Iconic Venues and Famous Routes – 13/12/24

The Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, and the Atomium in Brussels. They are all iconic landmarks in stunning locations and just a few examples of the incredible start and finish venues we’ve been fortunate enough to experience over the years. They provide a breath-taking backdrop to your event making it truly unforgettable.

Here are some of our favourite venues, along with suggested routes to help you explore these remarkable places:

• Lee Valley Velodrome – first built in 1975 as the Eastway Cycle Circuit (the first purpose built road cycling venue in Britain) and host of track cycling for the London 2012 Olympics. Great location for a sportive!
• Eiffel Tower – it doesn’t get much more famous than the Eiffel Tower in Paris and creates an unforgettable finish point. (Cardiff to Paris)
• Rijkmuseum, Amsterdam – an amazing 19th century backdrop to a finish line with the beautiful Museumplein in front of you, ideal for a celebratory drink or 2! (London to Amsterdam)
• Atomium, Brussels – originally built in 1958 for the Brussels World’s Fair to symbolise scientific progress, as well as to showcase Belgian engineering skills at the time. It has an array of meeting rooms and a bar at the bottom you can use for celebrations. (London to Brussels)
• Stadia – whether it be Stamford Bridge, Twickenham Stadium or the Oval in London or the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, they provide a memorable start/finish line with their sporting heritage. (London to Cardiff).

Do you have another iconic venue in mind? Great! We’d love to hear about it and help you develop that event idea in to a memorable experience. Simply reply to this email or call us on 01932 460090.

Image: Ride the Change London to Brussels finish at the Atomium

The announcement of next year’s Tour de France route includes many familiar routes we’ve ridden before. So why don’t you follow in their tracks and tackle the same routes as the pros? Check out some ideas below!

• Beaune to Mas des Sables via Mont Ventoux – this route incorporates the 3 iconic climbs of Mont Ventoux with a stint along stage 17 of the Tour from Valence. You can find out more about the various routes up Mont Ventoux here.
• London to Paris – the final stage of the 2025 Tour de France finishes along the Champs-Élysées near the iconic Arc de Triomphe. See it for yourself on our L2P open ride in 2025!
• London to Barcelona – arriving in Ouisterham by ferry from Portsmouth allows you to join up for part of stage 5 in Caen, where they are hosting one of the time trials.
• Petit Pyrenees Classic Cycle Climb – flying in to Toulouse, this gives you a range of options to join various parts of stages 11 – 15 and take on some of the most famous climbs in the Pyrenees such as Col de Portet and the Col du Tourmalet.

If the routes we have suggested aren’t quite your thing, don’t worry, we can adapt these routes or create new routes to match your preferences.

If you like the sound of anything above or if you have an idea of your own, then get in touch by e-mail or calling us on 01932 460090 to get the wheels in motion.

All of us at pie hope you have a wonderful Christmas 🎄 and a Happy New Year 🍾.