Tour de France cycling vacation

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION
All staff can choose to travel to and from events by train instead of by plane, even if it’s slower or more expensive.
We research train options for cyclists heading to or from their vacation, and offer personalised support when needed. We also encourage and facilitate cyclists to share transport (eg taxis) where possible.
To make rail travel easier—and reduce bike cargo on flights—we provide bike transport to and from the UK.
All feedstops are fully vegetarian, and once a week everyone enjoys a vegetarian evening meal.

ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE
Our office is fully paper-free; no vacation materials are printed or mailed unless specifically requested.
We prioritise ethical suppliers and favour companies with strong environmental credentials.
We use ethical banking services.
Through our partnership with Vegware, all feedstop plates, bowls, cutlery and cups are biodegradable.
Only recycled, recyclable or biodegradable bin bags and wet wipes are used.
Recycling bins are placed alongside general waste at every feedstop.

LOCAL ECONOMY
All our feed stop supplies are purchased locally (both from supermarkets as well as occasionally from local boulangeries and sometimes cafes).

Some of our hotels are locally owned and in the case of our Barcelona accommodation (2 nights), we are proud to be staying in an eco-hostel with Biosphere Sustainable Tourism certification. The hostel also supports Fundesplai: a non-profit organisation with the mission of educating children and young people, strengthening leisure organisations and the Third Sector, improving the environment and promoting citizenship and social inclusion, with transformative will.

People

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY & DIVERSITY
Our staff come from a wide range of backgrounds. We employ staff based in the UK, Spain and France and have a roughly 50:50 mix of male and female team members across all roles with no gender or LGBQT barriers.

The same is true for our participants who come from all 4 corners of the globe! Typically 10-20% of our riders are female. There are no gender of LGBQT barriers to participation.

CHARITY
We invite 2 young people from the charities supported by WWMT to join us on tour for 2 nights, cycling alongside us (or working with our team of feed stop staff or mechanics, depending on their area of interest) for one stage. They and their mentor speak to our group in the evening to explain more about their experiences and how the charity has supported them. This 'Charity Visitor on Tour' project is funded entirely by one of our past participants.

All our cyclists raise a minimum fundraising amount, donated directly for the William Wates Memorial Trust (WWMT). This is a family Trust, supporting initiatives that help severely disadvantaged young people steer clear of anti-social behaviour and crime, giving them the chance to realise their potential.

The Trust is a grant-making registered charity founded in 1998, dedicated to helping the most vulnerable young people avoid a life of crime and violence. It primarily does this by funding organisations that engage young people through sport, the arts and education.

While the majority of the projects funded are based in the UK, we continue to support Sport dans la Ville: a French charity that meets the goals of WWMT.

Will recognised the advantages he’d had in life and wanted to make a difference. We believe the Trust’s mission reflects the values and interests he would have championed today.

Further details about the Trust’s work, including its annual report, are available on request.