Last winter young entrepreneur Lee Bibring ditched his job as a corporate finance solicitor and the daily grind of the London rat-race to devote his time to his twin passions – luxury and cycling. His new company Love Velo whisks fellow cycling enthusiasts to the most picturesque corners of Europe to explore the most stunning routes whilst toning their thighs and honing their stamina and technique. Then in the evening indulgent yoga, massage, cookery courses and wine tasting are laid on in a luxury villa before the select group of cyclists crashes out in a well-appointed, beautifully furnished double room before the next day’s scenic cycle ride.
A local chef and masseuse come as standard in every ‘apres cycle’ package, but extra staff and activities are laid on depending on the location. On this month’s trip to Mallorca (which sold out), the 12 cyclists were trained by Tour de France stage winner Marcel Wüst as the difficulty level was 4 out of 5 and the trip was aimed at luxury-lovers who take their cycling very seriously. Next month’s trip to Loch Lomond in Scotland (which is also sold out, sadly) is a leisurely level 2 and the 10 cyclists who have signed up will have the option of sampling Scotch whisky at a local distillery or fitting in a round of golf at the famous Scottish courses nearby.
There are still four places on the five-day trip to Provence in April (level 3) which will take 14 cyclists on a tour of the Luberon, passing through picture-perfect, historical hot-spots like Avignon, Aix and Salon de Provence. The stunning villa has a swimming pool and Jacuzzi carved out of natural rock for a post-cycle chill-out, and there are tennis courts too. May’s 7-day, romantic trip to Tuscany (level 3) also still has places and will cover the Chianti region and the Parco Nazionale Foreste Casentinesi. Evenings will be spent soaking up the spectacular views of Florence from the luxury 16th century villa set in a sleepy hamlet outside Fiesole whilst sampling the local wines with a renowned local sommelier and learning to cook traditional Tuscan dishes.
Hard-core cyclists who want to concentrate on fitness and technique should plump for one of the three Etape du Tour Training Camps throughout June. Professional trainers who specialise in optimum body position and scaling mountain roads on two wheels will take groups of 8 cyclists up the Col du Tourmalet in the Pyrenees between Pau and Lourdes. Evenings will be spent recovering in a luxury Pyrenean chalet, more than likely sleeping off the day’s exertions or crashing out in the movie room. The difficulty level for these training camps is 5 out of 5, so be aware that these trips will be more about the cycling than the luxury bit.
