If you’re a golfer, then you have dreamt of teeing off with Jack and Tiger at Augusta during the Masters, crowds lining the fairways cheering on your every shot while Tiger gives you the first hand account of his Masters win in 1997. You sink a long putt on 18 that impresses even Jack, and you head to the clubhouse for a beer with two of the greatest where you sit on the terrace together and watch Rory and Scottie finish their rounds. Arnold Palmer stops by the table to say hello and shoot the breeze, so now you’ve got his autograph too and you’re wondering if life can get any better than this!
That’s how I had to describe my recent Tour de France adventure with Mummu Cycling to my father. He’s never ridden a bike, is certainly aware of Le Tour, but for him life has always revolved around golf.
Having a passion for cycling, I had always wanted to go and watch the Tour in person but dreaded the thought of dragging my family up the side of a mountain, watch the peloton whoosh by in rainbow blur, and hear “That was it?” My wonderful wife took all those concerns off the table by gifting me a trip with Mummu Cycling to go “behind the ropes” and take part in the Tour like I never knew possible.
There are a few authorized Tour partners you can work with to ride the stages and see the inner sanctum of the Tour, but I “think” Mummu Cycling is the only one where you get to ride the stages with former tour professionals. For my selected portion of the Tour (stages 5-9) that was Cadel Evans and Stuart O’Grady.
As an Aussie, these two are on our Mount Rushmore of cycling. Cadel was a 4x Olympian, a former World Mountain Bike and Road Bike Champion, and of course won the Tour in 2011. Stuey won an Olympic Gold Medal on the track, won Paris-Roubaix in 2007, and raced 17 Tours - wearing the Green Jersey on several occasions. Tucking in behind these two guys as we hit the gravel sections of Stage 9 in this years Tour was downright epic, even as I watched their plume of dust ride off in the distance as these guys dropped the hammer. They can still push some serious wattage!
Off the bike, Cadel and Stuey went out of their way to ensure we had a great time. Introducing us to Andy Schleck and Jens Voigt in the VIP hospitality suite. Walking us through the inner paddock where we met Cav and Geraint. We drooled over some serious bike porn together outside the team buses. We even had a chance encounter with Bernard Hinault which was very special (the yellow jersey winning fraternity is rather small). Then capped each day off listening to some colourful stories from their racing days (and mine) as we ate and drank the night away.
While hanging with those legends was certainly a highlight, the whole crew at Mummu do an excellent job of making the entire trip memorable. We stayed in wonderful hotels, the bikes (Factor Ostro’s) were ready to go each day, our dedicated photographer Lu Lu captured all the action for our photo album, and those non-riders on the trip were treated to their own special day of sightseeing while the rest of us played Pro Tour rider.
If you have always dreamt of seeing the Tour (or any of the Monuments) live, or want to get a special gift for a cycling obsessed partner, then please do yourself a favor and look into Mummu Cycling and what they offer. It really is a very unique experience that will create memories of a lifetime.