Cyclomundo offers cycling tours through the French Alps that allow cyclists of all skill levels to experience the natural beauty and cultural highlights of the region at a leisurely pace. Their new "Three Lake Cycling" tour takes riders from Lake Geneva to Lake Bourget and Lake Annecy, passing castles, villages and world-renowned ski resorts while avoiding difficult climbs. The article promotes this tour as a way for non-expert cyclists to appreciate the sights of the French Alps through biking.

1. 4/27/11 8:16 PMThe French Alps, At Your Leisure
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The French Alps, At Your LeisureThe French Alps, At Your Leisure
By Bethany O'Meara
Imagine yourself on the seat of a bicycle, pedaling at a carefree pace over quiet country
roads. The elevated route carries you and your companions through the occasional peaceful
village, but for the most part, vibrant fields and vineyards surround you. Soon you hear
rushing water, and the route curves downhill to follow the greenest river imaginable.
Later on, pause to snap a photo of yourself against a backdrop of snow-capped, craggy
peaks, and then check the map: you’re almost at your destination! As you make your
descent to the city, cool air rushes past, energizing you on the final leg of the journey.
Soon enough, a glint of pure, blue water becomes visible, and the mountains appear before
you in all their glory, as if rising from the lake. At last, ancient, narrow streets lead you
through a colorful town center, whose buildings tempt you with their charm and mystery.
Upon finding the address you seek, the head of the family-run inn offers a warm greeting.
All that’s left to do is enjoy a hearty meal of local Alpine delights and relax with a glass of
Rhone Valley-produced wine… it’s all in a day’s work on Cyclomundo’s newest tour, “Three
Lake Cycling: Geneva, Bourget, Annecy.”
Cyclomundo is known for its breadth of self-guided and guided cycling tours through which
riders are immersed in a particular region's beauty, culture, gastronomy, history and
hospitality at their own paces. Travelers who yearn for adventure with a bit of structure
find cycling tours to be a perfect fit for their needs; there's no rush to visit every
monument or sight on a schedule, but plenty of amazing experiences are guaranteed.
Experienced cyclists can conquer the climbs of the Tour de France through Cyclomundo's
challenging Alpine trips, while leisure riders gently roll over Provencal hills or along the
riverbanks of the Loire.
Indeed, Cyclomundo has excelled at creating tours for riders across the spectrum, for their
self-guided leisure tours have been recognized by the New York Times and other prominent
publications, and they have been named Official Tour Sponsor for the wildly popular Etape
du Tour and La Marmotte cyclo-sportive events. Managing director Bruno Toutain, an avid
cyclist, founded Cyclomundo in order to share his passion for cycling, and for his country,
with the rest of the world. Toutain founded Cyclomundo at the edge of the French Alps,
where Haute Savoie gives way to the shores of Lake Geneva. As a result, says Toutain,
"We know the Alps like the back of our hand." As further proof of Cyclomundo's expertise,
they recently launched http://www.velorental.com/, a bicycle reservation platform that
directly connects riders with rental shops in the region. With Cyclomundo's knowledge of
Alpine territory and commitment to excellence, it's no wonder their extraordinary "Geneva
to Alpe d'Huez" tour was recognized as an Outside Magazine Trip of the Year for 2011.
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Always contemplating new tour itineraries, Toutain quickly realized he wanted to share his
beloved Alps with riders who do not consider themselves elite. Cyclomundo offers cyclists
mountain views with short, easy tours around Lake Geneva and the "Via Rhona" tour,
whose route follows the Rhone River from Geneva to Lyon. This year, Cyclomundo created
the "Three Lake Cycling" trip to introduce riders to the gorgeous scenery of the Alps while
sparing them the difficult climbs. The imposing Bauges, the stately Chartreuse, and the
magical Aravis mountain ranges are on full display, along with the villages and world-
renowned ski resorts nestled into the valleys below. The itinerary starts at Lake Geneva,
which offers views of Mont Blanc in addition to a taste of French-speaking Switzerland. The
majestic Rhone River flows through the belly of France and takes riders to Lake Bourget
and the famed spa town, Aix-les-Bains. Numerous castles and fortress remains dot the
entire route, which, after a pause in Olympic host-town Albertville, finally trails off along
Lake Annecy and ends in the historic heart of the city.
You don’t have to be a Tour de France champion to take in the sights of the French Alps by
bike, though you’ll certainly feel like one when you’ve finished! Getting to the region is
easy; Geneva and Annecy are accessible by rail, and the nearby airports in Lyon and
Geneva offer flights on both international and budget airlines. For more information on
“Three Lake Cycling: Geneva, Bourget, Annecy” and a complete list of Cyclomundo’s tours,
please visit their website at http://www.cyclomundo.com/.
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