JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2004 Quality Cycling Holidays WWW.WIDEOPENROAD.CO.UK A slightly late Happy New Year to all our EMail Newsletter Subscribers Safe and Happy cycling in 2004! IN THIS ISSUE: - Our 2004 Calendar - A Free Jersey! - Mountain Madness in the Pyrenees - Mal's Story of conquering Alpe d'Huez - Geneva to Verona in Pictures - Cheese, snails, beef, cassis & wine MARK YOUR DIARY NOW! Wide Open Road are a small and friendly business that runs small and friendly cycling holidays. The group sizes on our tours are strictly limited and we often sell-out of places. We strongly advise that you book early... 2004 Cycling Holiday Schedule France-Switzerland-Italy. 3rd July Bordeaux to the Alps 2 weeks. £850 GB. About $1550 US Cycling Difficulty: 7/10 More... 3rd July Bordeaux to the Alps PLUS Tour de France in the Alps 3 weeks. £1,200 GB. About $2200 US Cycling Difficulty: 7/10 More... 24th July Burgundy Week 1 week. £425 GB. About $800 US Cycling Difficulty: Daily choice 5 or 7/10 More... 7th Aug Atlantic to Med: The Pyrenees 2 weeks. £900 GB. About $1650 US Cycling Difficulty: 11/10 More... 28th Aug Geneva to Verona: Lakes and Mountains 2 weeks. £900 GB. About $1650 US Cycling Difficulty: 8/10 More... PLEASE NOTE: We charge in British Pounds. US Dollar values are for information only and subject to currency exchange fluctuations. For an estimate in other currencies just send us an EMail at:info@wideopenroad.co.uk *** SPECIAL OFFER *** *** FREE JERSEY *** Book a two week holiday and send the deposit before the end of February and receive a free cycling jersey on the trip. These are valued at 40 GB Pounds and are ONLY available on our trips. Get Smart in 2004! Click HERE - To go to our web site Click HERE - For our Bookings System TOUR de FRANCE 2004: Just like last year, our two week trip across France between Bordeaux and the Alps has been scheduled such that all the fun of the two week ride can be optionally extended for a third week to include staying in our chalet to see two or three stages of the Tour de France in the Alps. Our quality accommodation is a stone's throw from Alpe d'Huez. This year the individual time trial on Alpe d'Huez might easily prove to be one of the most important stages in deciding whether Lance can win a record breaking Sixth Tour. This could be your chance to perhaps see sporting history being made from the roadside. Click HERE - To go to our web site Click HERE - For our Bookings System Sue & Stu Lance on Alpe d'Huez Half the ride is downhill HOW MAD ARE YOU? In 2002 we assembled a group of people who were truly silly. The group rode from the Atlantic to the Med, a traverse of the Pyrenees. A heroic feat in the eyes of French cyclists. Cause for treatment in the eyes of most psychiatrists. The road either goes UP or it goes DOWN. Test your foolishness. Pyrenean Mountain Madness is back in 2004! This is the route profile. The tallest bump is the legendary Col du Tourmalet. The other bumps have nearly all featured in the Tour de France at some time. This is not just your chance to join an elite group of riders who have traversed the Pyrenees but also to join the even smaller group who have done this via "The High Route of the Pyrenees". Atlantic... ...Madness...Madness...Madness... ...Med Click HERE - To go to our web site Click HERE - For our Bookings System AN AUSSIE'S THOUGHTS ON BORDEAUX TO ALPE D'HUEZ: Last year amongst the 11 different nationalities of the riders on our various trips there were a few from Australia. Amongst these Aussies was Mal. Mal kindly wrote a piece for his cycling club in Sydney after he took our Bordeaux to the Alps Ride and our optional extension to see the Tour de France at Alpe d'Huez. Click HERE - to read what Mal had to say. Click HERE - for more on the 2004 Bordeaux to Alps ride. In return for Mal letting us use this article we've agreed never to mention to Mal that England beat Australia in the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final. ROMEO, ROMEO... Hopefully the pictures to the right will give you some idea of how scenic our Geneva to Verona Ride is. It's a challenging cycling journey along a route packed with great scenery. The historic city of Romeo and Juliet awaits you at the end. Click HERE - To go to our web site Click HERE - For our Bookings System CHEESE, SNAILS, BEEF, CASSIS, WINE... AND SOME CYCLING: If you only have a week to spare for a cycling holiday OR you want to try a cycling holiday without wanting to sign-up for two weeks of long distances then THIS IS THE ONE FOR YOU! Our Burgundy Bike Ride has two routes each day. A 50km (30 mile) route or a hillier more challenging 80kms (50 miles). Burgundy is HILLY but with two daily distances the aim is to make this a mixed ability holiday. Regardless of which route you choose to ride, there's always great scenery and great food in this beautiful, historic and gourmet region of France. Our rest day in Beaune gives a chance to recover, relax and to go wine tasting. Click HERE - To go to our web site Click HERE - For our Bookings System Photo Focus: Geneva to Verona. Click HERE - for details of the 2004 Geneva-Verona trip We start from the water jet in Geneva More... We finish at the Roman Arena in Verona More... We roll past chateaux and lakes More... We visit the Swiss Alps More... We ride in the Mountains More... We get sensational views of the Italian Lakes More... We take some spectacular mountain roads More... We have a rest day by Lago Maggiore More... We eat well and have a party dinner at Verona More... We stay in the heart of Verona, a short walk from the historic centre and have a day for seeing the sights. More... Photo Focus: Geneva to Verona. Click HERE - for details of the 2004 Geneva-Verona trip