Open your wallet and fill your lungs. Etape du Tour Modeovelo has announced that next year that they will host races for amateur cyclists over the same route as two stages of the 2011 Tour de France.
On July 11, a field of 6000 cyclists will race the 109 km route from Modane Valfréjus to Alpe-d'Huez. The route, which mirrors stage nineteen of the Tour, features the epic climbs up Télégraphe, Galibier and Alpe d'Huez.
The second race, staging July 17, is also limited to 6000 riders. It will follow the route of Tour's ninth stage from Issoire to Saint-Flour. The mountains on this route are not as high but, at 208 km, a long day in the saddle is assured.
Registration opens up on November 16 on the event website. Guaranteed entry is available through several tour companies listed here.
Top: The peloton starts the ascent of the Galibier pass during the 2006 Tour de France. AP photo