PedalDancer.com is a bike blog for travelers and cyclists. Intended as a free educational source for the public, with stories from Colordo, California and France, with bike event calendar lists, bike race dates, bicycle and travel stories, cycling and bike race photography, bike routes, recommended bike climbs, cycling travel tips and maps. With France road sign and tollway travel tips.
Tejay van Garderen won a stage today in the Volta a Catalunya
In the cold Spanish snow, Tejay won a stage of the 2014 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya to Vallter 2000. Where is that you might ask? Well I was wondering the very same thing myself, as in, "Where the hell is that?". I discovered Vallter 2000 is a peak (that I am guessing not many people visit) on the border of Spain and France, well north of Barcelona. Barcelona is the city where the Volta a Catalunya will end this Sunday.
Location of Vallter 2000 climb in Spain
Joaquin Rodriguez is
currently in the lead of this race by 4 seconds. The route map has to be one of the most confusing I have ever seen, all I know is they ride all over Cataluyna (Catalonia, Cataluña) in 7 days and 7 etapes.
My coffee break in Cataluyna. Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®
But today - Tejay won Stage 4!
American Tejay van Garderen (BMC) Photo by Karen Rakestraw of Pedal Dancer®
Today's race coverage showed fog, fog, and more fog, with occasional riders appearing through -fog. Vallter 2000 is one of those remote ski stations. When it isn't covered in snow, it looks like this.
Vallter 2000
Which is a far cry from this, which is Barcelona
City of Barcelona, Spain, with the landmark Torre Agbar skyscraper
Which is known for this
Casa Batllo: architecture by Antoni Gaudi
And this
tapas
And this
paella
And come Sunday - it will be known as the place where one of these men won the 2014 Volta a Catalunya. Three more stages to go:
General Classification after Stage 4
ESP 1 RODRIGUEZ OLIVER, Joaquin (KATUSHA) 17:47:34
ESP 2 CONTADOR VELASCO, Alberto (TINKOFF-SAXO) + 4
USA 3 VAN GARDEREN, Tejay (BMC RACING) + 7
FRA 4 BARDET, Romain (AG2R LA MONDIALE) + 10
COL 5 QUINTANA ROJAS, Nairo Alexander (MOVISTAR)
GBR 6 FROOME, Christopher (SKY) + 17
USA 7 TALANSKY, Andrew (GARMIN SHARP) + 18
On being a cycling guide operator in Europe- a fun and informative interview with Peter Thomson of Thomson Bike Tours
Have you ever dreamed of taking a vacation trip to France to ride your bike? Have you watched the Tour de France from your home and yearned to be there, riding and cheering? Your dreams are possible - experienced bicycle tour companies are ready, whenever your are, to turn your dreams into reality. But the tour operator you select matters, as a fan who has traveled to France and the Tour de France for many years, I appreciate the hard work that goes into providing excellent experiences for cycling fans, I also recognize quality.
I was happy to have a Skype conversation with Peter Thomson of Thomson Bike Tours (www.thomsonbiketours.com) last January. I specifically wanted to interview Peter because of his company's deep and broad experience. They operate bike tours in Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, and Belgium, guiding trips for fans to the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, Vuelta a España, Criterium du Dauphine, and the Paris-Roubaix as an official partner with A.S.O. (Amaury Sport Organization), organizers of the Tour de France.
Thomson bike Tours is one of only two operators worldwide to hold a "Master" License as official tour operator for Paris-Roubaix Gran Fondo and all other ASO cycling events.
As a partner Thomson Bike Tours is eligible to lead bike tours and offer VIP access to any A.S.O race. In 2012, they will be registering riders for both acts of the 2012 L'Étape du Tour, held in July, as an official tour operator. Thomson Bike Tours is also known for their popular non-race chasing trans
trips offering avid cyclists the opportunity to cycle across a choice of mountain
ranges in Europe. In addition they run cycling tours to the Alpes, Tuscany, or Lombardy and Lake Como.
Looking for a challenge - ride across a mountain range in 1 week. 2012 trip schedule.
