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Previous Tours


PYRENEES
August 2013

  • 6 days of riding
  • 13 Riders, two support crew
  • Six stages through the Pyrenees from Biarritz on the Atlantic coast to Perpignan on the Mediterainian. 
  • Greatest moment: Everyone making it up the Tourmalet for a coffee in the cafe at the top.
  • Worst moment: Discovering that oe of the support crew had so many points that we couldn't get him insured to drive
  • Learning point: Setting off in ability groups with a 15 minute gap made some of the days work better for all concerned

Organiser: Marco Burgin

TUSCANY LONG WEEKEND
June 2013

  • 4 days of riding from the beautiful Tuscan town of Lucca
  • 12 Riders, no support crew
  • A morning and afternoon ride each day, some Social, a few Moderate
  • Greatest moment: everyone making it up the Pizzorne, a 2,500ft ascent with some 20% bits
  • Worst moment: The ride back from Pisa with what seemed like a fire hydrant pointing in your face
  • Learning point: A single location returning to base for lunch gives lots of ride options
Organiser: Charlie Fletcher
Gallery
 

JURASSIC WEEKEND

May 2013

  • 3 days of tough riding from the George Albert Hotel Evershot.
  • 9 Riders, no support crew
  • 320 km, 6,000m of climbing
  • Greatest moment arriving at the hotel to find the fire alarms going off, and our advanced party having burn their toast
  • Worst moment: Being proposed to in the pub by a women who clearly had alzheimers
  • Learning point:  jurassic coast is relentlessly up or down, they don't do flat
Organiser:  Brian Waters

LEJOG
April 2013

  • 10 days of riding unsupported from Lands End to John O’Groats
    • Prologue: Penzance – Lands End
    • Stage 1: Lands End - Okehampton
    • Stage 2: Okehampton - Bristol
    • Stage 3: Bristol - Bewdley
    • Stage 4: Bewdley - Oldham
    • Stage 5: Oldham - Culgaith
    • Stage 6: Culgaith – Peebles
    • Stage 7: Peebles – Kinross
    • Stage 8: Kinross – Aviemore
    • Stage 9: Aviemore  - Brora
    • Stage 10: Brora – John O’Groats
  • 3 riders; one cycling 4 stages, one 6 stages and one all 10.
  • 1,612km total distance; 14,959m total ascent
  • Greatest moment: arriving at the B&B each night.
  • Worst: making the decision to abandon the attempt at the start of Stage 4 due to adverse weather conditions with immediate and long term forecast offering no respite.
  • Learning Points: Don’t underestimate the impact of weather (especially head winds), and or the extra weight of carrying your own kit on a self-supported ride in those conditions. 
  • This was probably some of the toughest 3 days of riding I have done and whilst disappointing to abandon it is still there for another day.
Organiser: Pete Ross
Day Plan

Grand Tour des Alpes
September 2012

  • 6 days of riding from Geneva to Antibes following much of the Haute Route classic Alpine road route
    • Prologue: Geneva - Thonon-les-Bains
    • Stage 1: Thonon-les-Bains - Les Frasses
    • Stage 2: Les Frasses - Val d’Isere
    • Stage 3: Val d’Isere - Les Verney
    • Stage 4: Les Verney - Guillestre
    • Stage 5: Guillestre - St Etiennes de Tinnee
    • Stage 6: St Etiennes de Tinnee - Antibes
  • 13 riders; 3 support crew in 2 vehicles (one hire-van from UK took bikes and gear to Geneva).
  • 687km total distance; 12,856m total ascent
  • Greatest moment: dipping feet in the Med after 6 days of epic mountain climbs.
  • Worst: difficult to decide between horrific group gastro-enteritis or having to skirt round Galibier as it was closed to snow.
Organiser: Marco Burgin
Gallery
Day Plan & GPS Routes
Satisfaction Survey


    Paris
    June 2012

    6 days of riding from Geneva to Antibes following much of the Haute Route classic Alpine road route
    • 3 days of riding from St Malo to Paris
    • 7 riders; 2 support crew in 1 vehicle?
    • 426 km total distance; 1612m total ascent
     Organiser: Marco Burgin
    Day Plan & GPS Routes
    Gallery

    Tour of Normandy
    September 2011
    • 3 days based in Bayeux exploring the beautiful geographical and historical sites of Normandy
    • 8 riders; 2 support crew in 1 vehicle

    Paris
    May 2011
    • 3 days of riding
      • Day 1: Godalming-Dover. 113 miles.
      • Day 2: Calais-Amiens. 99 miles.
      • Day 3: Amiens-Paris. 100 miles.
    • 13 riders; 4 support crew in 2 vehicles
    • Best moment: first view of the Tour Eiffel on the Paris approach.
    • Worst moment: there were no worst moments - the whole trip was fab!
    • Organiser: Marco Burgin
    • Gallery
    • Day Plan & Routes

    Godalming-Salisbury-Godalming
    March 2011
    • 2 days of riding
      • Day 1: Godalming-Salisbury. 170 km.
      • Day 2: Salisbury-Godalming. 185 Km.


    Race Across America
    June 2010

    In June 2010 11 support crew and 4 VCGH riders - Dan Broom, Paul Molyneux, Karl Chandler and Adam Denton - took part in the Race Across America.  

    Starting on the west coast at Oceanside just south of Los Angeles, this grandfather of all endurance races climbs the coastal mountain ranges, crosses the Arizona Desert, heads over the Rockies, then through Kansas and Missouri on the tarmac turf that is Route 54, before finally arriving 3014 miles later in Annapolis Maryland.

    Racing day and night, averaging over 500 miles a day, the team finished in just under seven days achieving an amazing third place in their class.  Chapeaux! - what an adventure!