2019 Sea N Cycle Adventure

Transcription

1 2019 Sea N Cycle Adventure Meet John and Gerry with 44 5 Cycling Tours JOHN HELMKAMPF After a year of study abroad in Montpellier, way back when, John knew he d return to the south of France someday. It took almost 20 years, but that day eventually arrived, so he packed up his young family and moved from New York City to the same small village where his French in-laws also lived. Among other things, he arrived with his brand new Specialized Roubaix, intent on exploring the roads throughout the Languedoc region and further afield. As a high school sports disciple, and college sports wannabe, John eventually settled on recreational running and cycling, between family and professional commitments in the U.S. Once in France, he soon discovered that the dense network of small local roads would provide an almost unlimited amount of unique ride routes. His passion for road cycling grew as he joined local club rides and tested his increasing fitness on Tour de France climbs. From time to time on long rides he thought about how he could make cycling his job. Not long thereafter, a chance encounter with another fellow North American who also recently moved to France, provided the right opportunity. GERRY PATTERSON After 15 years of living and traveling in Asia, Gerry and his wife arrived in the south of France in He had a bike, a few Michelin maps and a fair amount of time on his hands to get out and explore. He began sharing his adventures on a blog and a few people started reading, leading to him meeting others who either cycled, lived nearby, or were in the tourist industry. John was one of these. One thing led to another, and in 2010 Gerry began making cycling maps for local B&Bs and giving the occasional guided ride. In 2012 a fortuitous meeting with a few South American riders led to our first real tour: a 7-day romp through the French Alps with 18 mountain-mad Colombians! 44 5 CYCLING TOURS By then John had joined the show and things began to ramp up. John brought energy and lots of cycling experience to the game and suddenly we were offering week-long tours, self-guided tours and day rides (including climbs of Mont Ventoux, which is now where we spend a good part of each spring, summer and fall) and we were discovering that, hey, we kind of dig showing people around the marvelous area we have here!

2 In 2014 we made the commitment to focus our energies 100% on tours. The result is 44 5 Cycling Tours (44N, 5E are the nearest whole coordinates to Mont Ventoux, our local hill ). We continue to create new tours and refine existing ones, offering guided tours in many parts of the area we live in, as well as further afield in the Alps, the Pyrenees, the Italian Dolomites and Spain. Apart from these traditional tours we are specialize in custom cycling experiences all over France, Italy and Spain. What s included: Personalize consultation with expert guides John and Gerry during the months prior to sail/ride. Your opportunity to get to know your tour guides, ask questions and discuss details. 5 Guided Rides from port with 1 bike guide and 1 vehicle guide for up to 15 cyclists 8 day, 7 night Cruise includes all meals on board, plus 24 hour complimentary in-room dinning Champagne Welcome reception All inclusive: On Board Beverage Package, gratuities, taxes, port fees and Trip Protection and much more. Pay once & Done! $100 Onboard Credit per person Additional $50 Onboard Credit per person if deposit is paid by April 4 th, 2019 Complimentary water sports equipment on platform off back of ship On board entertainment by local performers and educational speakers Cycling Jersey 1 water bottle 0n ride nutrition Bike rentals not included Non-riders, spouses/partners welcome: Rides will take place first thing in the morning so riders can return in time to spend a good portion of the day exploring the port with their companions Companions can enjoy a shore excursion, explore the port, relax on at the spa, enjoy the amenities on the ship ( ie. water sports) or even visit the Bridge and meet the captain. Bring your Bike or rent: Rentals in Europe will be provided by France Bike Rentals with whom 44 5 has a longstanding relationship 5-day rental ranges from $200-$595, depending on the model of the bike and what bells and whistles you choose 44 5 will act as the intermediary between passenger and the rental shop for gathering rental information and submitting the rental order. Passenger will pay directly once the shop issues him/her a credit card payment link via Personal bikes stored on ship and rentals with 44 5 Cycling Most major airlines accept bikes as sports equipment (possibly surcharge). Cost to have your bike shipped via private carrier is around $250.