You could be here (on the Col d'Aubisque). Photo by Thomson Bike Tours
Prime road side race viewing Photo by Thomson Bike Tours
I would love to have a staffed support vehicle behind me Photo by Thomson Bike Tours
always another climb just around the bend
I know enough about cycling in France to recognize a very well planned itinerary. I believe Thomson Bike Tours does it right and is contributing to making the fan experience a good one. In 2008 I rode to the top of Col d'Aspin on a stage of the Tour de France, and there I witnessed the happy Thomson Bike Tour clients gathered under this tent at the summit of the col. Believe me, I wanted to join them. I never imagined when I clicked this photo below that I would be meeting Peter by Skype years later.
Thomson Bike Tours at the Tour de France, photo by PedalDancer.com
Thomson Bike Tours created one of my all-time favorite lists - a list of the top 50 climbs in Europe. A purely fun list which instantly creates a bucket list for every cyclist who dreams of cycling in France and Italy. Request your copy of their recommended top 50 climbs by writing to Thomson Bike Tours at: Send me my new to-do list.
What are the benefits of joining a tour company?
Experience; a professional tour company will save you 100's of hours in planning a trip on your own. They remove the guess work, the probable blunders, the communication gaps, the need to check your GPS every 12 miles, the need to rent a car, arrange accommodations, or pack all your water and food on your back during an already hard-enough climb up a mountain side. Tour companies are a smart luxury.
By the looks of their profile maps they also count the Cols for you, and maybe encourage you to keep climbing!
Thomson Bike Tours Trans-Alps route, do this in 7 days!
Now that we have covered who, where and why, it is time to hear from Peter. Knowing that the readers of Pedal Dancer are a group of fun-loving professional cycling fans who like to ride a bike and enjoy the culture of other countries, I contacted Peter Thomson with some simple questions. I finished the conversation wishing I could spend a week cycling with Pete, his enthusiasm and knowledge were evident but relaxed.
Peter Thomson
Thomson Bike Tour clients riding in the Pyrenees
Interview with Pete Thomson of Thomson Bike Tours:
One comment can change your life
In 2002, after moving to Barcelona with his wife, Peter headed to the Tour de France organizing a trip for 4-5 friends to watch the race in the Pyrenees. Two or three days into their own trip, one of those friends suggested to Peter that he "do this for a living." That very night they happened upon a Graham Baxter tour group at their hotel in town. After listening to the comments (and yes complaints on logistics) from some of the 60-80 guests, it occurred to Peter that he could do it better. He returned to Barcelona where he currently lives, had a friend put together a website, organized his trip to the 2003 Tour de France, within one month he had bookings. "Ok Paul what do we do now," he laughed remembering his comment to his friend.
The next year he lead a dozen clients on his first tour to the Pyrenees and the Alps. "It all just took off from there, pure chance, I had never thought about it before," Peter said. They had a great time, the clients returned home and told their friends, the next year they had 60 clients. Peter had been working in IT at the time, he was a project manager at SAP. He marveled how that one comment at the 2002 Tour de France had changed his life (and many others). The last 4 years have been particularly busy for Thomson Bike Tours.
Interview:
Karen: Not everyone is suited to lead a tour or build a company as you have, to complete the logistical work so that others may enjoy themselves. What made you think this was a good fit for you? Peter:I have always loved cycling, I have always loved the mountains. I grew up in Scotland, we would ride our bikes to get to the mountains so that we could climb every weekend. And I have always loved maps. I could sit and look at a map for hours. I could ride my bike, I could share all these great bike rides with people, and I could use the maps. All the skill set I learned in project management - I could use in organizing bike tours. I had my resource and gantt charts (he laughs) - it all worked. All the planning that went into the trip, everything just worked and the client really appreciated that, they loved being able to relax and enjoy themselves. I get emails from people that say it has changed their life forever, just phenomenal emails. We have clients who come twice a year. They say, "I don't have to pay for a therapist, I just come to Thomson Bike Tours." I have built up so many friendships over the years. I view most of the clients as friends.
85% of Clients are returning customers
Karen: Do you have a large percentage of repeat customers? Peter: About 85% of clients each year are either repeats or word or mouth. It is a huge network, we don't have to do much advertising. If you put on a good trip and everyone has a great time, they will go back on their Sunday morning ride and tell everyone about it. If you put on a bad trip, the same will happen, so you just have to continue to put on great trips and the clients will do the work for you. They absolutely want to come back. People come every year, or two years, on some trips we have 20-30 repeats on the one trip. It becomes a club atmosphere, the old clients take care of the new clients.
Karen: I saw your group at the top of the Col d'Aspin in 2008, I saw your tent and I have to say your clients were having a great time. On over five trips to the Tour de France I have seen most tour companies out there, some are over the top, some are huge, sometimes the people are clearly not happy; I wanted to speak with you because you appear to do it right. Peter:: We have a lot of fun, the staff are all personalities in their own way. It is what I want to have; we ride hard, each tour is very very challenging, but at the end of the day we want to have a good time, we want to have a good laugh. It is that mix of having really good rides, behind it all you have to have good support, the clients are willing to get out and try to ride 4 cols in one day because they know the support is there. The support has got to be there, then have a nice time at night. That night before the stage of the Col d'Aspin, there was a huge thunderstorm at 1:00am, all the tents blew off the top across the road and down the mountain side, it was wild, but it all came off pretty well the next day. Karen: Do you have a guide that stays overnight in your locations? Peter: Yes, to get that place on the Col d'Aspin we have students that work with us, they will go up and camp out 2-3 or 8-10 nights before the stage comes through. They camp out and hold the spot, then set up the day before. It is the only way to get a good spot. On Mont Ventoux we had a team in place 10 days before. People will say to us, "oh your trip is kind of expensive" but once they have been on the trip and see all that goes into it, they say "wow". Because a lot of tour companies abandon their clients on the mountain tops, one year on the Peyresourde, we had the entire Steve Bauer Tour inside our tent watching the TV.
Favorite climbs in Europe
Karen: I have always enjoyed the list you put together of the top climbs in Europe. Which is your favorite? Peter: Your favorite is often the climb you rode well on the year before, but I would say one of my favorites in the Stelvio, or the Col d' Bonnette, it is a beautiful climb from the northern side. Karen: What about your clients? Peter: The ones they want to do before they come over are Alpe d'Huez, Galibier, and the Stelvio. After they have been over the most popular climb is probably the Stelvio. Have you done the Stelvio? Karen: No, I haven't. Peter: Oh, from the Plateau de Stelvio, is beautiful. Karen: Last year A.S.O. began offering two stages in L'Etape du Tour, are you guiding both and why did they decide to offer two stages for cyclotourists? Peter: Yes, and demand. There is a massive demand in Europe, they sell out. From an organization and logistics standpoint it is big, I will be going to both of them this year. Our tours will be limited to 20-30 people for each stage, I want to maintain a level of quality and control. Karen: Which tours have already sold out this year (this interview was in January)? Peter: Trans-Dolomites is completely sold out. Trans-Pyrenees, Trans-Alps, and our Trans-Swiss. We have a series of trans trips and they are doing really really well. It is the level of difficulty, and the aspect of crossing a mountain range that appeals to people, it captures their imagination. Karen: That kind of imagination is especially nice when sitting at an office desk throughout the winter months. Peter:If you look at our typical client they are definitely Type A personalities, they love the challenge, they love it to be hard, they have been successful in their business life and now they want to do something else.
Logistical planning at the Tour de France
Karen: Have you ever been blocked off at the bottom of the Tourmalet on a day of the Tour de France? Peter: Oh ya, many times, for various reasons sometimes they change the [closure] time. It happened on Mont Ventoux. I was waiting for the last few clients to come through, I have a checklist of clients, as I waited they [the Gendarmes] closed the road. I always have a plan B, I had scoped out another route through a vineyard, so we ran through the vineyard and hopped back on our bikes. There is always a way around, you just have to know the area, and keep going at it.
Karen: Where do your clients come from? Peter: 80% from North America, Australia, South Africa, Mexico, Hong Kong. If Europeans want to go to the Tour de France, they jump in their car. There has to be an overseas clientele [Peter speaks English, Spanish, French]. By 2013 there is a good chance we might begin offering tours in North America. Karen: I am not certain people understand the level of quality you offer on your tours. Peter:Unless you have been with us, people cannot understand the level of service. We have clients who have been with 8-10 other tour operators but once they have been with us they realize this is a whole different level of service. It is like the Tour de France, unless you have been, it is hard to explain to anyone what it is like. [so true!]
