Season preparation in the Loire region

Fatima and Andi on tour

Every year at Eurobike, there are numerous new cycling programmes that make us really want to cycle in November. In the 2020 cycling season, we are particularly looking forward to the two cycle tours ‘Castles of the Loire’ and ‘Loire & the Atlantic’. And so we – our product manager Andreas and I – make our way to France to the Loire, because there’s always a lot to organise for new tours. The journey begins on November 17th at six in the morning. We drive west with a large trailer full of bikes and our Eurobike bus.

There’s enough to do!

After a total of 12 hours of driving, we arrive in Orlèans, the first stage location. The next day we start our programme for the next two weeks: ride the entire cycle route, record the route description and visit all hotels in 13 different locations.

In order to use the time as best as possible, we plan individual days very carefully to avoid unnecessary routes. Andreas often cycles several stages a day while I look at the different accommodation. In order to guarantee the Eurobike standard, it is important to get to know all accommodation personally. What is very interesting here is there is sometimes a big difference between the hotels. Each is different from the other, some smaller, some larger and yet each has its own charm. Based on my notes, we can also set up our priorities for hotels straight after the trip.

GPS tracking and on-site support

In addition to the important tasks already mentioned, the entire route has to be covered – always with our local companions, the dictation and GPS devices to record the routes. Another goal is to create the framework for our bike station in the Loire. After a few visits, we find the right space for our tours. So there is nothing standing in the way of bike storage and maintenance by our on-site support.

By the way: You can find out how a cycle tour at Eurobike is created on our blog.

Your effort will be rewarded

In addition to work, there should of course also be a bit of indulgence. So we try numerous typical French restaurants in the evening. As a lover of France, I usually know immediately what I want to order: Moules-frites, i.e. mussels with fries! We are also happy to take the time to visit the beautiful, almost kitsch Christmas markets.

After almost two labour-intensive weeks packed with many new impressions and experiences, our on-site work is done. Now we are back home where we continue processing all the information collected and plan the two cycle tours in detail.

The Loire Valley is a fascinating landscape with a lot to discover. As soon as you turn the next corner, you see one of the imposing castles – very impressive! The cycle paths are varied and well developed, you cycle though vineyards, flower fields and the river landscape of the Loire, Indre, Cher and Vienne.

completely new, challenging but enriching task. I am very happy to be able to supervise our cycle tours on the Loire cycle path!

Here are a few impressions of our fact-finding tour: