Entries to the Marmotte opened today and a large number of our Classic Alps Tour group have entered. This shows a real love of climbing mountains! The climbs are:

Marmotte — Groundhog (Photo credit: Gilles Gonthier)

• 36km – Col du Glandon (1,924m)
• 92km – Col du Télégraphe (1,566m)
• 115km – Col du Galibier (2,645m)
• 122km – Col du Lautaret (2,058m)
• 174km  – Alpe d’Huez (1,880m)

 We will have ridden all but the Glandon during our tour so ‘good on you boys’ for tackling them again in the sportif!

Diamond Cycle Tours has some great fares to get you to Europe for our 2012 tours.  This is high season and these deals finish at the end of November so be quick. Tell your buddies.

Classic French Alps Tour – Geneva $2399 economy return, $6820 business class
A Week in Provence – Marseille $2428 economy return, $5744 premium economy and $6977 business class
Tour Pyrenees – Toulouse $2550 economy return, $5741 premium economy and $6974 business class
Tour Dolomiti – Milan $2246 economy return, $4239 premium economy and $6835 business class
These fares are available till end November or until sold so be quick to secure your flights and a place on one of our tours!
These flight quotes are based on fares available at 5 November for sale till end November for travel to get you to and from the relevant tours in 2013

 These are great deals for these destinations during peak periods.  Combine these fares with a great Diamond Cycle Tour and you have unbeatable value for your european riding in 2013.

The DCT tour calendar for 2013 has now been finalised following the announcement of the TdF route. We will be following the tour as part of our Week in Provence Tour. That will see a hill top  finish on the Ventoux as well as a finish in  the town of Gap. We will be there to see both. So click on the Booking Information page to see the dates and make a booking.

Diamond Cycle Tours will soon be able to finalise its 2013 Calendar as the route for the 2013 TdF is to be announced on 24 October. We do know that the 100th edition starts in Corsica on 29 June next year. On that day we will be starting our Classic Alps Tour and will be watching the start in a bar in Geneva before heading to Morzine and the Joux Plane the next day. We have tours in the Pyrnees and the Italian Dolomites to coordinate with the TdF program. In 2012 we were able to be at the finish of the stage in Foix, including riding the last third of the route to the cheers of the crowds. We also rode the route to the top of the Peyresoudre where we watched Wiggo and the peleton winding their way up the mountain. A great day for us and the tour. So watch this space!

Fueling up in Ax Les Thermes before the climb into Pas de la Case, Andorra.

After three days in Provence we have ridden the Ventoux from all sides. Here we are remembering Tommy who died 1 kilometer from the summit saying at the time ‘put me back on my bike’.