The route

The Challenge is to ride the Tour route as “authentically” as possible, 2 days ahead of the pro-peleton. As we won’t have the benefit of closed roads, this may require some diversions. When the detailed course is published by ASO (the Tour organisers) in around May 2007, we will be able to work out our exact route.

We are allowing ourselves 2 departures from the tour program. To “ease into” the ride, we are going to join the Prologue and half of Stage 1 together for our first day and then ride the second half of Stage 1 on our second day. Once we cross the Channel, we will be sticking to the rigorous Tour itinerary. On the final day we plan to start the 130 km ride into Paris in Chartres rather than Marcoussis as riding laps of the street circuit in a busy weekday Paris will be pretty difficult.