Crossing of the Massif Central by road bike

Program

Travel conditions

• Luggage

  Formula without assistance: you only wear the items of the day, water and picnic.
  Formula with assistance vehicle: you wear nothing! The assistance vehicle will delight you.

   

• Formalities

  • A valid official ID
  • We recommend travel insurance with repatriation included

• DEPARTURE AND MEETING POINT

  Appointment the first day in Clermont-Ferrand. 

  How to get there:

  By car: Highway A75
  By train: Clermont-Ferrand SNCF train station.
  By plane: Clermont-Ferrand Auvergne airport.

• Accommodation

  YOUR ACCOMMODATION.

  Double room formula: you sleep in comfortable rooms for 2 people in hotels **, guest rooms or cottages.  A private bathroom is reserved for you. Sheets and towels are provided. (Single room option - See rates).

• Food

  Your trip might not be the best time to diet, as it's an occasion to taste the local cooking. We place great importance to the quality of the food we provide: well-balanced and nutritious, providing lots of energy with the specialties of the region incorporated into each meal.

  • Your accommodations provides Continental breakfasts.
  • We distribute simple cereal/muesli bars and dried fruit in the morning before the start of the stage.
  • Hearty dinners (3 to 4 courses, with local dishes)
  • You must bring your own specific energy bars and isodrinks.
  
  At lunch, there is 2 options based on what you prefer :

  • A picnic to carry along in a small backpack. It contains an individual salad (carbohydrate and vegetable based salad), cold meats, cheese and fruit. This picnic can be carried in a small backpack or a handlebar bag. 
  • No lunch organised by us, leaving you free to stop and eat when and where you want (restaurant, bakery, grocery store...).

  Please let us know your choice of type of lunch at your register.
   

• Attendees

  Individual registration:
  You are 1 to 5 people: You can register on one of the dates already planned by LaRébenne in formula with assistance vehicle double room.

  Group registration:
  You are a group of at least 6 people: you can register on the dates planned by LaRébenne or freely on your dates (consult us) in formula lodging or double room.

• Difficulty level

  You are in good physical condition and go cycling on roads, over long distances, at least once a week.
  Stages vary from 100 to 115km per day with positive altitude differences of 1200 to 2800m per day.

  Where possible, several difficulty levels will be on offer, with the same departure and arrival points for everyone. And of course without transfers :)!

   

• Options

  • Physiotherapy: recovery session with a physiotherapist at the end of the stage,
  • Leader: a qualified instructor guides the group (+ sports advice),
  • Mechanic: a mechanic cycles is responsible for repairs during the circuit and maintenance of the bikes at the end of the stages.

   

• Options

  - Tailor-made programme from the stages you choose yourself from 8 people,

  If you want to be alone in your room: + 265€/pers 

  Departure in July and August : +50€ / pers

  Package accommodation and navigation: we organize accommodation, meals, guidebooks, maps and GPS tracks and you make your own assistance and luggage transport, consult us.
  
  Return shuttle from Sète to Clermont Ferrand : 95€/pers

  Bike rental
  Available models
  - Standard road bike
  Carbon frame and fork, disc brakes, Shimano Tiagra groupset, 10 speeds, 50/34 - 11/32, aluminium wheelset, model Scott Addict or equivalent, roughly 9 kg : 355 € /pers

  - Premium road bike
  Carbon frame and fork, disc brakes, Shimano Ultegra groupset, 11 speeds or 12 Di2 speeds, 50/34 - 11/32, aluminium wheelset, model Scott Addict 20 or equivalent, roughly 8,4 kg : 430 € /pers

  - Ultimate road bike
  Carbon frame and fork, disc brakes, Mavic carbon wheelset, Shimano Ultegra groupset 11s mech. or 12s Di2, 50/34 - 11/34, model Scott Addict 10 or equivalent, roughly 8 kg : 565 € /pers

