Hey Reader

I've just finished lunch and watching a couple of YouTube videos about cycling in Europe, in particular Girona and France.

As much as I love these videos, the bad thing is they make me wish the year away.

I can't wait to get back and show you the incredible roads around Girona, the stunning Costa Brava, the beautiful Pyrenees, and the weird and wonderful Andorra!

I expect you're as excited as me, especially after seeing the release of the TDF 2026 route last week.

As expected, we have timed our stay at Argelès-Gazost to perfection and will be there for stage 6 of the Tour from Pau to Gavarnie, via Col d'Aspin and Col du Tourmalet.

We'll be riding each of these climbs (not all on the same day as the TDF) and have a great day on one of the climbs, watching and experiencing everything the Tour has to offer. It's a big day!

Great news!

All hotels have confirmed availability for us, so we are locked in and good to go with our number one preferences.

The hotels are varied, each with its own charm and something to look forward to.

Here is our confirmed itinerary (unchanged from my last email)...

Tuesday, June 30th: Arrive at Barcelona Airport and be ready to start our tour the following morning.
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Note: if you are arriving early and already in Girona, there is no need to travel back to Barcelona; we will meet you in Girona on the 1st July.

I'll be picking up the truck and cars with our nominated drivers on the afternoon of June 30th, ready to leave after breakfast on the 1st.

Wednesday, July 1st: Pack up and leave the B&B Hotel Viladecans near Barcelona airport for Girona. (4 nights)

Sunday, July 5th: Depart Girona / arrive in Argelès-Gazost (7 nights)

Sunday, July 12th: Depart Argelès-Gazost / arrive in Ainsa (4 nights)

Thursday, July 16th: Depart Ainsa / arrive in Andorra (5 nights)

Tuesday, July 21st: Depart Andorra / arrive at Girona (4 Nights)

Saturday, July 25th: Depart Girona for B&B Hotel Viladecans near Barcelona Airport (1 night)

Sunday 26th July: Depart Barcelona for home or onward travels

The reason I've split our Girona stay in two parts is for a couple of reasons... mainly, to make sure we were in Argelès-Gazost to see the TDF and secondly, to give you and your legs a chance to acclimatise, get some 'easier' rides in and to save having a long transfer on day one.

The reason we're going back... is because it's one of the most incredible places to ride, see and experience. Four days is not nearly enough!

3 IMPORTANT THINGS I NEED FROM YOU ASAP

1️⃣ Confirm: Do you want me to book you a hotel bed near Barcelona Airport for the night of June 30 (or earlier)?

This is not included in the trip's estimated cost. It's an affordable hotel (around €70 per person twin share/double or €130 for a single room).
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I'll be staying there the same night, and we will leave from here to Girona the following morning on July 1st.

You do not need to stay here, but you will need to get to this hotel on the morning of July 1st.
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At this stage, I do have confirmation from The Farley family, Jonathan Millington, Warrick and Ruby Grieve, Tom Jenkins, Sam Francis, Steve and Charlotte Cooper, Andrew Samways and Dave Ashton.
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2️⃣ Confirm: Do you want me to book you a hotel bed near Barcelona Airport for July 25?

At this stage, I do have confirmation from Bernie Pennell, The Farley family, Jonathan Millington, Warrick and Ruby Grieve and Sam Francis.
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3️⃣ Payment: Please make an additional payment of $1000 AUD ASAP to cover hotel deposits and car hire.

Bank details are:
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Andrew Hellmich
Westpac Bank
BSB 032 545
Account 250049

Please use your name as a reference, and feel free to let me know when you've made a deposit.

Training and Preparation for the Trip

One of the common questions I get about these trips is how to train for it if you want to arrive fit and ready for daily climbing and riding.

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A few things worth noting about getting in shape for the trip...

✅ Arriving fit is way more fun than trying to get in shape while in Europe.

✅ You can train on smaller hills at home and still arrive in top shape for the big climbs in the Pyrenees and Andorra.

✅ Riding up mountains doesn't need to be any more difficult than riding on the flat — if you have the correct bike gearing and aren't looking to break records on every climb you do.

So how do you get fit for a trip like this?

The easiest and most fun way is to build slowly and plan your training over months in the lead-up.

I'm a massive fan of finding a training plan and following it as best I can.

You can hire a coach (which can be expensive but great) or download all sorts of plans online. If you're easily motivated and can follow a program, some of the best I've found are by cycling coach Frank Overton of Fascat Training.
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I've used his plans for years and confidently recommend them to any cyclist.
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This year, I've been experimenting with using AI (ChatGPT) to create my training plans. It's excellent but a little more complicated. Ask away if you're interested in giving AI a try as your coach, and I'll share exactly how I've been managing it.

Here’s what’s worked great for me over the past few years:

✅ My go-to training plans

• 18-Week Sweet Spot Plan — Available here
• 7-Week Haute Route Plan — Available here

Both plans include access to TrainingPeaks, which is a platform to track, plan and adjust your workouts. You don’t need it, but I’ve found it incredibly useful — it lets you move sessions around to fit your schedule, weather, or group rides.

If you’re arriving in France on July 1st, I recommend:

• Start the 18-Week Sweet Spot Plan at the beginning of January, then
• Move on to the Haute Route Plan in early May.

That’ll leave you a week or two to shuffle things as needed before we fly out.

These sessions can be done indoors or outdoors. I prefer the road, but the trainer works perfectly well. You don’t need to follow the plan to the letter — I just aim to complete the key sessions and hit the targets (power, heart rate, or perceived effort). I still mix in races, group rides and fun days on the bike — it all adds to the fitness you’ll need for Europe.

You don't need to purchase or follow these plans. The main thing is to consider your training in the lead-up to your trip. Arrive fit to get the most enjoyment out of it.

If you have any questions, please reply, call me (0413 852 222) or post in our Group chat on Messenger.
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If you're not in the Group Chat, send me a friend request at www.facebook.com/andyhellmich or a PM on Messenger, and I'll add you.

Speak soon
Andy

PS — I’ll share updates on what to pack, bike setup and gearing in December/January. Got questions sooner? Just reply or message me on Facebook — happy to help.