If you want a challenging ride that offers the opportunity to conquer the 1,912 meter “Giant of Provence”, Mont Ventoux, the 8-night Aggressive tour is for you. This tour is designed for riders who want to explore a greater area of Provence while attempting some of the great climbs of the area. This tour builds in entire days of rest and relaxation, creating ample space to sightsee and enjoy. Gordes, Vaison La Romaine, the Luberon, weekly village markets, and much more are on the itinerary. We can help you schedule your tour so that you make the most of local village weekly markets. They are a treat you can’t miss! There is no more romantic a place in France than Provence. Oceans of sunflowers and acres of lavender alone make it unforgettable. The food is world renowned, as is the wine. See full itinerary below. CLICK HERE to learn more about our Provence bike tours. Or CLICK HERE to learn more about our big mountain tours in France.
- General Details
- Guide/Concierge Info
- Accommodations
- Rental Bikes Available
- Inclusions
- GPS Availability
- Pricing
- Register For This Tour
Dates: Your pick! We offer tours in Provence as early as March and as late as October and into November.
Length: 9 days, 8 nights
Service: Supported, Private, “Self Guided” tour. GPS Guidance! For more about how our Self Guided tours work CLICK HERE.
Type of riding: Rolling to flat terrain with some climbs.
Bikes suggested: Road bikes, e-bikes, or hybrids
Average daily riding: 50km
Start city: Avignon
Finish city: Avignon
Suggested transport: Train/TGV from anywhere.
From greeting guests when they arrive, to personally handling luggage transfers, to curating excursions, to problem-solving (e.g., flat tires and other unforeseen issues) our concierges assist guests daily. They also set you up on your rental bikes, and can help with routing and simple questions. Need help finding a good lunch spot? Is it raining too hard or you’re too tired to continue? The concierge is a phone call away and are there to help you! Each tour group works with a single, dedicated concierge who can be called upon for in-person assistance at any time.
Over the years we have developed relationships with many amazing 3 and 4-star properties that distinguish themselves as providing much more than their rating suggests. We have loved getting to know these hotels and sharing them with our guests. For tour groups wishing to upgrade their accommodations, we can provide custom pricing for four and five-star hotels, pending availability. Below are an example of some of our favorite hotels in the region that we target using on our tours, pending availability.
| Location | Hotel | Photo |
| Le Thor | Bastide Rose |  |
| Gordes | La Ferme de la Huppe |  |
| Crillon Le Brave | Crillon Le Brave |  |
| Bedoin | Hotel Des Pins |  |
All bikes come with helmet, repair kit, pump (or CO2 cartridges), lock, and water bottles. During the registration process, you will be asked for sizing specifics to ensure we have the correct sized bike waiting for you. We can supply a number of styles of pedals – please ask if you don’t see the pedal type you’re looking for on the registration form.
Road Bikes: Our rental road bikes are a racing style with drop handlebars.
- Type – Giant Defy Composite
- Sizes – XS, S, M, ML, L,and XL
- Components – Mixture of Shimano 105 and Ultegra with either triple or compact double cranksets. Many have road-disc brakes.
Hybrid Bikes: Our rental hybrid bikes are a relaxed style with flat handlebars.
- Type – Giant Escape
- Sizes – XS, S, M, L, and XL
- Components – Mixture of Shimano road and mountain components with either triple cranksets.
eBikes: These semi-powered bikes allow for non riders to share the experience with their friends and family who are stronger cyclists.
- Type – Giant Explore
- Sizes – S, M, L
- Components – Mixture of Shimano Acera and Deore.
- All hotel accommodations – mostly 3 and 4 star but ask for custom accommodation requests.
- An OBT cycling jersey!
- The use of a Garmin Touring GPS during the tour for worry-free routing.
- Detailed route notes, maps, and tourist information. This includes standard cue sheet, and GPS courses to upload to your own GPS device.
- Luggage transfers from hotel to hotel.
- Meals as explained in the tour itinerary pages. Usually this means all breakfasts, no lunches, and some dinners.
- Access to your personal guide/concierge (See Guides/Concierge tab).
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED:
- Transportation to start location and from finish location.
- Bikes, but we have rental bikes available.
- Travel and Health Insurance.
- Admission to sightseeing venues, unless explicitly mentioned as included.
At the beginning of your tour your local guide will show you how to use the unit. We will also provide instructions that you can reference when needed. As a backup and supplement to the GPS, we will also provide a local map as well as routing instructions.
One unit will be provided to each four guests. If you need additional units they will cost $125 per unit per tour for rental.
Tour Cost Per Person:
- Double Occupancy: US$3,345
- Single Occupancy: US$3,945 (for single room occupancy on multiple person tours)
- Solo Tour: Please contact us
Bike Rental Per Person:
- Road Bike: US$430
- eBike: US$430
- Hybrid: US$280
Questions: First, please feel free to ask us any questions about the tour. We are happy to help clarify any details.
