A Memorable Tour de France 2012 Holiday

• Download Tour de France 2012 Holiday (word .doc)
• Review of Tour 2011 by a Participant

Sue and Cornelius have been in the catering/hospitality business for over 25 years. This trip to the Tour de France in their second.

The Tour will incorporate 3 Mountain stage in the Pyrenees and one start. The Pyrenees stages are particularly important this year as they follow the Alps and the Tour finishes in Paris 2 days later. Our guests will have individual attention due to the fact we only have 4 rooms.

The charge includes all costs, meals, snacks beverages, drinks including wine and soda, and transport. Those who wish can also bring their own bikes which we shall transport up the mountain.

Sue and Cornelius O’Grady own and have been running Villanoue since 2004.  They are well known in the local community and have been recently awarded the coveted title ‘Auberge de Village’.

Cornelius is a Euro Toque Chef and has been a Chef all his life.  Sue and Cornelius together have owned a Pub/Restaurant in the Kings Road London, for 12 years, and a Hotel in Waterford, Ireland for 7 years. Here they looked after the Irish team during the Tour’s first stage in Ireland. They chose France as their ‘final destination’ for its peace and sunshine.

For the second time since running Villanoue, Sue and Cornelius are offering one of their exclusive Tour de France packages, available to a maximum of only 8 people, so a high level of personal attention is assured. The Tour is passing through our area and spends several days in the Pyrenees within easy reach of Villanoue so we thought we would share this unique experience with those who might like to come and see the Biggest Sporting Event in the World.

This year’s Pyrenean stage will be particularly exciting as the Tour will have already passed through the Alps and all the leading riders will be jostling for position in the Pyrenees with the Race finishing in Paris just two days later.

Sue will collect you from your airport destination, Saturday, 14th July; (Toulouse is the nearest); and then drive you home to Villanoue where Cornelius will be preparing a special ‘Welcome to Villanoue’ dinner complete with a delicious selection of local wines.

Itinerary

Saturday 14th July

This is also the Big National holiday in France, Bastille Day. So depending on arrival times we shall head back to Villanoue for Lunch or Dinner and perhaps take in one or two of the local Fêtes and Celebrations before retiring in time for an early start for our first big day on the Mountains.

Sunday 15th July

Today’s Stage starts in Limoux, but after one of Cornelius’ famous cooked breakfasts we shall leave to find our position on one of the day’s key Mountain climbs either the Port de Lers or the Mur de Peguère. The importance and gradient of this latter Col has been played down a little in the following snippet from Tour Director Christian Prudhomme.

As always a full cold lunch will be provided together with drinks and nibbles for the way home where a good hot 3 course dinner will be awaiting. (82 kms: 1.5 hours)

A comment from Christian Prudhomme:

The start of the Pyrenean sequence is marked by a ‘day of discovery’ that the riders with the best legs will appreciate. The high point of the day at the Port le Lers and then defiantly the Mur de Péguère which will cause the most problems. The Mur de Péguère was initially part of the Tour route in 1973, but was removed from the stage itinerary at the last moment.

(Local ‘legend’ has it that the riders protested that the climb was too steep! One has to really work hard on the final kilometers where the gradient reaches 18%).

Monday July 16th

A different day today, the Stage will be flat and perhaps not so interesting for the Guests, so we’ll focus our day on the most spectator-friendly element of the action – The Start. This is taking place for the first time in the picturesque village of Samatan, only 2000 inhabitants. More famous for its ‘Marché de Foie Gras’ – which happens every Monday morning and sees everyone queue up for the 9.30 admission bell! However as all French Villages do I’m sure they will be rising to the occasion to give us all and the Riders a great send off.

This is the time when you can see the Riders at close hand warming up, pick out your heroes and get the odd autograph or two. (49 kms: 45 mins)

So following breakfast we’ll set off around 8.30 to get a good vantage point and probably be home for a late lunch and then a free afternoon, there’s a good municipal pool locally, or you can relax in our beautiful gardens.

