very limited supply of tools with him.

Q: How many meals are provided?
A: All of your breakfast and evening meals are provided. During ride days we will supply energy bars/gels but we recommend that you stop for lunch and enjoy France.

Q: Do I have to share a room if I am travelling by myself?
A: The quoted holiday price is based on 2 people sharing a room, so singles will be paired up. Single accommodation is available for a supplement.

General Information

FAQ