Cycling tour with Trek Travel

Trek Travel cycling tour

This was an amazing experience for me (as it would be for any cycling enthusiast) and one I'll never forget. Trek Travel sets up tours that follow the Tour De France and allow you to experience much of the same terrain and conditions as the actual pro riders in the tour. The year I did it, 2010, was the last year that Lance Armstrong was going to compete which made it even more special for me. Trek breaks the 3 week Tour De France into 3 week long tours allowing you to pick which of the weeks of the tour you would like to ride with. I'm from Florida (pretty flat terrain) so I chose the first week of the tour as this segment only contained a few mountains. This portion of the tour started in Rotterdam and then headed to Belgium. Trek Travel did a great job on the accommodations, the food, the free time and the interaction. The guides they provided to accompany us on the rides were three great friendly riders who handled every challenge with the utmost in professionalism and courtesy. I would recommend this trip to anyone.

Cycling Equipment

Trek provides most of the equipment but you do need to bring some things.

Here are the equipment requirements: Cycling gear

Accomodations

The Tour started in Rotterdam and Trek put is up in the same hotel as team Radio Shack. The hotel sat right on one of the curve of the Porlogue and I could actually see the riders go by right from my room windows.
The second leg of our tour was through Belgium and Trek put us in a beautiful hotel from where we were able to start the next four days rides.

The hotel in Rotterdam: Inntel Hotel
The hotel in Belgium: Manoir de Lébioles

Tour De France interaction

The Tour De France started out in Rotterdam this year and our hotel was right there on the first turn after the bridge so we could see the riders performing time trials in the prologue right from the hotel. As I mentioned before this was the last time Lance Armstrong would be in the Tour De France. Trek Travel arranged for Lance's mechanic to bring one of the actual bikes he was riding in the tour to our hotel in Belgium. We got some up close time with him in the VIP area at Wanze in Belgium and we did get to see the other riders in the VIP area and had a great viewing point for them as they flew by in Spa. Lance Armstrong 2010 Tour De France

Views of the time trials: Inntel Hotel
Lance Armstrong and his bicycle: Lance Armstrong 2010 Tour De France
Watching the riders go by in Spa: Tour De France peloton in Spa
Great pics of riders from the VIP access and viewing area: Trek Travel VIP access

Guided Cycling tours

Our guides were the best. They were three very capable cyclists who were so enthusiastic and polite through the whole experience. They planned every day from rides to meals to excursions and ran from pre-dawn till late at night. They really made the experience an unforgetable one.

Trek 2010 Tour De France guided rides: Trek rides

Sight seeing tours

Of course its not all about pushing and riding through the Arden Forrest and the incredible mountains of Belgium. We did get some time to relax. Sights on the Trek Travel Tour De France tour

Trek Travel tour de france

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