SpiceRoads gives push to bike tourism with pro-guided tour

RIDING the growing wave of road cycling in Thailand, SpiceRoads Cycle Tours has rolled out a new tour led by a champion cyclist to entice biking enthusiasts.

Starting from Bangkok on January 31 and ending in Phuket on February 7 next year, the eight-day programme will be led by Sean Kelly, one of the most successful professional cyclists for over 18 years until his retirement in 1994.

The Ride with Sean Kelly tour is designed for cyclists who want to push themselves hard each day, as riders joining this programme “need to be fit and be able to sustain a minimum speed of 30kph”, according to Patricia Weismantel, product manager of SpiceRoads.

On the other hand, participants will experience riding alongside a former professional cyclist, with opportunities to get training tips and first-hand account of tales on the cycling circuit.

Participants will cover 700km across six cycling days, with overnight stays at resorts and afternoons free to spend at their leisure.

Priced at US$2,750, the programme will be fully supported by air-conditioned vehicles, with water, sports drinks and snacks provided along the way. Riders can bring their own bikes or rent a Trek 2.1C from SpiceRoads for US$200. The programme is limited to 20 participants.

Depending on the turnout for the inaugural tour, the Bangkok-based bicycle tour operator might roll out similar programmes with other professional riders in future, Weismantel revealed.

Bike tourism has been identified as an emerging segment by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, which hosted the inaugural Bangkok Bike Expo 2013 (TTG Asia e-Daily, April 1, 2013) in May and has recently piloted new cycling routes in central Thailand under the Pedal Around Thailand initiative as part of its ‘7 Greens’ concept.

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