Upon arrival at the hotel we’ll put the bikes together and head out for a quick bike check in the surrounding countryside. In the evening we'll go for a bite to eat, get to know one another and have a pre-tour briefing ahead of our first big day tomorrow.

After a good breakfast we get on the road, swiftly arriving at the shores of Lac Leman (Lake Geneva). We cross the Mont Blanc bridge taking in the sights and sounds of downtown Geneva. We’re quickly out of the city and into the beautiful surrounding countryside.  We’re heading for Bons-en-Chablais and the start of the climb to the Col de Saxel.

This is a steady 8k climb at 5% average, perfect for warming up the legs on the first day. The climb gives stunning views back over towards Lac Leman and once over the top we’re into the Vallee Verte. 

We drop down into Boëge where we tackle the very short Col du Perrot which leads us the foot of today’s big climb, the Plaine Joux from Bogève. This is 5k at an average of 6%. The wonderful deserted plateau at the top is perfect for a spot of lunch.

Once recharged we drop off the plateau toward Onnion taking in picture perfect views of Mont Blanc. More rolling countryside awaits towards Mieussy, Taninges and arriving at our hotel in Samoëns ready for a good massage and dinner.

Today’s the biggest climbing day you’ll face on this trip. We tackle 3 major climbs, the toughest being one of the enduring climbs of the Tour de France, the Col de Joux-Plane.

We leave Samoëns and are soon on the steep lower slopes of the Joux-Plane. This is a climb to take steadily, as you don’t want to burn all your matches first thing in the morning.

The road takes you through alpine meadows, past working farms (and lots of cows), with stunning views towards Mont Blanc and the magnificent Criou towering above Samoëns.

Grab a coffee at the top before the swift descent into Morzine and down the valley to the foot of the Col de Corbier. This is a short pitch to take us over and into the Vallee d’Abondance.  This beautiful (cheese producing) valley takes us up to the ski resort of Chatel from where we have a last little effort over the Pas de Morgins into Switzerland. From here its all downhill to the Rhone valley and the small town of Aigle (home to the UCI) where we’ll spend the night.

A tale of two lakes today. We leave Aigle and ride along the shores of Lac Leman, through the Swiss Riveria towns of Montreux and Vevey, before heading up into the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Vineyards of the Lavaux. This leads us north of Lausanne and across the Vaud plateau towards the Swiss Jura mountains.

We climb steadily to the foot of the Col du Mollendruz, an 8k climb at an average gradient of 5.3%. This takes us into the heart of the Jura and we descend through the beautiful meadows to the Lac de Joux and the small village of Le Pont on the lake shore where we will spend the night.

Our last day has us exploring one of the gems of the Lac Leman basin, the Jura mountains. We leave Le Pont and head south west along the lake shore, past the luxury watch factories and HQs. We turn up the early slopes of the Col de Marchiruz, before taking the super quiet Route des Montagnes along the top of the Jura. 

We drop down to Bassins and catch sight of Lac Leman, before turning upwards again on the climb to the village of Saint Cergue. From there we pass over the Col de la Givrine and back into France. The road take us through beautiful forests towards the final col of the day, Faucille. If the weather is clear you’ll get one of your last, and best, views of Mont Blanc before dropping down the perfect descent to Gex. From here it is steadily down all the way back to the hotel where we’ll pack up the back and have a celebratory drink and dinner ahead of tomorrow’s departure.