June 1 - TOULOUSE/CORDES SUR CIEL
Arrive Toulouse, France, by plane or train; we’ll meet you in
our van and transport you to our hotel in Cordes-sur-Ciel, a
commute of just over an hour. Cordes is one of the prettiest of
the many 'bastide', or walled, villages we’ll visit on this
tour. With a commanding view of the countryside, and its steep,
cobbled streets, Cordes is the perfect setting for the start of
our tour of this beautiful region. We’ll gather tonight for our
welcoming dinner and an overview of the tour.
June 2 - NAJAC - 25mi, 1800ft-or-60mi, 2700ft
elevation gain
The greater part of our tour's riding will be along flat,
winding rivers, with occasional climb (800-1000ft) over the
surrounding hills to the next river valley. Today, the rivers
are the Aveyron and its tributary, the Viaur. The long route
passes beneath the castle ruins of Penne, before winding up the
river for a relative flat 31 miles. Both routes climb up to
Najac, a beautiful one-street town. It is situated on a narrow
ridge, rising 600ft from the Aveyron river. The hotel at the
center of the village is charming and friendly, and the evening
meal is one you'll never forget.
June 3- CONQUES EN ROUERGUES - 52 mi,
2000ft-or-60mi, 2900ft
Starting today’s ride with a twisting descent to the Aveyron,
the first 20k hardly raises a sweat before we arrive at the
first pastry stop in Villefranche de Rouergue. This is the main
market town for the area, so there is always much activity in
and around the many little cafés and restaurants. Hopefully this
will be market day, the weekly event that brings together local
farmers and shop keepers from the surrounding villages - a
3-ring circus of buying and selling. A wooded, winding climb
continues up over a series of open pastured hills, with great
views and descents to the lunch stop in Rignac. The long route
adds a descent to the village of Belcastle on the Aveyron. This
ancient stone village rises steeply from the quiet river to the
well-preserved castle above – a perfect postcard vision. Small
farming roads lead us along the wooded Gorges du Dourdou, then a
short climb to our village. Conques is an abbey town, rich in
Romanesque architecture, and its Abbé Sainte Foy, is filled with
France’s most precious religious treasures.
June 4 - CONQUES EN ROUERGUES - Rest Day or
Loop Ride, 36mi, 2000ft, or 55mi, 3000ft
The village of Conques is a great place to spend a leisurely
day, and the comprehensive tour of the Church of Ste. Foy is a
must. However, the countryside is beautiful and it will be
difficult to stay off your bike. Our route rambles over the
nearby hills, through small villages, past neat farms, and
descends to Entraigues for lunch. We then follow the Lot River
back to Conques, winding our way on the small shaded road along
the river banks. The longer route heads up the Gorges du Lot to
the medieval village of Estaing, and then climbs into the high
hills above the Dourdou River. This is all capped off with an
exhilarating descent to a spectacular viewpoint of Conques.
June 5 - VÉSAC - 55mi, 3300ft
The ride along the Lot river from Conques to Entraygues will be
one of the most leisurely of the tour, as the narrow road hugs
the meandering river bank whose hillsides are dotted with tiny
hamlets and farm houses. After a pastry stop, we climb out of
the valley onto a high volcanic plateau, which is dominated by
the volcano Puy Mary, and comprises the Parc Regional des
Volcans d’Auvergne. After lunch (perhaps a picnic bought in
Entraygues) we tackle a series of ridges and valleys; this
scenery is made dramatic by the rivers’ erosion of the volcanic
lava flows. Our hotel, yet another castle, in Vésac, has grand
views across the valley to the mountains rising in the distance.