Karen: Some of the cycling tour companies are huge, I don't know how they don't loose people. Peter:Oh we have found people. I think the first one was two guys we found in the Pyrenees at the top of a Col de Peyresourde. It was between 7 and 8 at night, they were completely lost, they hadn't seen their tour group in the past 2 days! They had stopped and found their own hotels. They had a .pdf with the tour hotel names, we took them to the bottom of the valley [2 valleys away], and set them on the bike trail to Lourdes. They were two climbs away, they were cold, lost and starving, so we took them in the van. That is terrible. There was another tour operator team of a husband and wife at the Giro who had 3 clients and managed to loose all three. The husband was standing outside the hotel with a pair of binoculars at 8pm looking for them. There are lot of good tour operators, but some are an embarrassment.
Mountain top finishes
Karen: Do most of your clients want to go to a mountain top finish, time trial, start or finish of a stage? Peter:The mountain top. They might want to go to a stage finish, just to hang around the technical area and meet some of the riders. But the main focus is the mountain top, because we have the tents and the satellite TVs, and the big buffet lunch, and such a nice atmosphere - they really enjoy that. Karen: I am smiling because for me, when on my own, a mountain top finish means I will be out there for hours, hungry, thirsty, cold, absolutely wiped out the next day. I need a full rest day after a day at a mountain top. No wonder your clients like the experience if you make it so nice for them. Peter: It is a bit of a fear factor for me, I am going to take 30 guys to the top of the Tourmalet, it can snow in July at the top, I can't leave them at the top without shelter. It can be miserable up there. Karen: If your clients are well taken care of, it means they can enjoy every day of their vacation. Peter: If you have ridden up Tourmalet, and you have sat up there freezing all day, and you need to ride up over the Peyresourde to get back to your hotel ... what a miserable day. I think of myself, what would I like to do? Every client has a backpack we bring up for them so they can change out of their wet clothes and have a nice time up there, it is a different philosophy. Karen: I want to sign up. Peter:For us it is a logistical nightmare, but there are ways of getting the supplies to the top.
Difficult beautiful bike riding
Karen: Do your clients come with proper gearing? Peter:No. I recommend they come with a triple or at best if they are a strong rider come with a compact 34-27/28. Take my recommendation. But every year someone comes with a 39-25, by the second day they are cooked. People don't understand if you ride these climbs one-off you can get up, but if you ride 4 cols in a day, and then the next day and the next day, then your legs start to hurt, so you need the small gears to get through the entire week. I could be a millionaire if we had a stock of triples and where selling them halfway up the Tourmalet. It doesn't help that it looks relatively easy on the TV coverage [by the professionals].
Karen: Every year when the route is announced, is there an area where you are excited to see included and pleased to go back to? Peter:Probably around La Clusaz near the Col d'Arvis/Col d'Croiz Fer (Grand Bornand area east of Lake Annecy). It is a beautiful area [this happens to be my favorite as well]. Other than that I am always happy when there is something around St-Lary-Soulon, Col d'Azet/Val Louron, Col de Peyresourde [all in the Pyrenees]. There are some areas where you know the hotels are hard to find or there will be van transfers, we avoid van transfers at all costs, clients come to ride their bikes. Karen: What is your favorite region of France? Peter: Definitely the Pyrenees. A lot of people start on the Tour de France with us. Then they realize they want to come back and do the rides without the chaos of the Tour de France, and that is when they do the Trans-Pyrenees trips. You do not want to see the Tour de France every day. Keep
it simple, see it once or twice to experience it but not get
exhausted. I really believe for a week at the Tour de France if you see it twice that is enough and ride the other five days, it is perfect. [so true!]
