Menu
Menu
8 days in the heart of Provence
Southern France, how can we put it into words? Bliss!
Our Ventoux Cycles connects some of the most iconic sites associated with luxurious travel in Europe. As with our other tours, the emphasis is placed on cycling the most beautiful roads connecting highlights of the cycling world with scenic treasures..
Traveling through such a popular and interesting touristic region also opens up the possibility to travel together with a non-cycling loved one. For this tour we offer a full program for Explorers.
And then there are the fine French dinners. For the rest day we offer a wine tasting in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
The grand tour around the Provence: From the Cote d′Azur to the canyon of Verdon to the heights of the Mont Ventoux.
Onwards through the vineyards of the Côte du Rhône and along the beautiful Ardèche river.
Dates 2020
June 20 - 28 8 Days / 8 Nights
Distance
630km / 390mi 11,000m /36,000ft Climb
Stages
6 Stages1 Rest Day
Price
€2345
Bike
3T / Cervélo Rental Bike Electric Bike Available
Together: Travel with your Loved One
Explorers' Program
Adventures should be shared with each other!
We prepare an independent itinerary for Non-cycling travellers, who come together with a cyclist to join our tour.
No compromises: Most days are at least as good off the bike.
(1) Stage 2: the Verdon Canyon
(2) Stage 4: Mont Ventoux (1912m/6273ft)
(3) Stage 4: Vineyards of Côte du Rhône
(4) Stage 5: Ardèche river and canyon
Along the route, we will stay overnight in the picturesque town Moustiers-Sainte-Marie and later pass the lavender fields around Sault before we climb the Mont Ventoux.
The town of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie
The lavender fields around Sault
The grand tour around the Provence: From the Cote d′Azur to the canyon of Verdon to the heights of the Mont Ventoux. Onwards through the vineyards of the Côte du Rhône and along the beautiful Ardèche river.
We meet in Le Lavandou, close to Saint-Tropez on the Mediterranean. The opening get-together will be at our hotel Auberge de la Calanque at 6pm. The hotel has a nice garden to relax and to set up our bikes. The opening dinner will be next to the marina, only 2 minutes walk away from our hotel.
The tour begins with a relatively short stage (82km, 1350m climb) from the Cote d’Azur into the hinterland. Most of the roads are tiny with very few cars. This region is popular for cyclists coming from Saint-Tropez. For the second night, we will stay in the town Les Arcs in the hotel Le Logis du Guetteur which is a converted Château from the 11th century.
Destination: Les Arcs, France
The second stage (113km, 2560m climb) will take us through the vast Gorge Verdon. This is a truly spectacular sight. There are possibilities to shorten this stage if you prefer to save your energy. The stage ends in Moustiers-Sainte-Marie—one of the most picturesque French towns we have ever seen. We will be staying at the Hotel Le Colombier.
Destination: Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, France
The third stage brings us to the foot of the famous Mont Ventoux where we will spend our rest day in Sault. We spend two nights in the 4-Star Hostellerie Val du Sault with a large garden and pool. This hotel is perfect for us: It feels luxurious without being overdone or artificial. The reason is as unexpected as it is authentic: We meet Yves, the owner of this fine hotel, in the garden walking around in an overall and pushing a wheelbarrel, like all the buildings here, he is constructing the new yoga hall himself. In the evenings his wife Linn serves perfect french meals for us. On the rest day we offer an excursion to the romanesque monastery Senanque and a wine tasting at Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Destination: Sault, France
The fourth stage (108km, 1790m climb) is dedicated to climbing the Mont Ventoux and then descending into the famous wine region Côte du Rhône. We will cross the Rhone river at Pont-Saint-Esprit and stay over night in a small B&B, Domaine Celadon, run by a charming french painter Patricia and her husband Hervé.
