The ride is a tour not a race. It will be tough; we climb some big ‘Cols’ and have some long 200km days along the way.
The days are long and all of the stages are challenging. If you are taking part as an individual (not in a relay) we would expect that riders that join the Tour would have ridden at least 160km (100 miles) in a day and would have ridden two back-to-back days of over 100km. We don’t set a speed target for riders or impose time cut offs in the day; our only rules are designed to keep riders and the support crew safe along the route. The Tour does go through some large towns, and it is inevitable that on occasions we will need to ride on some busy roads. Riders should be confident they can safely ride in these environments.
Just like preparing to run a marathon, it takes a while to train to cycle the required distance and then a little time to train to ride ‘back-to-back’ days. But, with training and with the support of our team and the other riders, participating in the Tour should be a fantastic and enjoyable experience.
On previous tours we have had professional and elite amateurs, club riders and novice riders (taking advantage of the relay option) all participating together. We design the ride to allow this to happen, signing the route and ensuring there is enough support in the road for the riders throughout the day. We think we have a format and support infrastructure that makes it possible for almost anyone to participate in the Tour.
If you have doubts, concerns or questions just contact us and we will be happy to talk through the challenge and the options with you.