3 Windstar s Windsurf Windstar s flagship sailing ship and world s largest sailing vessel Yacht like experience with 310 passengers, a small ship with intimate atmosphere Water Sports Platform aft of ship with complimentary sports equipment 3 world class restaurants with open seating, no formal dress code and no surcharge All staterooms and Suites offer ocean views Optional Shore excursions Port Vendres: Visit Perpignan and tour the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist and learn the art of wine tasting. Sansary Sur Mer: Tour 11 century hilltop village of Le Castellet and Domaine de Souviou home of 100 year old olive trees and enjoy wine and oil tasting. Monte Carlo: Drive up to the city of Eze at 1400 feet with sweeping views and visit Villa Ephrussi de Rothschilds with 14 acre gardens overlooking the sea. Cannes: Motor coach to Chateau Sainte Roseline and Chateau Saint Martin enjoy sampling of wines. Portofino: Tour UNESCO World Heritage Site Cinque Terra by boat just as the ancient mariners did. Portoferraio: Explore the North Coast by biking to Enfola and kayaking around Elba Island. Rome: Discover the beauty of the Vatican City and the worldwide famous Vatican Museums as well as St. Peter s Basilica and Square. Pricing Cruise only starting at $4250 per person Cruise plus Cycling Tour starting at $5850 per person Deposit is 15% of cruise fare, plus Cycling Tour cost of $1600 (refundable until 90 days prior to sailing) Final Payment is due 90 days prior to departure Contact Expedia Cruise Ship Centers of Redmond / / Christa Cifelli, Carol Hook and Mark Hanson, Owner ccifelli@cruiseshipcenters.com, chook@cruiseshipcenters.com, mhanson@cruiseshipcenters.com john@445cyclingtours.com, gerry@445cyclingtours.com

4 RIDE ROUTE DESCRIPTIONS WINDSTAR MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE Ride One Port-Vendres: Route des Crêtes (40km/25mi 1000m/3300ft) Today s shake out ride from the pretty seaside town of Port-Vendres is a perfect warm-up to your 5 Mediterranean rides with us. Your route begins along the flat coast to get the legs ready for the climbing ahead. The real highlight of this loop happens after we turn inland and onto the fabulous Route des Crêtes, a challenging, beautiful road that climbs high above the Mediterranean, revealing stunning views of the sea and the AOC Collioure vineyards. On our way back we ll ride out through lonely, windswept Cap Béar for a quick visit of the historical Lighthouse, offering more gorgeous vistas out to sea and back towards Port-Vendres. Ride Two Sanary-sur-Mer: Corniche Varoise and Bandol Backcountry (60km/38mi 900m/ 2950ft) This morning s roll-out along the coast south of Sanary transitions into a gentle climb of 600 feet up the lovely Corniche Varoise road shaded by pine and green oak trees. The exhilarating descent is punctuated with wideopen views of Le Grand Bleu and the French coastline. Following a short (1 mile) but steep (10%) climb up to the XI century Romanesque church of Saint Pierre, we ll have time to take in the 360 degree views and marvel at the nearby Fort of Six-Fours which was built at the end of the XIX century. From here we ll head in-land amidst the small valleys and gorges that comprise the AOC Bandol wine appellation, and finally ride through the town of Bandol itself before heading back to Sanary along the coast. Ride Three Monaco: Col de la Madone and Eze Village (58km/36mi 1250m/4100ft) Our ride today leaves the Principality of Monaco, following the coast past pretty Cap Martin, before turning our attention to our major objective of the day the famous climb of La Madone de Gorbio. This 14km/9mi ascent is a challenge, but the views over the Côte d Azur and Rivieras (both French and Italian) will wipe all the aches away! This loop will undoubtedly be our most dramatic in terms of scenery, with every turn offering a new amazing panorama. As a bonus on your way back to Monaco, you ll roll over the equally well-known Col d Eze, a climb used yearly in the Paris-Nice stage race in early spring, before descending past the village of Eze itself and back into Monaco. Ride Four Cannes: Corniche de l Estérel (62km/39mi 650m/2100ft) Straight from the port of Cannes, today we ll follow the long, straight coastal road to the west, which eventually turns into the Corniche de l Estérel, a road created in 1900 by the Touring Club of France to help bring tourism (and cars!) to the region. Today it is still popular with drivers, but don t worry, there is a lot of respect between cyclists and motorists in France and you ll ride trouble free on this beautiful coastal road. When we turn inland we enter another world the Stone Pine forests of the Var French Department, so typical of the Mediterranean Basin. The rock of the hills we are now in showcase an incredible red hue, contrasting starkly with the azure blue of the Mediterranean, never far away. Ride Five Portofino: Passo della Crocetta and Italian Coastline (62km/39mi 1450m/4750ft) It s our last ride today, so we ll make the most of it, starting from perhaps the most picturesque port on the Italian Riviera, Portofino. No mistaking that we re in Italy, as the sites and sounds have changed, and the espresso is quite a bit tastier compared to France! Heading north to Rapallo along the coast, there s time enough to work out any kinks before we climb 10km/6mi and about 2000ft up to the Passo della Crocetta. On the higher slopes, the views back down to the sea and our starting point are not to be missed. One more cheeky backcountry climb of 4.5km/2.8mi is followed by a fabulous descent into Chiavari. From there, we enjoy the coast road and all of its tantalizing views back to Portofino.

5 Note: It is possible that actual rides will be different from the descriptions above depending on a variety of circumstances.