Every year, the Tour de France organizers pick a stage in which ordinary cyclists can ride the exact route as the pros. It's called the L'Etape du Tour.
In 2006 the definition of “ordinary cyclist” means anyone willing to attempt Stage 15, the grueling 117-mile ride from Gap to the summit of L'Alpe d'Huez, the legendary climb with 21 switchbacks.
The mass cycling event is scheduled for July 10, a rest day for the professional peloton in the city of Bordeaux. The pro cyclists will attack that stage on July 18.
Last year, some 8,000 cyclists participated in L'Etape du Tour, a 111-mile ride from Mourenx to Pau that included the steep climb over the Col d'Aubisque. More than 600 dropped out of that bike ride.
Registration for the event is printed in the French “Velo Magazine” and must be returned within 2 or 3 days, according to the L'Etape website. As it's difficult to find the magazine outside of France, organizers suggest contacting bicycle tour agencies that are authorized to register bike riders in the event.
Authorized travel agencies in the US (go to the L'etape du Tour site for other countries) offering registration for cyclists are:
Custom Getaways;
High Gear Travel;
Cyclomundo.
Some of the above are partnering with other cycling travel agencies to provide registration. For instance, Velo Echappe Sports International in Denison, Iowa, has 100 reservations available for bicycle tour packages through High Gear Travel. Last year, Velo Echappe offered prices ranging from $1,300 to $5,200, depending on the program.
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