A master of logistics
As much of a logistical wizard that Peter Thomson is, he is also a good rider and an excellent story teller. He has been to the Tour de France for 30 years, guided for 10 years, if you enjoy stories of race history, travel, and key riders through the years - Peter Thomson is a treasure trove of stories. I will save these stories so you may hear them first hand during your trip. You will be assured of hard rides during the day and entertaining stories over dinner in the evenings. During our 1'20" interview I enjoyed Peter's stories of Bernard Hinault (an old teammate of his), Alberto Contador, Lance Armstrong, George Hincapie, Poppo, and others.
This morning Thomson Bike Tours published an interview with two of their recent clients in their newsletter. Sign up today and you can read Fred Schwartz from Larkspur, California and Gary Mann of Seattle, Washington tell their stories.
View the 2012 Thomson Bike Tour trips, view their trip photo albums. Sign-up for Thomson Bike Tours' regularly published newsletter with stories and wonderful photography. Watch a video of their clients at the 2011 Tour de France (with loud music).
I wish them luck and hope to see their happy clients out
of the road in France this July, where I will be wishing I had a buffet
lunch waiting for me on a mountain top in the Pyrenees. I am encouraging Peter to come to Colorado to lead his quality of tour at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, if interested - please ask him. Perhaps one day soon we can see this level of tour operator within range of an easy national flight. www.thomsonbiketours.com
2012 wouldn't be complete without the final Grand Tour route being leaked
Today the Spanish Newspaper MARCA reported that it had accessed the 2012 route prior to the official release, and of course they published it. As you remember the routes of the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, USA Pro Cycling Challenge, and probably a few others were leaked prior to the official presentations.
The official presentation of the 67th Vuelta a España is planned for tomorrow, Wednesday, January 11 at 12:00 at Baluarte (Pamplona), Palacio de Congresos y Auditorio de Navarra. The 2012 tour is confirmed to begin in Pomplona on August 18th and finish in Madrid on September 9th. We'll have to wait until tomorrow for the exact route details and stage lengths and profiles.Update: the real story from CyclingNews.com on 11 Jan 2012: 2012 Vuelta route revealed.
This is the purported route: (The leak had 3 cities wrong. I think it looked too planned, the errors perfectly spaced, almost to promote the leak, but not to give away all the details.)
2012 Vuelta a España route
Saturday August 18, Stage 1: Pamplona - Pamplona. 15.4 km Team time trial
Sunday August 19, Stage 2: Pamplona - Viana
Monday August 20, Stage 3: Oion - Arrate (Eibar). Mountain top finish
Tuesday August 21, Stage 4: Baracaldo - Valdezcaray. Mountain top finish
Wednesday August 22, Stage 5: Logroño - Logroño
Thursday August 23, Stage 6: Zaragoza (Tarazona) - El Fuerte del Rapitán (Jaca)
Friday August 24, Stage 7: Jaca - Motorland (Alcañiz)
Saturday August 25, Stage 8: Lleida - Santuario Canolich Coll de la Gallina (Andorra). Mountain top finish
Sunday August 26, Stage 9: Andorra - Barcelona
Monday August 27: Rest day and Transfer from Barcelona to Ponteareas
Tuesday August 28, Stage 10: Ponteareas - Sanxenxo
Wednesday August 29, Stage 11: Cambados - Pontevedra. Individual time trial
Thursday August 30, Stage 12: Vilagarcía - Mirador de Ezaro (A Coruña)
Friday August 31, Stage 12: Santiago de Compostela - Ferrol
Saturday September 1, Stage 14: Lugo Palas do Rei - Los Ancares. Mountain top finish
Sunday September 2, Stage 15: La Robla - Lagos de Covadonga. Mountain top finish
Monday September 3, Stage 16: Gijón - Cuitu Negro. Mountain top finish
Tuesday September 4: Rest day
Wednesday September 5, Stage 17: Santander - Fuente Dé
Thursday September 6, Stage 18: Aguilar de Campoo - Valladolid
Friday September 7, Stage 19: Peñafiel - La Lastrilla
Saturday September 8, Stage 20: La Faisanera Golf Palazuelo del Eresma - Bola del Mundo. Mountain top finish
Sunday September 9, Stage 21: Cercedilla - Madrid
Read the complete article on MARCA The Tour is North (in Spanish). The newspaper reports: "Specifically, the seven major goals of the Tour 2012 are: Arrate, Valdezcaray, Coll de la Gallina, the goal will be on-Canolich Sanctuary, Los Ancares, Lagos de Covadonga, Cuitu Black (ramps of up to 25%) and Bola del Mundo. To these we must add the other three stages ending in ledges or third ports: Fort Rapitán in Jaca, and the Mirador de Ézaro, in A Coruña, in addition to Fuente Dé, who, at the foot of the Picos de Europe, is one of the most beautiful Cantabria."
