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Ever dream of a world with pristine roads to ride and where cyclists are honored citizens? A place where cycling is the local passion not just a Nike campaign or filler between golf tournaments on TV? If you’ve ever wished of a better place as you fight for space on roads dominated by SUV’s then VeloAsia has got news for you. It does exist! The picturesque Loire’s castle-lined routes have long been the playground of kings and queens, and the small country roads are perfect for biking. Here, you’ll visit the tombs of Richard the Lionheart and Eleanor of Aquitaine; explore the mysteries of the Wine Grower’s Brotherhood in Chinon’s Caves Painctes; and settle in for a fantastic lunch in the shade of a newly-restored private home. In 2006 VeloAsia will proudly inaugurate a new trip that returns us all to our cycling roots- the dream of Europe. Like VeloAsia’s other destinations, and quite unlike many other over-saturated destinations in Europe, the Basque Country offers beauty, curiosity, adventure and above all pleasure! We combine great cycling with awesome food in a setting of unique beauty and historical interest. This is not the austere adventure you might find scaling Mount Everest or riding the Mongolian plains, it is a trip where you will want to savor the lunch as well as the scenery, or where you might reconsider your career plans in favor of buying an old Pyrenean farm house. The area of the tour is a cross-border region alongside the Atlantic Coast of France and Spain. The unique local culture and cuisine is influenced by both sides of the border. Language, architecture, character, gastronomy and folklore mingle and produce a common particular way of life. The simple way of cooking fish, the use of piquillo peppers or the presence of foie-gras in Spain and even Spanish producers of this so much sought after product speak to combined cultures of the Basque region. In contrast to the very manicured and rigid developments of the French side of the Pyrenees, the Spanish side has a more down to earth beauty, more “real” and less manicured gardens and public places and less strict planning and building rules. Both sides are very beautiful, but it is in Spain that we have chosen to focus the trip. It is here that we really are able to see the quaint life of Basque countryside juxtaposed with the cosmopolitan and raucous life of the cities. From the Pyrenean foothills along the Atlantic coast and in to the vineyards of the La Rioja valley you will enjoy the diversity and beauty that the Basque country has to offer. While grand chateaux will be the focus of the loire, our focus in Burgundy will be grand crus. Burgundy… idyllic land of medieval majesty, flavourful fare and the grandest grapes. Winemaking has been in the blood here since Imperial times, and the passage of history is measured not against the clock but by Mother Nature’s calendar. The soul is in the soil, which has served as battleground for conniving kings and dueling dukes, and weathered the bootprints of marauding armies of Huns, Spaniards and oenophiles alike. Clearly, Burgundy is the spiritual homeland of French wine.
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