Montreal, Wednesday, August 1, 2018 - From August 4 to 10, an impressive caravan of 1,800 cyclists will take to the roads of the magnificent Bas-Saint-Laurent region on the occasion of the 25th Grand Tour Desjardins, organized by Vélo Québec. Cyclists are expected in La Pocatière from where they will set off. They will pedal between 230 km and 962 km - of which more than 25% will be on the Route verte (#Routeverte) - in 7 days on a circuit linking the stopover towns of Rivière-du-Loup, Trois-Pistoles and Rimouski.
Cyclists will spend two nights in each of the three stopover towns, giving them maximum freedom to punctuate their ride as they wish. Cyclists can also choose to experience the Grand Tour Desjardins at their own pace: in 7-day, 3-day or 1-day packages.
Itinerary
Short route: 230 km - Long route: 962 km
Day 1 - Saturday, August 4: La Pocatière to Rivière-du-Loup
Day 2 - Sunday, August 5: a day of loops around Rivière-du-Loup
Day 3 - Monday, August 6: Rivière-du-Loup to Trois-Pistoles
Day 4 - Tuesday, August 7: a day of loops around Trois-Pistoles
Day 5 - Wednesday, August 8: Trois-Pistoles to Rimouski
Day 6 - thursday, august 9: a day of loops around Rimouski
Day 7 - Friday August 10: Return by coach between Rimouski and La Pocatière or optional 175 km cycling challenge between Rimouski and La Pocatière to conclude the 25th edition.
The #GrandTourDesjardins is a 100 % bike-holiday comfort experience! In addition to routes specially designed for each edition by a team of experts, participants enjoy a multitude of services on the road and in the village: luggage transport, mechanical and first-aid support, massage therapy and sports medicine services, meal service on the road (lunch stop and refreshments) and in the village (breakfast and dinner), yoga sessions, cinema, artistic performances at the Bistro and daily news broadcasts via Le Déchaîné, the daily Grand Tour Desjardins newspaper distributed every morning at breakfast and available online for those who want to follow the merry caravan day by day.
Jean Soulard, ambassador of the 25th edition
« À When I took part in the Grand Tour Desjardins for the first time last year, I was very impressed by the efficiency of the organization, the quality of the catered meals and the happy faces of the participants. This year, I gladly accept the invitation to be an ambassador for this 25th edition, where we will once again combine sporting and gourmet pleasures. »