The leaked route map of the 2012 Vuelta a España. Source MARCA
The top 30 cycling climbs in France, Spain, and Italy
This is a fantastic list of best bike climbs in Europe compiled by Thomson Bike Tours. Definitely one worth keeping. A dream list for those of us who love to experience climbs on a bike, and then sit back and watch the Pros tackle them on TV. Reminiscing and recognizing landmarks at every turn of the climb while saying out loud, "this is where it gets really steep". This is my kind of fun.
ThomsonBikeTours.com has now expanded their list to 50. If you would like to request a copy from them, send them your email at this link: Yes I want to tick off the best cycling climbs in Europe.
click images to enlarge
I have completed 14 of the 30. I have a long way to go. This year a number of these climbs will be featured in the Grand Tours. So if you are not able to get over to France, Italy, or Spain to ride these climbs yourself, at least mark your calendars and tune in to listen to the cycling commentators (Phil & Paul of course) describe a few of the most wondrous places to be on a bike, on this planet. Below are the climbs on this list above that are featured in either the 2011 Giro d'Italia and the 2011Tour de France:
Best Climbs in Europe featured in the 2011 Giro d'Italia include:
Stage 14 Giro
#1 on the list - Monte Zoncolan- Saturday, 21 May 2011, Stage 14 of the Giro d'Italia Location: Dolomites, north of Venice, Italy Description: Very steep climb. #1 on the list. The last and final climb of stage 14!
Stage 15 Giro #25 on the list - Passo di Giau- Sunday, 22 May 2011, Stage 15 of the Giro d'Italia Location: north of Venice, Italy Description: the forth of six passes in stage 15
#24 on the list - Luz Ardiden- Thursday, 14 July 2011, Stage 12 of the Tour de France Location: Hautes-Pyrenees, France Description: the final climb of stage 12, after climbing the east side of the Col du Tourmalet! Read PedalDancer.com previous post: I was there that day on Luz Ardiden
Profile of Stage 12, 2011 Tour de France
location of Horquettes d'Ancizan to Col du Tourmalet to Luz Ardiden
Stage 13 TDF #22 on the list - Col d'Aubisque- Thursday, 15 July 2011, Stage 13 of the Tour de France Location: Midi-Pyrenees, France Description: a favorite of the Tour de France and often included Read PedalDancer.com previous post: Dancing on the Pedals on 8% (Col d'Aubisque) or Lac d'Estaing, Col de Borderes, Col du Soulor (Col du Soulor)
Profile of Stage 13, 2011 Tour de France
location of Col d'Aubisque
Col d'Aubisque 2005
Summit of Col d'Aubisque 2010
Stage 18 TDF #21 on the list - Col d Izoard- Thursday, 21 July 2011, Stage 18 of the Tour de France Location: from Italy through Briancon, Haute-Alpes, France Description: a distant wind swept climb with lots of flies!
PLUS
#4 on the list -Col du Galibier(south/west side) - Thursday, 21 July 2011, Stage 18 of the Tour de France Location: near Grenoble, Haute-Alpes, France Description: a grand climb in a spectacular setting, and mountain top finish Read PedalDancer.com previous post: France Cycling - my ride up the Col du Galibier
Profile of Stage 18, 2011 Tour de France
location of Col Agnel to Col d"Izoard to Col du Galibier
Stage 19 TDF #4 on the list - Col du Galibier(north/east side) - Friday, 22 July 2011, Stage 19 of the Tour de France Location: near Grenoble, Haute-Alpes, France Description: following the Col du Telegraphe, a warm-up to the stage finish on Alpe d'Huez Read PedalDancer.com previous post: Watching the Tour de France, Stage 18 and Watching the Tour de France - Stage 19
