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2005 will be a very exciting year
for the Tour de France. The race will be more wide open than in
any recent year, with many possible contenders. If Lance
Armstrong chooses to ride in the ‘Tour’, he most likely will be
the 1st choice to win, but this years course has been
designed to favor some of the rising stars like
Andreas Klöden, Ivan Basso, or even the young Italian, Damiano
Cunego
. Our Pyrenees tour will also be very exciting, as we will be
present on the finishing climb of one of the most grueling days
of the ‘Tour’, stage 15, from Lezat to Pla d’Adet. At 205 km
(128 mi) with six hard climbs, this will be one of the key
stages, where the days winner may be the eventual champion.
This years Tour de France will certainly be a great event. To
ride the roads that have contributed to the history of the
‘Tour’ and to see this year’s action in person will be an
unforgettable experience. Not only will we climb most all of the
cols in the Pyrenees of this and past year’s Tours, we will ride
countless small, incredibly scenic roads that are seldom if ever
part of the Tour de France.
It is an understatement to say that biking the
Pyrenees is a cyclist’s dream. These mountains, which traverse
the 400 kilometer distance between the Atlantic and the
Mediterranean in the south of France and north of Spain invite,
or rather demand exploration by bike. The Pyrenees
present a diversity of landscape unequaled in Europe - lush
meadows, peaks crowned with permanent ice or draped in velvety
green, thick forests, and hidden valleys at the foot of sheer
sun-baked cliffs. The Pyrenees’ history of human habitation
goes back thousands of years before it was ever recorded, and in
our travels we will encounter prehistoric caves with their
well-preserved cave drawings, not to mention countless castles
and their rich history of warfare. We will also interact with
a fascinating variety of cultures, dialects and traditions, and
FOOD. Our routes will be for the most part on the smallest and
least traveled roads, taking us to incredible sights (and
heights!) off the beaten path.
These mountains, generally rounded and crumbling,
are more of a seductive challenge than an intimidating one, and
their peaks and passes are attainable to cyclists of decent
experience and fitness. However, in keeping with our tradition
of spirited cycle tours, and to maximize our coverage of this
spectacular region, tour designer, Glenn Erickson, promises the
option of just about every climb and awesome descent ever
challenged by the Tour de France. |
