Dates: 31 Mar – 7 Apr 2019
Difficulty 
€2 ,720.00 – €3 ,140.00
YES: if you want to learn to cycle faster in sportives and GranFondos.
YES: if you want to make friends and have fun with other like-minded people.
YES: if you enjoy the intimacy of small groups and small, unique hotels.
NO: if you are essentially a leisure rider with no particular interest in riding faster.
NO: if you prefer large groups and big hotels.
| Date | Coaching Focus | Climbs | Distance & Elevation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun Mar 31 | Arrival day | - | - |
| Mon Apr 1 | Core Skills | Part of the GranFondo route, around Colobrières | 94km / 1,570m+ |
| Tues Apr 2 | Descending | Part of the GranFondo route, around Colobrières | 94km / 1,650m+ |
| Wed Apr 3 | Climbing | Second half of GranFondo route, Collobrières to Gassin | 91km / 1,410m+ |
| Thu Apr 4 | Pacing | First half of GranFondo route, from St Tropez | 111km / 1,890m+ |
| Fri Apr 5 | Group riding | Sainte Maxime via the coast road, the col du Bougnon | 62km / 670m+ |
| Sat Apr 6 | Recovery | Easy spin to Cap Camarat | 25km / 300m+ |
| Sun Apr 6 | GranFondo Gassin Golfe de St Tropez | - | 163.5km / 2,400m+ |
You will be picked up at Marseille airport at 4pm and taken to the Hotel des Maures in Collobrières.
Please note that Collobrières is 130km from the airport and the transfer will take 2 hours.
There will only be one transfer. Please check with us before booking your flight.
The camp begins with a welcome drink and briefing at 18:30, followed by dinner at the hotel with the coaches and other riders.
Distance: 94km
Elevation: 1,570m+
Ride time: 5-6 hours
Focus: Core skills
We begin the week with a warm-up ride on the flat middle part of the GranFondo, during which the coaches observe your basic bike-handling, cornering and group riding skills.
After 27km we tackle the toughest climb in the GranFondo, 9.5km and 560m+ from Pignans up to Notre-Dame des Anges. We observe and video your pedalling technique during a 10 minute power test on this climb, gaining useful data for the week.
Once over the top we do a further 25km on the flat before returning to Collobrières via the col des Fourches.
There is a shorter option for any riders who prefer to do a little less.
Distance: 94km
Elevation: 1,650m+
Ride time: 5-6 hours
Focus: Descending
Descending is a crucial skill to master if you are going to race in the mountains. Our goal today is to help you make a big improvement in your ability to descend fast and safely.
After a short warm-up, we begin by climbing directly to Notre-Dame des Anges, where we rejoin the GranFondo route.
The descent is quite challenging and we are very attentive to your technique. The later descent from La Garde-Freinet to Grimaud is much more straightforward and is an excellent opportunity to practice new skills.
Each rider descends multiple times with a coach and is videoed multiple times. This enables us to provide immediate feedback, and the video allows you to observe your own technique.
We stop for a well-earned coffee in Grimaud.
Distance: 91km
Elevation: 1,410m+
Ride time: 5-6 hours
Focus: Climbing
The route today is the last 90km of the GranFondo, all the way to the finish in Gassin. Joining together the key parts of Monday and Tuesday’s rides, this is your chance to practice again on the actual roads to be used on Sunday.
The focus is on climbing technique and pacing. We look at your seated pedalling technique and how it varies between the moderate and steep pitches, and we look at your standing technique to help you “dance” on the pedals like a pro.
We also pay close attention to your pacing to ensure you stay in the right intensity zone for a long endurance ride over hilly terrain.
Your luggage is transferred to the new hotel in Cogolin and is ready and waiting for you when you arrive.
Distance: 111km
Elevation: 1,890m+
Ride time: 6-7 hours
Focus: Pacing
Today we follow the GranFondo route from the start in St Tropez, past Ramatuelle, down again to the coast and then up the col de Canadel from Rayol. We then take the magnificent Route des Crêtes along the ridge for almost 20km before going over the col de Babaou.
This brings us down to Collobrières (km 72), from where we take the direct route back via the col de Taillude.
This is a day where it is essential to get the pacing right, especially in view of Sunday’s GranFondo. None of the climbs are particularly tough, but the whole ride is either climbing or descending!
Distance: 62km
Elevation: 670m+
Ride time: 3 hours
Focus: Group riding
This is an easy ride along the coast, starting in Saint-Tropez. We ride past Port Grimaud and through Sainte-Maxime and Les Issambres before turning inland just before Fréjus. We do a short loop over the col de Bougnon (154m) before riding back along the coast.
The focus is on group riding: saving energy, passing the relay, anticipating choke-points and avoiding the concertina effect.
We stop for a coffee in a beachfront café on the way back.
Distance: 25km
Elevation: 300m+
Ride time: 2 hours
Focus: Recovery
Today is registration day for the GranFondo. We pick up the bibs and visit the race village in Gassin.
We propose an optional short and easy spin through the vineyards to the lighthouse at Cape Camarat.
For the rest of the day, the emphasis is on recovery and getting ready for tomorrow’s race.
Distance: 163.5km
Elevation: 2,400m+
Ride time: 6-9 hours
Focus: Race
GRANFONDO!
Today is the day to put it all together. Your primary objective should be to make the most of the learning experience, putting into practice all that you have worked on during the week.
The Alpine Cols coaches will participate in the race with you and continue to provide real-time coaching and tips.
Focus on the strategy and tactics you decide with your coach and you should get a great result!
We spend the first three nights at the Hôtel des Maures in Colobrières, and the last four nights at the Hôtel Font Mourier in Cogolin.
The Hôtel des Maures is perfectly situated for cycling the western part of the 163km GranFondo route. It is a modernised, comfortable, unpretentious hotel in an authentic Provençal village well back from the coast. Much of the village life centres around the hotel’s café and the pétanque played under the plane trees just in front.
The Hôtel des Maures fully deserves its extremely high 9.3 rating on Booking.com (4.5 on TripAdvisor): the staff are charming, the service excellent and the food delicious.
The 4* Hôtel Font Mourier is ideally located on a hilltop in Cogolin, between Saint-Tropez and Gassin, 3km from the start and finish. The rooms are beautifully decorated, the gardens and swimming pool are lovely and the food is of a very high standard. People come here to enjoy the luxurious Saint-Tropez experience from an oasis of calm.
The Hotel Font Mourier is rated 8.6 on Booking.com and 4.5 on TripAdvisor. We found the staff to be delightful and the surroundings exceptional: we can’t wait to go back!
This is a MUST experience for every cyclist. The things that stand out for me are your team’s attention to detail – 5 Star personal service!
– Robbie, Zurich
I had a great time with you guys. Your organisation of everything but turning the pedals was absolutely spot on. My riding improved lots!
– Steve, Tunbridge Wells
It was so clear you were prepared to do “whatever it takes” with a smile on your face to make our experience special. Felt like I was on a tour team!!!
– Scott, Ontario
The experience with Alpine Cols was excellent. I have done several cycling camps, and I must say this one was close to perfection.
– Stephanie, Paris
Package price (twin-share): €2,720
Single supplement: €420