ALPINE CYCLING TOURS
    The Tour de France with Alpine Cycling Tours

    We strive to give you the richest Tour experience possible. With interesting, exciting viewings of key
    mountain stages, unique access to the Tour de France carnival-like atmosphere and a quality race
    viewing without sacrificing rides for lengthy travel. You'll get your unforgettable rides, your absolute
    comfort and your memorable Tour de France experience, all in good measure.
    See the stages that matter. Do the rides that you'll remember forever.
    This year, you'll ride the most famous Tour routes in the Pyrenees, but you'll also see a summit finish, a
    town finish and be there for a race start in Bagneres de Luchon!
     See the complete itinerary below as well as my analysis of this year's race.
                                                                      
July, 2012
Be part of this Tour de France craziness
Riding through Dutch Corner
Phil Legget with Allan
Even Contador wanted to be
in our pictures and our hotel!

The 2012 Tour de France de route:
Alpine Tours will be in the Pyrenees during the final climbing stages of this race. See highlighted stages
Find more details at www.letour.fr

2012 Tour de France stages:
Prologue, June 30 — Liege> Liege 6.1 km (time trial)
Stage 1, July 1 — Liège> Seraing 198 km (road stage)
Stage 2, July 2 — Vise > Tournai 207 km (road stage)
Stage 3, July 3 — Orchies > Boulogne-sur-Mer 197 km (road stage)
Stage 4, July 4— Abbeville > Rouen 214 km (road stage)
Stage 5, July 5 — Rouen > Saint-Quentin 197 km (road stage)
Stage 6, July 6— Épernay > Metz 210 km (road stage)
Stage 7, July 7 — Tomblaine > La Planche des Belles Filles 199 km (road stage)
Stage 8, July 8 — Belfort > Porrentruy 154 km (road stage)
Stage 9, July 9 — Arc-et-Senans > Besançon 38 km (time trial) Rest day, July 10
Stage 10, July 11 — Mâcon > Bellegarde-sur-Valserine 194 km (road stage)
Stage 11, July 12 — Albertville > La Toussuire – Les Sybelles 140 km (mountain stage)
Stage 12, July 13 — Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne > Annonay Davézieux 220 km (mountain stage)
Stage 13, July 14 — Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux > Le Cap d’Agde 215 km (road stage)

Stage 14, July 15 — Limoux > Foix 192 km (road stage)   *will feature a few good climbs and you can be there at the finish line
Stage 15, July 16 — Samatan > Pau 160 km (road stage)
Rest day, July 17
Stage 16, July 18 — Pau > Bagnères-de-Luchon 197 km (mountain stage) *one of two important mountain stages of this tour, the Queen stage
Stage 17, July 19 — Bagnères-de-Luchon > Peyragudes 144 km (mountain stage) *a difficult day in the mountains that will decide the final          
                                                                                                                              winner of the yellow jersey.

Stage 18, July 20 — Blagnac > Brive-la-Gaillarde 215 km (road stage) *This is a flat inconsequential road stage that will not affect the GC
Stage 19, July 21 — juillet Bonneval > Chartres 52 km (time trial)
Stage 20, July 22 — Rambouillet > Paris Champs-Élysées 130 km (road stage)

    Combining fantastic riding with the most complete
    and exciting cycling moments of this year's race
    Write your own version of this summer's Tour de France
    Be There in Style.

          Crazy Christian Prudhomme!  the genius

           After what was arguably the most exciting Tour de France in recent memory, most people understand that topping the 2011 Grand Boucle will be no easy task.
    With a dozen lead changes overall and 4 yellow jersey changes in the final 4 days, the GC couldn't have been more exciting even if there had been a Frenchman wearing
    yellow...o wait, there was.  It was a beautifully orchestrated symphony of cycling competition crafted by the new master of sports suspense: Christian Prud'homme.
    The route was carved out of stages that played to each of the protagonists strengths and the result was exciting and  inspiring, even to us non Cadel fans who have
    dubbed him as dull for years. It was a masterpiece with 21 unique stages and will be hard to follow. After the predictable legacy of Jean Marie Leblanc with his cookie
    cutter tours, we have all waited to see what Monsieur Prud'homme would dig up for us this year.

           2012, a new direction

           So how do you follow the excitement that crested in Alpe D'Huez last July? With more difficult stages? 21% climbs like the Italians? Riders dying as they battle
    impossible gradients and packs of French wolves in the Alps?  What would Monsieur Excitment bring to the table for 2012?
    Wait...what's that you say? Pardon?  Only 4 mountain stages in a three week tour? OK,  Count the  Jura and Massif Central as mountains if you like, but they have
    never decided a Tour de France and never will. Everyone knows there are only three places you win the Tour: The Time Trials, The Alps and The Pyrenees. (Four if
    you count drug labs and tribunals) But the Tour is won and lost on these playing fields only.
           This is a clear departure for the Tour de France. With no team time trial and only four, maybe five real mountain stages, the GC riders will have to take all six of
    these stages very seriously. It means that there will be a lot more stages up for grabs for other teams, more for sprinters, more for breakaway specialists and more for
    people who survive the dozens of inevitable crashes is such an unpredictable race. Most importantly, more stages for team sponsors of non GC teams. Expect chaos
    and expect no clear picture of the winner until the last day in the Pyrenees. Even after that, the Yellow Jersey will have to defend a long final time trial before the
    march into Paris. Time trials will play as large a part as climbing in the 2012 edition so look no further than Contador or Evans to retain the title. Sorry Schleck fans,
    you'll just have to wait for another year.

            Why so different?

            With no Team time trial and no clear winner after the Alps, The Tour organisation is banking on as much French exposure as possible. There is still no clear
    French winner of the Tour in sight. Sure Voeckler was awesome, but even he doesn't believe he can win the Tour. There are a few punchy upstarts in the wings and
    some good climbers, but the only hopes of French glory in next year's race lie in stage wins. The French press will cover the hell out if it. The roosters will crow and
    the French will have their heroes and the kings of the ill fated breakaways  will try  their truest to stay in the spotlight.  This is a race made for the sponsors. Fans and
    the media were clearly tired of calling a 2 week 12 minute lead as they watched lance or Alberto roll into Paris unchallenged. A hard Tour plays to the favorites, like last
    year's Giro showed when Contador suddenly became Senor Invincible. But this mishmash of odd stages and non mountain finishes will ensure a dozen different stage
    winners and a number of lead changes.

            All I know is that I'll be in Bagneres de Luchon for four nights waiting for the winner to emerge. And those last two mountain stages will be a heavyweight
    boxing match between the gods of our sport.

            I can't wait.


    Connors