Seek Travel Ride Newsletter June 2021 Edition

Tour de France 2021

This month we have a special focus on the Tour de France. The Grande Boucle has already begun and takes the professional peloton of riders for a three week ‘lap around France’. For information about this years’ Tour de France route you can see our detailed write up here.

There are a few key stages which we are certainly excited to see. On Stage 11 riders will be in Provence to ride up the infamous climb of Mont Ventoux not once but twice! Riders firstly tackle the climb via Sault, before descending the climb and doing it all over again from the more challenging Bedoin approach. In our Luberon and Provence Ride Guide we have detailed ride descriptions for both of these approaches and much more. You can check them out here.

Following the rest day in Andorra the next three stages traverse right across the Pyrenees range through the regions of the Ariege, Haute Garonne, Hautes Pyrenees and the Pyrenees Atlantique. The two mountain top finishes at Col de Portet and Luz Ardiden are set up for some great racing and we are really excited to see who will come out on top. We have some great detailed destination guides on all these areas in the Pyrenees. If seeing the riders tackle these climbs has perked your interest then be sure to check out our Pyrenees Ride Guides here where you will find details on these climbs and a whole lot more.

French Green Travel List now includes the US

Well another month goes by and the global pandemic is naturally still the main focus. France has continued to lift its restrictions and recently this included no longer requiring the mandatory use of face masks to be worn outdoors. On June 18 the European Council added the United States to its list of countries on the Green travel list which paves the way for travel from people in the US. Refer to this map to see which countries France has put on their Green Travel list. 

European Union Digital COVID certificate

More information has been released on the European Unions Digital COVID Certificate. The idea behind this is to create a ‘digital passport’ for citizens living within the EU to travel freely within the bloc. You can read up on how this will work here.

Checking in your bike as luggage?

If you are fortunate enough to be able to travel to France for your cycling holiday this year and want to take your own bike with you, then our practical guide on taking your bike on a plane will be of interest. Did you know we have over 90 airlines listed with details on how much each charges for checking in a bicycle as luggage? You can find the article here.Check out the post here.

Tour de France Cycling Tours 2022

If watching the Tour de France this year has you thinking about a trip to take in the sights of next year’s edition, then you may find our resource of Official Tour Operators helpful. Here we have listed out those Cycling Tour Companies which have been given accreditation to list themselves as official Tour de France Operators. Their tours often provide you with extra access to areas normally restricted to general members of the public. You can find more out on our page here.

Bucket List Climbs to Ride in France

Our latest YouTube video sees us answering a question we often get which is – what are your favourite rides to cycle in France, and what would you recommend. With so many to choose from it is hard to narrow down a list to just ten, but here it is. How many of these have you ridden? Our list includes some famous cycling climbs as well as a few hidden gems. How many of these have you ridden? You can watch the full video here.