If, like many cycling fans, you've been enjoying this year's Tour de France on TV and thinking "I'd love to ride that", here's an event that will be of interest...
From the Pyrenees to the Alps, and all the sunflowers, vineyards and chateaux in between, the Tour de France is a spectacular ride on an epic scale. While the logistics alone of organising your own tribute ride may be daunting, there is an easier way of doing it: Tour de Force.
Each year Tour de Force run packages ranging from full three-week tours to weekend tasters, offering cycling nuts the chance to ride the exact route of each stage of the Tour de France just a week ahead of the pros.
The event supports the William Wates Memorial Trust, helping the UK's most disadvantaged young people to avoid a life of crime and violence and fulfil their potential. Riders commit to fundraising a minimum target depending on which Tour Taster they choose.
So whether you're a frustrated pro in a MAMIL's body, or have ridden the Étape du Tour and are hungry for more, you now have the chance to experience cycling's greatest race in all its brutal, magnificent glory.
Tour de Force becomes Le Loop
As of this week, the organisers behind Tour de Force have formalised their longstanding friendly relationship with Le Tour owners ASO, resulting in a rebranding: from 2018 they'll be known as Le Loop.
The new name is inspired by the French nickname for the Tour, 'La Grand Boucle' (the big loop). Le Loop will offer entrants the same unique deal as before, but with further perks in prospect as sponsors come on board.
Like the Tour itself, Le Loop 2018 will start in the Vendée - Pays de la Loire. Riders will roll out on Saturday 25th June, and Le Loop will come to a finish 21 stages and around 3,500km of cycling later in Paris on Sunday 17th July.
Sales for Le Loop 2018 open 9am tomorrow, Wednesday 19th July 2017.
All 40 places to ride the entire tour - all 21 stages of the Tour de France route - will be released, plus a further 60 riders can secure their guaranteed place on the Loop of their choice in advance - finalising their selection at the end of October once ASO have released the 2018 route.
The early release gives 100 riders the security of knowing their place is guaranteed, enabling them to start their training, their fundraising and their work/holiday plans a full year ahead of the Tour.
For more details and to sign up, visit the new event website at rideleloop.org.
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