Did you know that the Tour de France has a worldwide series of one day events where you can ride a “stage” with other cyclists? It’s called L’Etap by Tour de France, and it was held in 13 countries in 2021 and has expanded to 26 countries this year for 2022. As they describe it, “L’Étape by Tour de France offers amateur cyclist the ability to race or ride a stage of the Tour de France in their own back yard.”
I had never heard of it until I saw a recent Facebook ad showed me that this year’s event held in the United States is located in San Antonio, Texas. Taking place on April 10, you can choose from racing the full 100 mile course, riding it, or riding the shorter 60 and 25 mile courses. There will also be a related criterium in downtown San Antonio the same weekend.
San Antonio is located in the hill country of Texas, and the 100 mile course will feature more than 5,000 feet of total climbing.
There’s even an exclusive Classe Speciale experience for $600 that includes a ticket to a dinner the night before with a still unnamed previous Tour de France champion.
You can see all 26 events around the world on the main site, https://www.letapebytourdefrance.com/.
To learn more about the San Antonio event, there’s a dedicated site that also includes all the details about that specific event. https://www.letapesanantonio.com/