Tour de Grande Alpes Sept 2012

1st Sept Sat             Day 0      
Fly to Geneva
pu at the airport and drive to Thonon les Bains (36km down the side of the lake)

2nd Sept Sun   Day 1
Thonon-les-Bains -> St Jean de Sixt        80kms
The Col des Gets (1 170 m), the first pass on the Great Alps Route and the Col de la Colombière  (1613 m)

3rd Sept           Mon      Day 2   
St Jean de Sixt -> Bourg Saint Maurice    90kms
Col des Aravis (1486 m) and  col les Saisies and then climb Cornet de Roseland (1850meters) cross and descend to Borg Saint Marice.

4th Sept           Tues     Day 3   
Bourg Saint Maurice       -> Saint Michael de Maurienne 132km
The Col de l’Iseran (2 764 m) is the summertime link between the two high Savoyard valleys, the Tarentaise and the Maurienne. This pass, created specially for tourists and certainly one of the most beautiful in the Alps, is definitely the highest. Between Val-d’Isère and Bonneval, in the heart of the Vanoise National Park, this section is simply magnificent.
          
5th Sept           Weds Day 4                  
Saint Michael de Maurienne -> Briancon  61km
Climb Col de telegraphe 1. 570m on the way up to the col du Galibier.  Col du Galibier is the mythical passage of the Tour of France (53 tims)
                                              
6th Sept           Thurs Day 5                 
Briancon ->  Briancon   / rest or ride. Some fantastic rides around here.
                                  
7th Sept           Fri   Day 6                    
Briancon -> Barcelonnette  115km                     
cols d’Izord and /  col de Vars - great two pass ride

8th Sept           Sat  Day 7                    
Barcelonnette -> Beuil  80km                
Col de la Bonette and Col de la Cayolle  2300m,
These passes are not among the highest, the often twisting roads, in an exuberant setting, lead up to the mountain summits. Fantastic little hotel

9th Sept           Sun  Day 8                   
Beuil – Saint Martin de Vesubie  59km
Our blog says this is the best ride of the tour

10th Sept           Mon  Day 9                 
Saint Martin de Vesubie -> Nice 78km
On this route, the Route des Grandes Alpes plays leapfrog from one valley to another.
Always on the edge of the Mercantour National Park, ski resorts rub shoulders with traditional villages of the south.
The atmosphere mdéiterranéenne is increasingly felt. Gorges Piaon announce Sospel, behind the city before the sea front                            

11th Sept          Tues Day 10                
Nice -> Nice         - non riding

12th Sept          Weds
Depart  Return to the World

Cost: all hotels., (all breakfasts and a couple dinners) rental van / petrol, driver wages and their accommodation,  special designed cycle top and booklet
Between $2.333 - $3.000 NZ land cost.
As close as I can do it now without checking all hotel prices - Note: this based on a price last time.