2008 - A Quick Glimpse

Just when you were wondering what goal to set yourself for 2008, a dramatic new route is announced for the 3 day, 600km London-Paris Cycle Tour! If you need a new challenge, try this. Every year we introduce something new. Special for 2008 it is a "Classics" style route. Ever done a 200km stage, you have - good, so now try a 230 km stage, add some Paris-Roubaix cobbles and some steep gradients and you begin to get the picture.

Sound too hard core? Every year we have riders who push the boundaries far further than they believed possible. The satisfaction of achieving the impossible with friends that you have trained with for many months is indescrible, you may not be Nicole Cook or a TdF Pro but you sure get to know that great feeling of satisfaction and achievement. You will ride in a seeded group to match your ability.

Still not sure? Imagine riding like a Pro in the Tour de France, with rolling road closures, full service and mechanical support and your every need looked after. Just concentrate on the riding. No other amateur gets to experince this.This is a chance to meet other like minded riders from all over the world. The event is extremely sociable with 4 previous years of established cameraderie you will find riders who have completed every event and come back for more!

If 600km in three days sounds easy then riding in Group 1 will be right for you. Sean Kelly and Johan Museeuw thought it was hard! Think what it's like whilst riding flat out on the Yellow Sections (GC Classification), Sprinter Teams leading out in the Green sections and the Mountain Goats ripping the legs on the Red Sections.....and well in between its pretty social!

The Facts

• The 5th Edition of the London-Paris Cycle Tour takes place from the 26-29 June 2008
• Cost of Entry is £649 (Food, Accommodation, Support, Ferry to France). Excluded is the Eurostar Return and bike repatriation to London which can be purchased separately.
• Registration Deposit is a £99 (non refundable).
• 2007 Riders get guaranteed entry whilst places are available (Mid November) .
• Registration takes place late November.

The Route for 2008

Day 1 takes a new 200km route away from the Hampton Court through Kent, ‘the Garden of England’, arriving at Dover for the end of day ferry crossing to Calais.  There will be no bed of roses in this garden however as riders tackle the short sharp ascents of Capel le Surn and Goudhurst Hill, the latter being familiar to race fans as a King of the Mountains climb in the 2007 Tour de France.

Day 2 provides a massive 230km route that will test the mettle of every rider as the event swings north east toward the famous cobbles of Paris-Roubaix, cycling’s ‘Hell of the North’.  Wheel and tyre choice will be crucial on sections like Mont Casel, a 2.5km cobbled uphill and the challenging, rolling roads of the Collines l’Artois before arrival at Amiens.

Day 3 leaves Amiens and winds south to Paris covering 170km in the true spirit of the Tour de France, rolling into the capital, past the Arc de Triomphe and ending at the Eiffel Tower, a fitting spot at which to end the challenge of the 2008 London-Paris Cycle Tour.

Day 4 is at your leisure and for those heading back to London an afternoon Eurostar train trip back to London.