Please arrive at our hotel in Lille city centre today by your own means. The hotel is situated a very short walk from Lille Eurostar station. Please kindly advise us of your mode of arrival in advance of your arrival, so we can organise to be there and welcome you at the hotel.

Our experienced team and mechanic will assist with building your bike for the days ahead. We will host your evening meal and provide a briefing of the activities to come.

Today we will transfer you and your bikes to the first part of your tour: Stage 4 from Dunkirk to Calais. Our experienced guides will prepare a route of approximately 40km which will finish at the Relais Etape hospitality venue. Those who aren’t riding today will be taken directly to this venue. This evening we will return to the Hotel Crowne Plaza in Lille for our evening meal.

Relais Etape Hospitality

Today we offer the ‘Relais Etape’ experience. You will be able to enjoy a lunch in a comfortable setting with a large screen to watch today’s deciding stage. The ‘Relais Etape’ is an area on the course of a Tour de France stage which takes the form of a small village in a prime position along the route, just a few kilometres from the finish line.

This inspiring package mirrors the excitement of the race and includes:

•  A clubhouse to accommodate all guests
•  Welcome aperitif and unlimited buffet
•  Entertainment and live coverage of the race on a giant screen
•  Champagne celebration of the day’s action
•  Tour de France gift

You can also watch the video so you know what to expect – Relais Etape Video

Stage Five takes us to the infamous cobbles made legendary by the Spring monument- Paris- Roubaix for the first time since 2018.  That stage was won by John Degenkolb. There are eleven cobbled sectors crammed into the final 75km of this stage, ranging in length from 1.3 to 2.8km. The GC contenders must stay wary here whilst the Paris- Roubaix specialists will smell a rare opportunity.

Today we will ride the famous cobbles and complete the ‘ride across the finish line’ experience. You will finish hours before the professionals on closed roads and we will provide guided rides of between 40 and 50km on the race route. Also today we will have a prime position for the day at the official ‘Izoard’ finish hospitality venue. Watch the course on big TV screens before watching them finish LIVE from your prime viewing position near the finish.

Izoard finish line hospitality

The Tour de France sets up a limited number of areas located on course within the final portion of the stage. These have names like Izoard and Galibier. Access to these areas is usually reserved and by invitation only. You will see famous ex-cyclists, sponsors and team guests. Typically these areas are within 200 metres or so of the finish line. There is also a spectator friendly elevated viewing area. You will be served with drinks and snacks and there is a big screen to watch the LIVE action as it unfolds. After watching the finish, you will celebrate the victory with Champagne.

We will return to the Hotel Crowne Plaza for our evening meal.

Today after breakfast, we will make our way into Belgium for the start of the longest stage in this year’s tour at 220km. The final few kilometres of this stage feature gradients above 11%, suiting the punchy sprinters. Peter Sagan will enjoy this stage with his new team, TotalEnergies, as the finish mirrors the stage he won in 2017.

We have access to the Village Depart today, if you wish you can book this directly with our team. Once the riders are on their way we will resume our journey back to Lille where this tour will end, and we will depart for home.

Village Depart – Tour de France Start Village

The « Stage 6 Start village VIP hospitality ticket » is available as an option today at a price of 195€ extra per person. Please note that clients can still join us on the coach to the start village, without the hospitality ticket, and at no extra charge.

The 2022 Tour de France entourage and organisation travel around with the riders. The team buses park within an enclosed and restricted area. An expo type village is created at the start of each one of the stages. It is usually here that everyone who is linked in any way to the Tour de France like TV, sponsors and celebrities from the cycling world will show themselves. Also local companies will be keen to show off their wares. Your VIP passes will give you access to the village and the rider’s paddock. If you are into collecting autographs, this is the best place for it.

You can also extend your tour by booking an extra night at our hotel tonight.  Please contact our team by email or on the pone for a quote.