Thomson Bike Tours

​Sitting at the foot of the Alps in north-western Italy, Piedmont is the perfect destination for an epic Thomson Challenge. Massive climbs including the Finestre, Agnello and Fauniera combine with the best food and wine in Italy.

You’ll start off the week with a testing, yet magnificent ride through the Barolo and Langhe vineyards. Don’t be fooled, there may be no big climbs on this ride, but it’s a leg-breaker!

From Barolo you’ll head through Cuneo and into the high Alps where the serious climbing starts with the Colle della Fauniera, a magnificent climb that has its place in the Top 5 most spectacular climbs in Europe. The Queen stage comes on Day 6 when you’ll take a brief excursion into French territory over the 50km (31 miles) Colle dell’Agnello, topping out at 2,744m (9,000ft).

The final day is equally impressive and features one of Europe’s toughest climbs, the Colle delle Finestre, where Chris Froome attacked 80km from the Finish Line to win the 2018 Giro d’Italia.

Discover the natural beauty of one of Europe’s most celebrated cycling terrains. Cross the Pyrenees, conquering legendary Tour de France climbs every day. Includes Tourmalet, Aubisque, Aspin, Peyresourde, Port de Balès, Rocacorba and many more!

The Pyrenees conjure up images of famous Tour de France stages. This is your opportunity to transform these images into real life as you conquer the legendary Pyrenees climbs of the Tour de France.

Starting in the renowned cycling hub of Girona with the iconic Rocacorba climb, you’ll cross the Pyrenees from east to west, conquering iconic Tour de France climbs like the Tourmalet, Aubisque, Aspin, Peyresourde, Pailheres, Port de Balès and Portet d’Aspet. The full list of legendary climbs is impressive!

Throughout the entire ride you’ll be amazed with the sheer natural beauty of this incredible region.

Discover the breathtaking landscapes and majestic mountain passes that have featured in so many epic Giro d’Italia stages. Includes the Stelvio, Mortirolo, Gavia, Zoncolan, Giau, Crostis, Fedaia and many more!

Made famous by the Giro d’Italia, the Stelvio, the Gavia, and the Mortirolo are just a few of the legendary climbs you’ll conquer on this ambitious and stunning route across the Italian Alps and Dolomites. You’ll ride the Sella Ronda loop, one of the most famous and impressive bike rides in Europe, and bag a number of other Giro legends including the Passo Giau and Passo Fedaia.

Our newly designed route concludes with the infamous Monte Zoncolan. Starting under a banner that reads “Welcome to the Gates of Hell”, the Zoncolan, along with the Angliru in Spain, is widely considered the most difficult climb of the Grand Tours. Make sure you have your climbing legs as we’ll also be riding the infamous Monte Crostis on the same day!

We’ve designed one of the hardest routes across the Italian Alps and Dolomites, and you’ll thank us for it.

LIVE viewing of Paris-Roubaix, Amstel Gold and De Brabantse Pijl. Ride the Paris-Roubaix & Amstel Gold gran fondos, the race routes of Tour of Flanders, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Flèche Wallone. Not for the faint of heart, only a spot on the Deceuninck-Quick-Step Team would get you a more intense Classics experience! FEATURED CLIMBS

Paterberg, Oude Kwaremont, Koppenberg, Mur de Huy, Cote de la Redoute, Cote de la Roche-aux-Faucons

Over the course of the trip, you’ll conquer the cobbles, catch premier pro race action, and immerse yourself in the rich history and culture that define the Classics.

You’ll start this epic trip by riding the Amstel Gold Race Gran Fondo then continues the next day with LIVE viewing of the Amstel Gold pro race. After watching the pros in action in the Amstel Gold, you’ll spend the next couple of days riding the final 100 km (62 miles) of the two Ardennes Classics: Liege-Bastogne-Liege and La Flèche Wallonne. From the Ardennes you’ll head over to Northern France where the pavé awaits! On the way we’ll stop in Leuven to watch the finish of the De Brabantse Pijl race where British rider Tom Pidcock outsprinted Wout Van Aert in the 2021 edition.

You’ll start your cobbles campaign by riding the final 130km of the Tour of Flanders which includes Oude Kwaremont, the Paterberg and the Koppenberg. Following on from Flanders, you’ll learn how to ride the Roubaix cobbles with our expert Ride Leaders on the Friday, then the following day, you’ll ride the Official Paris-Roubaix Gran Fondo, a gruelling 170 km ride with 30 cobbled sections! Finally, you’ll cap off a thrilling cycling week with VIP race viewing of the “Hell of the North,” Paris-Roubaix. Our relationship with ASO will get you VIP Access to the Race Start, a mid-race cobble section and then VIP access to the Race Finish in the famous Velodrome.

Have a non-riding partner who’d like to join you? No problem, bring them along – we have a full itinerary specifically designed for non-riders. Race viewings, town visits, cultural tours – all managed by Jacinta, our Spectator Trip Manager!

From the famous slopes of the Tourmalet to the infamous slopes of the legendary Angliru, passing through La Rioja, Spain’s most famous wine region.

Climb the quintessential “puertos”, witness 6 key stages including the summit finishes on the Angliru and the Tourmalet. Ride the course, and meet the pros and celebrities in the most accessible of all the Grand Tours.

Our Vuelta a España KOM Challenge provides a fantastic mix of LIVE race-viewing and challenging rides on the legendary routes and climbs of northern Spain.

Witness 6 key stages including the summit finishes on the Tourmalet and the Angliru. Revel in 3 remarkable days in La Rioja, Spain’s most famous wine region, where we’ll witness 3 spectacular stages of La Vuelta and maybe indulge in a few glasses of the local drink.

Thomson Tour de France KOM/QOM Challenges are the trips of choice for avid cyclists of all abilities looking for a unique blend of LIVE race-viewing and challenging riding.

Experience the highlight of the Tour de France in the Alps, the Finish of Stage 12 in Alpe d’Huez on Bastille Day.

Our Alpe d’Huez program includes: access to the VIP Tribune at the Finish in Alpe d’Huez an official ride across the Alpe d’Huez Finish Line before the peloton a memorable photo shoot on the Official Alpe d’Huez Podium

You’ll also witness Stage 9 on the spectacular Swiss climb to the Col de la Croix, LIVE on the mountain-side from our Private Hospitality Marquee, and mingle with pro riders and Tour celebrities with our privileged VIP access to the Departure Village at the start of Stage 10 in Morzine.

Riding is also a key feature of every Thomson Tour de France trip and on this trip you’ll conquer numerous famous climbs including Alpe d’Huez, Col du Galibier, Col de Joux Plane, the incredible Lacets de Montvernier, and a spectacular ride over the super-steep Col du Coq and through the Chartreuse Natural Reserve Park.

Non-Riders welcome: this trip includes a specific program for non-riders. So if your non-riding partner would like to accompany you, this is the trip for you.

Famous for it’s hilltop towns, Chianti wine, cypress trees, great food and Italian style, Tuscany is also home to the strade bianche and some of the best gravel and Beyond Tarmac rides in Europe.

Tuscany with it’s legendary strade bianche is the perfect destination for a Thomson gravel trip.

Starting just outside Florence, you’ll ride through the best of Tuscany following many of the white gravel routes made famous by the Eroica and the annual Strade Bianche professional race. Discover the magical medieval towns of Volterra and San Gimignano and ride through Montalcino, home of the famous Brunello di Montalcino wine. Ride through the classic Chianti and Vernaccia vineyards and the Crete Senesi with its quintessential Tuscan landscapes of rolling hills and lines of cypress trees leading to hilltop farms.

Join us in this gravel paradise for an unforgettable experience and some of the best Beyond Tarmac riding Europe has to offer!

Not for the faint of heart, our Trans-Colombia Challenge features the best of Colombian cycling.

The highlight of the trip is the 80km (50 miles) climb to Alto de Letras, known as the longest climb in the world. And in true Thomson style you’ll ride Letras not once, but twice – from both sides!

Starting in Medellin, the mecca of Colombian cycling, our route takes us south over the Andes mountains. You’ll ride through the coffee plantations of the world-famous Coffee Triangle which claims to produce the worlds best coffee.

From the Coffee Triangle you’ll head over to Los Nevados National Park where the Nevado del Ruiz volcano lies under its blanket of snow and glaciers, at an elevation of over 5000m (16,500ft). Los Nevados also hosts our final challenge – the unbelievable 80km (50 miles) climb to Alto de Letras!

The quintessential Italy, Tuscany is famous for hilltop towns, Chianti, cypress trees, great food and the ultimate in Italian style. But it’s also home to some of the most spectacular cycling in Europe.

Tuscany is the perfect destination for a classic Thomson trip — stunningly beautiful rides, great climbs, wonderful hotels, and arguably the best food, wine and coffee in Europe.

Your journey starts in the medieval town of San Gimignano with it’s impressive 14 towers, each a symbol of past wealth. From San Gimignano you’ll ride to the hilltop town of Volterra and into the world-famous Chianti region. Chianti is home to the legendary Eroica bike race and you’ll get the opportunity to test your gravel riding skills on the official strade bianche climb to Castello di Brolio. From Chianti you’ll head south over the Crete Senesi to the medieval town of Pienza and a ride to Montalcino, home of the famous Brunello di Montalcino wine. The trip concludes with the climb to Southern Tuscany’s highest peak, Monte Amiata.

Join us in Tuscany for an unforgettable experience and some of the best bike riding Europe has to offer!