Viva Travels, a bicycle tour operator in Colorado, and the The Fredcast, the internet’s premier cycling podcast, are excited to announce that retired cycling professional Tyler Hamilton will join them on a luxury tour to the Alpes next August. There will be room for 22 guests to ride, dine and socialize with Tyler and the Viva Travels team over some of the most beautiful and challenging cycling in France.

For a cycling enthusiast, this could be a dream come true to spend an entire week in France with such a talented cyclist and Olympic gold medal winner.

Tyler Hamilton is probably best known for his win of a stage of the Tour de France in 2003 which he did with a broken collar bone. “Tyler has a mental strength that few others have,” says Jennifer Sage, Viva Travels founder. “But the best thing about Tyler Hamilton is his down-to-earth nature. He is interested in everyone he is talking to, and everyone on this tour will have ample opportunities to interact with him.”

The tour will travel from the shores of Lake Annecy, near Geneva to the south just outside of Grenoble over 8 days of cycling. The tour is called Les Chasseurs des Cols, which means “Col Seekers”. Along the way, riders have the option of climbing up to 13 of the most famous scenic and challenging climbs (cols) of the Tour de France, including the Col de la Madeleine, the Col du Galibier, and of course, the mythical Alpe d’Huez. Completing every climb isn’t mandatory however; vans will be available to provide a lift if needed. Tyler will provide a training program for each of the riders through his training company, Tyler Hamilton Training.

Accommodations range from a luxury 4-star abbey on the shores of Lac d'Annecy, to charming mountain chalets, to a renovated ancient chateaux. All breakfasts and dinners are included according to Sage, and "when you're riding and climbing this much, you will be able to eat almost anything. The restaurants we've chosen will go all out to prepare us their most impressive gastronomic meals. The dining on this tour will be almost as much fun as the cycling!"

Few opportunities like this come along at a price that is this affordable. Sage had the opportunity to be a guide on a bicycle tour to the Tour de France with Greg Lemond back in 1999. “You can’t imagine how thrilling it is to pick the brain of such a cycling great, to get tips on climbing and descending, to ask your most pressing training or technique questions. Everyone was in awe as Greg would tell stories. And then you get to ride with him every day!" She added, "It will be very similar with Tyler. He'll give a few talks on technique each evening, and tell stories about every major climb the night before we tackle them!”

Viva Travels is also leading two tours to the Tour de France in July, one to the Alps and one to the Pyrénées. For more information on any of these tours, contact Viva Travels at www.vivatravels.com or info@vivatravels.com. Or contact David at The Fredcast at www.thefredcast.com. Find details of Tyler Hamilton’s training programs at www.tylerhamiltontraining.com