June 6 - LE THEIL (SALERS) - 30mi, 2500ft - or -
46mi, 4000ft
A quick descent to the larger town of Aurillac brings us to the
base of today’s climb up the Puy Mary - 24 miles of climbing and
only 4000ft of elevation gain. The lava flows from this mountain
were very liquid and flowed rapidly, forming long, gradually
sloping ridges and valleys. Our route takes us up the Mandailles
valley and traverses just below the summit of Puy Mary. The
volcanic formations are strange and the lush greenery covering
the mountain gives them an eerie appearance. The views are
amazing in all directions and the viewpoint from the Pas de
Payrol is the highest in the Massif Central. From th Col de
Neronne, we have a long, slightly winding high speed descent to
Salers, one of the prettiest villages in the area. The buildings
are dark gray, cut from the lava stone, and with their clean
lines and turreted roofs, they seem like props in a movie set
rather than a real country setting. Our hotel, an old country
June 7 - CARENNAC - 60mi, 1500ft
The high volcanic plateau slopes gently to the west, and is
mostly downhill with a few short climbs due to the small rivers
that cut across our route. We are suddenly plummeted down a
steep incline to the Dordogne river at the point just below
the last dam. Here is where it becomes serene and meandering,
and for the rest of the day, we will follow it down river. For a
typical French lunch, stop in Argentat, a village renowned for
its charming houses, restaurants, and gardens gracing the
river’s edge. Further down river, an ice cream stop is in order,
as we explore the streets of Beaulieu and its ancient buildings
dating back to the 9th century. Continuing downstream on the
small rural roads, we reach our destination of Carennac, a
small, intimate village, selected as one of the most beautiful
in the Dordogne region.
June 8 - CARENNAC LOOP - 37mi, 1500ft, or pick
your own loop
Today is a day not to be missed, with so many things to see and
do. Warming up with a ride along the river’s edge, we come to a
wooded climb. Perched at the top, is the bastide village of
Loubressac, another of the Dordogne’s
villages
fleuries.
Next stop is Rocamadour, second only to Mont St Michel as a
tourist stop in France. Built on the face and top of a limestone
cliff, its stunning location has attracted Christian pilgrims
for centuries, but now hosts crowds of tourists. On the return
to Carennac, a mandatory stop is the Gouffre de Padirac, an
immense hole in the ground, 114ft wide and 300ft deep, with over
13 miles of cave galleries. At one time this was thought to be
the entrance to Hell - in the middle of Paradise, a very
unlikely spot for this, in our opinion! A visit to this cave
system is one of the favorites of our tour.
June 9 - CONDAT-SUR-VÉSÈRE - 49mi, 1800ft
We begin our day pedaling down river along one of the prettiest
stretches of the Dordogne valley, passing the Cirque de
Montvalent and the cliff side town of Gluges. We continue
following the Dordogne downriver, beneath limestone cliffs, past
caves and castles until we arrive in Souillac for lunch The
rest of the ride is rolling hills through farmland, scrub oak,
and little hamlets. A short side trip to the medieval village of
St Armand de Coly, is rewarded with one of the best examples of
a fortified church. Our hotel is a 12th and 15th century
chateau, with a large swimming pool, making a wonderful place to
relax, so don’t dally too long on the ride today.
June 10 - SARLAT - 36mi, 1900ft
If we had only two days to ride in the Dordogne, these next two
would have to be them. Everything that is grand and beautiful in
the Dordogne is represented on this route - caves, castles,
villages fleuries, forts, winding scenic roads, cliffs and
panoramic views. Six miles down the road is our first stop, the
world-famous caves of Lascaux and their incredible
prehistoric art. There are more than a dozen other caves along
the way, but this is the best. La Roque St Christophe is next, a
cliff-face dwelling, inhabited for the last 40,000 years. Les
Eyziès, where the first skeletal remains of Cro-Magnon man were
discovered, is the Pre-History capital of the world, and merits
a stop. From here, there are two different routes to Sarlat,
both winding through the forests and farmlands. Sarlat is a
wonderfully preserved ancient market town, dating back to the
9th century, and our hotel is beautifully situated for total
relaxation after such a busy day.
June 11 - SARLAT - 25mi, less than 1000ft, or
pick your own loop
Today there are more places to see and things to do, per mile,
than any day of our tour. The dispute over ownership of the
Dordogne region is the reason that the French and English fought
the Hundred Years War. Two of the big strongholds, Baynac, of
the French, and Castlenau, of the English, sit high atop their
respective hills, glaring at each other across the Dordogne
River. These two castles are the main attraction of today’s
short ride, but there is also the riverside castle of Cingle de
Montfort, and Fenlon, and the fortified hilltop town of Domme.
We will also pass through one of France’s plus beaux villages,
La Roque Gageac. Here the cliffs rise above the river, leaving
just enough room for one row of buildings and a narrow road with
a castle in a commanding position at the far end of town. There
is also an extra loop of six miles, along a beautiful stretch of
the river to Milandes, the castle (now a museum), beautifully
restored by the American chanteuse, Josephine Baker.