Destination: Pont-Saint-Esprit, France
Another highlight is the fifth stage (118km, 2260m climb) through the natural park of the Ardèche canyon. Amongst French road cyclists the Ardèche region is famous for its excellent cycling conditions. This and the final stage take us on tiny roads through sheer endless forrests.
Destination: Villefort, France
The final stage (97km, 1630m climb) takes us through the natural park of Cevennen and ends in the beautiful village of Anduze at the Hotel Porte des Cévennes.
Destination: Anduze, France
The following morning we offer transfers to two airports: Nice (NCE) and Marseille (MRS)
Information in the itinerary is subject to change. Depending on conditions the exact route and length of stages and transfers may need to change.
Group Size:
Maximum participants: 12
Explorers: Minimum 2, Maximum 5
Prices in USD:
The tour price is payable in Euro. Here are approximations as reference only: €2.345,00 is about $2.570,00. €495,00 is about $545,00.
|
Single room supplement (8 rooms maximum) |
€495,00 (per person) |
|
Rental bike Cervélo C3 Climb |
€259,00 (per bike) |
|
Rental bike 3T Exploro with road wheel-set |
€299,00 (per bike) |
|
Rental electric bike |
€368,00 (per bike) |
|
Airport transfer Nice (NCE) or Marseille (MRS) |
€110,00 (two-way/per person) |
|
Bike case airport transfer |
€45,00 (per case) |
|
Transfer from Anduze to Le Lavandou |
€65,00 (per person) |
|
Photo Package |
€65,00 (per person) |
With the booking a total of €1,500 per person and the fee for the rental bike is payable.
The remainder is due 20 days before the beginning of the tour.
Transaction cost is to be paid by the customer. There is a 2% transaction fee for credit card payments.
The same payment conditions apply for early booking discount.
In compliance with European and Spanish regulations for tour operators, your payment is secured through our insurance. Our tour operator license is GC-1872.
View Terms & Condition
You may cancel your booking at any time.
We will acknowledge the cancellation within 3 working days and refund your payment within 30 days in accordance with the following table.
Amount Due as % of Total Tour Price | Cancellation fee per person | |
until 14 days after booking | – | – |
until 60 days before tour begin | 20 % | €85 |
until 15 days before tour begin | 60 % | €85 |
until 7 days before tour begin | 75 % | €85 |
Less than 7 days before tour begins | 90 % | €85 |
No Show | 100 % | €85 |
Customise your tour, celebrate life moments with us.
Example: Choose a second date for your family / closed group.
You will receive a GPS rental-unit and a route card for each stage. With this GPS on your handlebars, you will always know your way. It is up to you whether you want to cycle in a group or at your own pace. If you are bringing your own GPS, we will transfer the tracks to your device at the beginning of the tour.
One of our support cars is always nearby – en route we stay close by and we await you with snacks and drinks at the important cols. As necessary, we also offer the possibility to ride parts of the stage in the support car. All tours are scheduled so that you can expect excellent weather. Should it unexpectedly happen that you cannot cycle, we will transfer you to the next hotel.
Our support car is equipped with a comprehensive first-aid-kit. For immediate response we carry standard equipment, oxygen and a heart defibrillator.
For the most important repairs we carry a comprehensive set of tools and standard replacement parts for Shimano 11-speed components. We also carry some spare bikes. Additional costs may apply.
We carry fresh fruits, energy bars, gels, cookies & crackers, nuts & dry fruits, water, sports drink powder, soft drinks and hot beverages for you in the support car.
In order to always guarantee the best possible road conditions we annually update each tour.
We transport one soft-shell traveling bag and one daypack for you. Your daypack will be accessible during the stages.
Accommodations are in well-kept, family owned Hotels and B&Bs. Regional specialities will be served and the needs of cyclists are accounted for.
On the rest day up to three cycling kits will be washed for you.
We capture the best moments of the tour for you. There will be a slideshow presentation at the end of the tour. Also, you will be able to purchase the slideshow and individual photos of yourself.