A comment from Christian Prudhomme

The Riders who have the good taste to engage in previous years Route du Sud will find themselves on familiar ground in Samatan, a Route du Sud stopover town in 2011. They will however have to pass over the local delicacy of Foie Gras before the start. There are no major hills today but the Sprinters Teams will find themselves battling for supremacy.

Tuesday, July 17th.

Rest day for the riders so we can take a pause too. Those that want to can just relax around Villanoue and if they have their Bicycles take advantage of a small local Tour themselves. Others who wish can take in the interesting cities of Toulouse, or even Albi, now a UNESCO site with its fabulous pink marble cathedral and the home of Toulouse- Lautrec and the painter’s museum.

Wednesday July 18th

Today we have lots of choices and I’m sure that during our ‘rest day’ we shall have time to ponder over what we have seen and what we would like to on one of our final days in the Pyrenees.

The Cols of interest here will be the Col Aspin and the Col Peyresoudre the last pair of climbs on this really charged day. By the time the Riders reach these two they will have already climbed the testing d’Aubisque and the Col du Tourmalet. (67 kms: 1.5 hours)

This promises to be one of the decisive days as the penultimate day of mountain climbing in the Pyrenees. So, whilst our plan would be to head for a mountain vantage point, if some guests feel they would like to see the stage down in the valley we can always take up a vantage point in Luchon and cheer on the day’s winner.

A comment from Christian Prudhomme

Looking at the profile of this stage and the challenges that follow, we can see that - with just four days to finish – gaps emerging today could make or break the front runners. Whatever the time gaps between the leaders coming into this enormous stage in the Pyrenees it will be feared by the holder of the Yellow Jersey as he tries to hold on to his lead as he climbs over the Aubisque, the Tourmalet, Aspin and Peyresoudre.

Thursday July 19th

Well this marks the end of the Tour de France in the Pyrenees and again we have choices. Depending on how we have seen the Race on previous days, we could head for the picturesque village of Peyragudes to see the grand finale of racing in the Pyrenees for 2012. Or, we could go and see the last of the ‘Mountain action’ at the Col de Menté or the Port de Balès. (59 kms: 1.25 hours)

Either way we’ll set off with a good Breakfast and head off early to get prime position.

Then back for the Villanoue Champagne Dinner and to swap notes on what I hope has been an interesting Tour de France for all concerned!

A Comment from Christian Prudhomme:

No one can feel any shade on a day of much fierce competition: there will be no ‘quiet’ time with on the schedule the col de Menté providing a very sharp ascent ahead of the Col des Ares. So following these cols the race heads up the mighty Port de Blés. Between there and the ‘flamme rouge’ final kilometer marker preceding the summit finish at Peyragudes there will be not a single meter of flat ground.

Friday July 20th

This marks the end of our ‘Tour de France’ Holiday. We shall happily, following breakfast take those for departures back to the airport, or whichever point of departure. If anyone wants to stay on longer there would be no problem. Normal tariffs remain.

Schedule of Costs

Per Couple:

• 6 Nights full board at Villanoue, including choice of Breakfasts, Lunches either at Villanoue or watching the Tour and full 3 course Dinners for 6 nights.  All drinks as required.
• Transfers to and from the airport.
• All transport as per the Tour and Sightseeing.
• 2400€ per couple

Single

• Charge 1750€ per person.

Bring Your Bike

There will be a fitted rack on the bus for those who wish to bring their own bikes and try their hand on these testing slopes!

Local Information

Obviously at this point, we know the Tour’s Itinerary, but we do not know of Local Fêtes and other local events which may well be of interest to our Guests at the time.  Bearing in mind that this section of the Tour falls at the time of the French National Holiday, there will be other things to see in the evenings and we shall be delighted to show our visitors some of the local colour of this part of France

Christian Prudhomme

Born 11 November, 1960.  He graduated from the School of Journalists of Lille and is a Director of the Tour de France.

• Download Tour de France 2012 Holiday (word .doc)
• Review of Tour 2011 by a Participant

 Chez Villanoue
31360 Mancioux
Tél : 05 61 97 60 14
Email : info@aubergefrancais.com
Web : www.aubergefrancais.com

"The package was right up our alley. Small bed and breakfast with a small group, visiting several of the tour stops during our stay."