Thailand Cycle Tours (founded by Luxembourger Lucien Kirch in 2013) has announced that Andy Schleck, the 2010 Tour De France winner, has agreed to join the company and will heading a very special training camp / tour in the Royal costal resort of Hua Hin in Thailand in March 2017.
This will the first time a Tour De France winner has agreed to head such an event in Thailand and the Thailand Cycle Tours team aims to make it an unforgettable experience. As well as the private tour days based around the beautiful tropical costal resort, they are also inviting their guests to join a Charity Gala Dinner hosted by Andy in the Intercontinental Resort, and a Charity ride and race with the cycling community in Thailand.
This very special tour will give those who join the opportunity to ride and learn in a small group from one our generation's great riders. The demand is expected to be quite high for this special week of cycling and as the organisers are going to keep the private group relatively small, early booking is recommended. Packages will be for 7 nights with 5 days of cycling.
On this special tour two choices of hotels will be offered, the Intercontinental resort Hua Hin 5* for those who really want the absolute maximum in luxury, and also the 4* G Resort which is also a great hotel with excellent facilities for those looking for a value-for-money option. Both Resorts are centrally located and only seconds from the shops, restaurants and beaches.
Day 1: Prologue private tour / training camp ride (80km): A longer day on excellent roads and utilising the new cycle paths recently installed. You will pass the 7 kings giant statues, before hitting the coastal road and following tropical bays and coconut-lined beaches before reaching the stunning natural rock and mountain formations of Sam Roi Yot National Park.
Day 2: Big Bike Ride for Charity (75km): Big Bike Ride for Charity – all welcome and private group to participate (short sprint race opportunity available for those with a competitive spirit). The perfect way to ease yourself into the tour. A beautiful run through quite country roads, passing pineapple plantations, rice paddies, local villages – reaching a truly breathtaking dam surrounded by mountains which supplies most of the water for the local region. The terrain is mainly flat on excellent roads, but there is a steep short climb to the dam itself.
Day 3: Hua Hin - Vineyard (80km): A day to view Watt Mongol, a huge Buddhist shrine, and then up to the only Vineyard in the area, a very enjoyable ride and some breathtaking views from the very pretty Vineyard restaurant. There is also a killer hill just next to it, for those who like to raise their heart rate.
Day 4: Hua Hin - Royal Project (90km): A day through rolling hills and peaceful farmland and plantations. Passing through the unusual spirit house road. A great opportunity to ride and see roads and villages not often seen by most tourists visiting the Hua Hin area.
Day 5: Hua Hin - Palau waterfall and national park (125km with a 1,100m ascent): A day of climbing through one of the last places in Thailand where wild elephants roam free. You will climb over 1,000m during the ride and see some stunning views and end up so close to Burma - it will show on your gps that it lies just over the mountain.
Saturday night – Charity Gala Dinner
The objective of the Charity Gala Dinner is to raise money for Andy’s Young Cyclists Development Program. This probably will take place in the Intercontinental Hotel Hua Hin (tickets and hotel packages to be confirmed). It is Andy’s wish to give something back to the people of Thailand by raising money and creating a development program for young Thai children with talent, hopefully producing some stars of the future that can compete at the highest level, provide bikes and coaching. All proceeds after expenses will be used in conjunction with this. There will be raffles and auctions of cycling memorabilia, including some of Andy’s Tour equipment.
Sunday Morning – Charity Bike Ride
Again the objective of the Charity Bike ride is to raise money for Andy’s Young Cyclists Development Program. The organisers hope to invite and encourage riders from all over Thailand to join the ride with Andy on this special day. All proceeds after expenses will go directly to the charity, which will help buys bikes and provide coaching for some talented local Thai children and hopefully find and develop some young Thai riders that can compete at the very highest level in the years to come.
For further details, including pricing to participate (from €1,249), see www.asc.lu and http://thailandcycletours.com/tour/andy-schleck/