If you are bringing your own bike in a bike-case and are taking our airport transfer, please let us know in advance and we will bring your bike-case to the starting location in the Provence.
For the bike set-up, we have most standard tools (including a torque wrench) available for you. So, unless your bike has special requirements, there is no need to bring extra tools. During the tour your bike-case will be stored and brought to where the tour ends. There, you may repack your bike in the evening before the departure day. During the tour you will not have access to your bike-case and your bike might need to be transported by us on the roof of our vehicle.
While we offer tools for setting up your bike, please be advised that correct and timely bike set-up remains your responsibility. During the tour we carry spare parts for Shimano 11-Speed components. If you have anything other than this, we recommend bringing some basic spare parts as you see fit.
Arrival: June 20, 2020
Airport Nice Côte d'Azur (NCE) Transfer Departure Time: 3:00PM Airport Marseille Provence (MRS) Transfer Departure Time: 3:30PM
Please book your flights with at least 1:30h time before/after the transfer. Trip time of transfer takes about 2 hours. If you are arriving from outside of Europe, you might want to schedule extra days as a buffer. Other transfers upon request.
Departure: June 28, 2020
Airport Nice Côte d'Azur (NCE)
Transfer Arrival Time: 1:00PM
Airport Marseille Provence (MRS)
Transfer Arrival Time: 11:00AM
If you are coming with your own car, you may park it for the duration of the tour in Le Lavandou (France). To pick up your car, we offer a transfer in the morning of June 28. We will leave Anduze at 9:00 am and will arrive at the starting location where your car is parked at 12:15pm.
Opening Get-together: June 20, 2020 at 6:00PM in Le Lavandou, France
Since the group of explorers will be potentially small. We will design the program specifically with your personal interests in mind. As an explorer, you will receive a survey about possible activities before the tour.
In our Ventoux Traverse Tour, we include the following highlights in the itinerary for Explorers:
Avignon: the Pearl along the Rhône
We will take a couple of hours going through the old town of Avignon, visiting Palace of the Pope and Pont d’Avignon. During a good-weather day we might enjoy a nice lunch in the centre.
Abbaye de Sénanque & Gordes
This is something we will definitely not miss: Ocean of lavender around Abbaye de Sénanque, founded in 1148. We combine with the visit to Gordes, the gorgeous town built upon mountains.
Rock Formations in Luberon Nature Park
In the centre of Luberon Nature Park, the earth shows ochre in the subsoil. We will do a light hiking in this amazing canyon. Picnic will be shared during the break.
Camarque Nature Park
This huge park is located on the river delta of the Rhône. Here you will see groups of white horses, red flamingoes and castles in the marshland. This is one of the best places for wildlife lovers.
We are deeply connected to cycling in the region of Girona. Dirk came here by bike for the first time in 1988 and immedialty fell in love with the perfect cycling conditions. As often as possible, he would try to come back for cycling, before moving to the region in 2003 and starting Canigou Cycling.
Canigou Cycling always prioritized the recreational and travelers perspective on cycling. At the time famous cyclist like Lance Armstrong, Tyler Hamilton and George Hincapie were living in Girona. One thing was clear for Dirk from day one: Canigou Cycling will not offer tours to cyclists who are only looking to be close to the Pro-Cyclists here. Our tours prioritize what really matters to passionate hobby cyclsist: great roads, authentic hotels and a friendly, heartfelt experience.
Of course we foster good connections with the pro-community in Girona. For instance Canigou Cycling organized launch events for Cervélo in Girona. Dirk also works as Associate Professor for Innovation in Tourism at the University of Girona.
Sign Up for Our Newsletter
By clicking the submit button you consent to receive our promotional emails. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please read Privacy Policy.
about Us
© 2003 - 2020, Canigou Cycling S.L.
Keep up to date and receive news about new tours and special offers. Maximum 12 times a year. Unsubscribe anytime.
By clicking the submit button you consent to receive our promotional emails. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please read Privacy Policy.