Registration: Once you are ready to register please go to https://outfittertours.com/registration/ and complete the registration form. EACH tour participant will need to complete the form. At the end of the registration for you will be asked for a US$800 deposit. You can pay the deposit by bank check, wire, or credit card. Once we have all registrations we will secure all of the details of your tour – hotels, bikes, etc.
Final Payment: 60 days prior to your tour we will invoice you for the balance of the tour.
Tour Packet Delivery: Once the balance is paid and approximately 30 days before your tour we will send you a complete tour packet containing all details of your tour – accommodation information, detailed routing, a suggested packing list, maps, tourist guide, and much much more!
For more information on our Terms & Conditions please CLICK HERE.
Daily Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive Avignon by Train, stay Le Thor
Welcome to Avignon! We will pick you up from the train station or airport and take you to your first hotel outside the village of Le Thor. Once you arrive at the hotel, relax and enjoy the afternoon. Dinner is at the Inn—a special welcome feast prepared by one of our favorite chefs, Emmanuel, the son of the proprietor and also a professional clown.
Day 2: Le Thor to Sault – 65km
After breakfast, your local guide/concierge will meet you and give you an orientation to your tour. They will set you up on your rental bikes or help you set up the bike you brought with you. Then you’re off to start your cycling vacation! It is a beautiful but challenging ride today. Begin your 65km journey by traveling Le Thor and L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue—you may have time to visit the Sunday Morning Market as well as the famous Antique Market. Continue through the Ventoux vineyards before heading up the hills to the amazing Gorges de la Nesque. Sault is a lovely village overlooking lavender fields and the Nesque River. Your hotel is outside of town looking at the backside of Ventoux. Dinner is included at your hotel tonight.
Day 3: Sault to Vaison La Romaine – 50km
It is a relatively easy and beautiful 50km to Vaison la Romaine. We ride in valleys and along ridges on the steep north side of Ventoux. This side of “The Giant” is so steep there are no access routes. The more aggressive option is to ride over Mont Ventoux to Vaison la Romaine. This is the longest way up Ventoux, yet the less steep side. You will be rewarded on the other side with an amazing downhill. In Vaison la Romaine, stay at an elegant Chambre d’hotes in the Old Town. Dinner is on your own tonight.
Day 4: Vaison La Romaine to Crillon Le Brave or Bedoin – 52km
You have another beautiful ride today, so there is time to finish exploring Vaison la Romaine before proceeding to Crillon or Bedoin, tasting wine along the way. You will pass through one lovely and quaint Provencal wine village after another; Seguret, Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Beaumes-de-Venise. There are some lovely optional rides into the beautiful Dentelles de Montmirail. Then through Caromb and on to Crillon-le-Brave or Bedoin. You have a choice of hotels tonight: Hostellerie Crillon le Brave is in the Relaix et Chateau network—a beautiful and luxurious property that can be reserved for an additional $150 per person. In Bedoin our standrd hotel is one of our favorites in Provence – it is very nice and in a beautiful wooded setting. Dinner is on your own at Crillon le Brave and included in Bedoin.
Day 5: Crillon-Le-Brave or Bedoin – Mont Ventoux – 64km
The optional ride today is up Ventoux the way le Tour de France normally ascends it, starting in the lovely village of Bedoin. Ventoux is 21km up from Bedoin; starting at 275m (908’) and finishing on the summit at 1,909m (6,300’). This is a cyclist’s pilgrimage much like L’Alpe d’Huez. The road is always full of other cyclists taking on this challenge. Dinner is on your own at Crillon le Brave and included at our standard Bedoin hotel.
Day 6: Crillon-Le-Brave or Bedoin to Gordes – 36km
Head south across the beautiful vineyards and rolling countryside to Venasque, a delightful hilltop village and ideal place for lunch. Continue through beautiful rocky country to the famous old Abbaye de Senanque, founded in 1148. From Senanque, take your final climb out of the gorge and into Gordes itself. This is a magnificent village with wonderful shops and older sites to visit. After fully exploring Gordes, head down into the valley and find your Inn snuggled at its base. Settle in for 2 nights. Dinner both nights is at la Huppe.
Day 7: Luberon Loop Ride – 45km
Today’s ride is a classic. You are in the heart of the Luberon, made famous by Peter Mayle in his book “A Year in Provence”. Ride 45 hilly kilometers through one beautiful village after another: Roussillon, Bonnieux, Lacoste and Menerbes, to name a few. For those craving less rigor and more relaxation, daily mileage can be shortened as desired. Dinner is again at the hotel.
Day 8: Gordes to Le Thor – 48km
Head back to Le Thor and Le Bastide Rose and visit several new wine towns along the way. Check out Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, the underground source of the Sorgue River. Then on the L’Isle-sur-la-Sorque and it’s famous antique shops. At just 48km, the day’s total distance is short—yet, several steep hills punctuate the ride and surrounding areas offer very much to see. There should be plenty of time to pack up and prepare for tomorrows departure. Your farewell dinner is included tonight at La Bastide Rose.
Day 9: Departure.
Sleep late, have a leisurely breakfast, and enjoy your final morning in Le Thor. We will collect your bike if you rented one, and help transfer your luggage to the train station, before bidding you farewell!
