July 13–26, 2025 | 14 Days | 1 Epic Adventure
Bikey Tours celebrated it’s “maiden voyage” with a small bunch of great cyclists from Australia, Italy, UK and Central America! We couldn’t have asked for a better group – so thank you to Michael, Lew, Sue, Gino and Roberto!
Our 2025 French and Italian Alps Tour provided everyone an amazing ride experience in Europe’s most iconic mountains with a passport to pain and beauty!
Here is a quick summary:
A 1,117km pilgrimage across the sacred roads of cycling history, climbing a staggering 24,574 vertical metres and summiting legends like , Colle del Gran San Bernardo, Col du Petit Saint Bernard, Colle del Nivolet, Col d’Izoard, Col da La Loze, Col du Galibier, Cormet de Roselend, Col de l’Iseran, and Colle delle Finestre.
🏠 Four Alpine Bases, Infinite Ascent
🗺️ Aosta (Italy)
We kicked off in Roman roots and wine-scented valleys. From here, riders faced the mythical Col du Grand-Saint-Bernard and ventured to the foot of the Matterhorn via Cervinia. We even tackled the Col du Petit St Bernard from the Italian side, a stunning ride and one of the group’s favourites!
The transition / optional ride up Colle del Nivolet was amazing - for those that attempted it we took off from the entrance of the national park - a surreal ribbon through Gran Paradiso National Park that left legs heavy and hearts full but what a view from the top of the mountain – Spectacular !!!
Even for those that preferred to stay and rest, it was a beautiful experience.
🗻 Briançon (France)
This fortress-in-the-sky served up Tour de France royalty: the Col du Galibier. The approach via the Lautaret was most definitely a bit more fun than the Bourg ‘d Oisans side.
When we tackled the Izoard, we had the only day when weather hampered our ride – by the time we got to the top it started raining and it was certainly cooler than we would have liked. Nothing our wet weather gear couldn’t handle though. Everybody enjoyed the descend anyway and it was a great experience and reminder for the group to never ride into the mountains unprepared. Most importantly we all got down safely to Briancon, 
🌲 Albertville (France)
Olympic serenity meets climbing ferocity. From the brutal gradients of Col de la Loze to the hidden beauty of Col du Pré and cinematic Cormet de Roselend, or the Famous Lacets de Montvernier / Col du Chaussy double, Albertville offered a touch of alpine poetry after days of fighting on two wheels.
🏞️ Bourg-Saint-Maurice (France)
The grand finale. Riders pushed to the very roof of the Alps – Col de l’Iseran at 2770m is the highest passable mountain in the Alps and everyone was delighted to have conquered it twice - from Val d ’Isere and the beautiful medieval town of Bonneval-Sur-Arc, where even the Goat felt tall amongst the tiny houses. The tour’s final ride was one of our favourites a soul-lifting border crossing over Col du Petit Saint-Bernard via the Pink Road, La Rosiere. Legs were tired, spirits were high and the group was safely back at our home base to share stories, swap Strava account details and toast their epic adventures.
🌤️ Weather Report: All Four Seasons, All the Drama
From heatwaves in the valleys to icy gusts atop 2,000m plus cols, the mountains served up their finest mood swings. Riders embraced sunburn, sideways rain, and that glorious “above the clouds” silence — often all in one day.
💬 Rider Highlights – Quotes from Group
🗣️"Wow that was worth it, I was nervous before we started, but if I could get up, anyone could. " –Michael from Australia – reflecting with a beer in hand
🗣️ “The view at the top of the climb was amazing and worth every peddle stroke.”
– Lew from Central America, lying in the grass post-ride, still smiling
🗣️ “The team around me was so supportive and encouraged to get to the top.”
– Sue from Australia, misty-eyed at the summit
🗣️ “It’s funny… you sign up for the climbs, but it’s the laughter, the dinners, and the descent into Aosta that you remember most.”
– Gino from Italian, over pasta and red wine in Aosta
🗣️ “What a great bunch to ride with. Bonds have been formed that will last a lifetime. ”
– Roberto - First-time Alps rider, stunned into reverence