  - E-road bike
  Carbon frame and fork, aluminium wheelset, Shimano 105 groupset, 11 speeds, 50/34 - 11/32 supplied with 1 x 248Wh battery (+ 1 extra battery 210Wh), model Orbea Gain M30 or equivalent, roughly 13 kg : 800 € /pers

  Bike equipment
  - 2 bottle cages (only one for frame height 47 or smaller)
  - Repair kit included: 2 x CO2 cartridge, tube patches, multi-tool, 1 x tube, 2 x tyre levers
  - Pedals: Rental bikes are delivered without pedals. So either bring your own pedals or let us know your pedal requirements (at least 2 weeks before the start of the tour). 3 types of pedals can be installed by us: Look KEO easy, Shimano SPD SL and Shimano SPD
  - Helmet and water bottles: not included

  In your booking form, please let us know the model you require, your pedal preference and your body size (including frame size and stride length if possible). Thank you very much.

  You will receive your hire bike on day 1 of your tour from the tour guide (support vehicle). Bike check on handover and after the tour.

  Consumables (tyres, tubes, brake pads and cables) are included in the rental price. Only parts damaged during the tour due to a fall or improper use must be replaced. In the event of theft or loss, you will be charged a lump sum (€2,200 for the standard model, €3,590 for the premium model and the e-model and €5,700 for the super light model).

  Supplementary services
  Prices per person

  Single room accommodation (7 nights) : 265 € /pers

  Extra nights in Clermont-Ferrand
  - Extra night in Clermont-Ferrand in 2* hotel, twin room, including breakfast : 55 € /pers 
  - Extra night in Clermont-Ferrand in 2* hotel, twin room, including breakfast (weekend) : 50 € /pers  
  - Extra night in Clermont-Ferrand in 2* hotel, double room, including breakfast : 57 € /pers
  - Extra night in Clermont-Ferrand in 2* hotel, double room, including breakfast (weekend) : 50 € /pers
  - Extra night in Clermont-Ferrand in 2* hotel, single room, including breakfast : 100 € /pers 
  - Extra night in Clermont-Ferrand in 2* hotel, single room, including breakfast (weekend) : 63 €/pers  

  Extra nights in Sète
  - Extra night in Sète in 3* hotel, double room, including breakfast : 95 € /pers 
  - Extra night in Sète in 3* hotel, twin room, including breakfast : 95 € /pers 
  - Extra night in Sète in 3* hotel, single room, including breakfast : 160 € /pers

  Transfers
  A maximum of 8 seats are available in the vehicle for our transfers. Please let us know your transfer requirements on the booking form. For the return transfer, the support vehicle will first travel to Clermont Ferrand and then to Chambéry (the prices for Sète - Chambéry must therefore be added together).

  -Transfer Sète - Clermont-Ferrand at the end of the trip : 95 € /pers 
  - One way transfer Chambéry - Clermont-Ferrand : 50 € /pers 
  - One way transfer Clermont-Ferrand - Chambéry : 50 € /pers

  Transporting a rigid bike box or semi-rigide during the trip (or semi-rigid bike bags, which are larger than typical hand luggage when folded: 56 cm × 45 cm × 25 cm) : 40 € /pers

• Accompanying

  Self-guided cycling with assistance vehicle and driver :
  The assistance vehicle with bike trailer (or bike rack) will meet you at several points throughout the day’s stage, often at the top of the mountain passes (Cols) and will bring you your picnic, water, your extra clothes as well as a complete toolkit in case of any mechanical issues. As a result, you can fully enjoy your day with only a light bag or without needing to carry a bag at all. The driver will also give you advice for each stage, helping you to manage your ride and progress and will, most of the time, be able to answer any questions you may have about the local area.
  
   Self-guided cycling with luggage transfer. (For organised group of 6+ people):
  You set off alone, equipped with the orientation equipment provided by us: maps with marked routes and GPS tracks to discover the circuit which has been designed by our team. With the GPS fixed to your handlebars, you will be guided by the instructions we have carefully prepared with the highest level of precision. Contact us !