June 12 - ST CIRQ-LAPOPIE - 54mi, 1800ft
For anyone who loves cycling, today will be a real treat.
France’s gift to cyclists is the myriad of small, paved roads,
winding through forests and farmlands, giving France the highest
density of good cycling roads in the world. For much of the day
we will be following the Ceou River, from its terminus at the
Dordogne river, to its source near Labistide-Murat. Other than
the caves at Pech Merle, there are no major obligatory stops on
today’s route, but the scenery will be beautiful and the
numerous small villages, castles, and churches, will make this a
very enchanting day. The Grotte du Pech Merle has one of the
very best tours, not to be missed, and is one of the few caves
where you can still see the original cave art. Our final
destination, St Cirq-Lapopie is considered perhaps the most
beautiful village in all of France, so be sure to spend some
time exploring. Since our hotel does not serve dinner, we will
be on our own for both evenings, free to dine at any of the many
little restaurants in St Cirq or at a nearby pizza restaurant.
June 13 - ST CIRQ-LAPOPIE –25mi, 1000ft, or 41mi,
1300ft
St Cirq Lapopie is considered to one of France’s most beautiful
villages. If you haven’t already explored this village, take
time today, have a nice lunch, visit the many shops, and if you
have any film left in your camera, this is a good place to use
it. The road along the south side of the Lot River is winding
and forested with villages perched on the limestone cliffs
overhead. At Cajarc (lunch), the route climbs over the hill to
the Cele River valley. Here the cliffs are huge, with buildings
and villages built right into the vertical walls. A short side
trip climbs up to the Grotte du Pech Merle. This is one of the
best caves in France to visit, with its prehistoric cave
paintings, geologic formations, and fossils of human and animal
habitation. The upper route into St Cirq from Bouziès has some
amazing views of the Lot river valley. Dinner will be on your
own tonight, with at least 3 little restaurants in the village
from which to choose.
June 14 - CORDES SUR CIEL - 54mi, 1800ft-or-62mi,
1600ft
This is our last day of cycling, and after all we have seen and
done, today may seem somewhat anticlimactic. Just another scenic
road connecting pretty villages - but at home this would be your
most special route! We climb out of the Lot valley and over the
Causse de Limogne, one of the best truffle growing regions in
France. Unfortunately this is not truffle season but this is
still a good day to find one of those small, wonderfully French
restaurants, and enjoy one final gourmet lunch before heading
back to our hotel in Cordes, where we’ll have plenty of time to
pack up before our farewell dinner tonight.
June 15 - Departure
Van transportation provided to the Toulouse airport.
COST:
$3495.00 per person Based on Double Occupancy
$550.00 Single room supplement
INCLUDES
·2-4 star Hotel Accommodations ·
·Breakfast daily (except arrival day) ·Dinner daily (except one night and arrival/departure
days)
·Airport transfers from/to Toulouse airport
·Bike mechanic and van
support with cellular phone
·Ground transportation for all passengers, luggage & bikes
·Regional map plus detailed daily route maps & cue sheets
NOT INCLUDED
·International airfare
·Tips, gratuities, laundry, telephone, & items of a personal
nature
·Lunches and alcoholic beverages (a supplemental fee will be
charged for those who want wine with dinner, and can be prepaid
before departure)
PRE-TRIP PLANNING
A complete trip packet will be sent upon receipt of your final payment, including tour t-shirt, hotel lists, maps, and luggage tags. Our guidebook containing
information on what to bring, how to pack your bike for flying, equipment list, and changing currencies, will be sent upon receipt of your secondary deposit (due by March 1). All participants must possess a current passport.
TRAVEL
INSURANCE Erickson Cycle Tours strongly recommends purchasing insurance for trip cancellation, injury, illness, and loss of effects. A traveler's insurance brochure will be included in your confirmation letter.
AIRFARE
We offer the services of
our travel agent, Rogue Travel, in obtaining economical,
expedient air reservations, and we are happy to assist with pre-
and post-tour accommodations. Please contact Shannon or
Steven for flight information:800.443.9216 or
shannon@mind.net
|
