Your resident and tour guide expert, Linna Dahlberg.

More pictures below!

Join Michael’s good friend and former team mate Nathan Dahlberg on this exotic and absolutely beautiful cycling trip.This is unlike anything you have ever seen before and promises to make for memories that will last a life time!

You will be in the best of care with Nathan, as he and his wife live in China (Linna, Nathan’s wife was born in China) and will be sure that you have all you need.

If you have any questions or concerns, either at  email Nathan at n.dahlberg@xtra.co.nz, or his colleague Joe Cruz (North American liaison): jcruz@williams.edu for more details. Michael is not sure if he can attend but wants to badly

Details and your formal invitation:

You are cordially invited to join former 7-11/Motorola pro rider and Tour de France veteran Nathan Dahlberg for ten days of riding near majestic Lijiang, China. This training camp will feature a backdrop of soaring mountains, stunning gorges, and high desert plateaus, exposure to modern and traditional China, and an informal, exploratory, adventurous spirit of hard cycling. 

 

If you have been on training holidays in places like Mallorca or Tucson, this camp will be different. Traveling in this part of China is for the adventuresome, as it treats you to different habits, foods, and social rules.  This trip s for the “wild at heart,” and those looking for a bit of good rides with some rough roads and great food!

We think the payoff for roughing it so far off the beaten path is well worth it. We will visit a fascinating and important part of the world that you would never ever see unless on this trip, and we will spend our days pedaling on testing terrain through incredible scenery.  The plateaus are reminiscent of Tibet, the passes could be in Colorado, and the mountains are similar to the Alps, but on a Himalayan scale.  Beyond Lijiang, our itinerary includes a three day riding excursion to Shangri-La. Yes, that Shangri-La.

 

The dates are October 22 to November 1, and North American riders can anticipate the total cost to be approximately US$5,500, depending on flight arrangements.  So, once you have covered the estimated US$1300 airfare, a fixed price of US$4200 includes just about everything else (see SUPPORT section below for details).

 

 

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ABOUT LIJIANG

 

Lijiang is in Yunnan Province in southern China near the border of Sichuan Province and Tibet.  Its magical reputation is due to a combination of breathtaking horizons, year-round springtime weather, and vibrant wooded countrysides. The Old City is one of the best preserved and restored examples of historical architecture in all of China, and it was listed as a UNESCO World Culture Heritage Site in 1997. Lijiang owes its traditions to the Naxi people, who blend elements of Chinese and Tibetan ways of life. The Mosuo, notable for their matriarchal society, can also be found near Lijiang.

 

Lijiang is an ideal base for riding. Easily accessible empty country roads lead to routes that vary from flat to rolling to world-class climbing (nearby Jade Dragon Mountain is 17,000 feet).  The city is at 7,400 feet; expect little chance of rain and highs in the mid-60's to low 70's in May. And while we do not provide expensive luxuries as part of the camp, the strong tourist economy makes it so that every comfort amenity is available, from cappuccinos to high-speed internet.

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ITINERARY

 

October 20th

Riders arrive in Lijiang

October 22nd

Late arrivals, bike prep, afternoon exploratory ride through local villages

October 23rd

Lijiang Mountain ride, difficult climbing

October 24th

Lakefront ride, rolling terrain

October 25th

Lijiang countryside ride (easy day)

October 26th

Tiger Leaping Gorge ride, climbing

October 27th

Ride to Shangri-La

October 28th

Easy/Rest day in Shangri-La

October 29th

Shangri-La back to Lijiang (185k hardest day)

October 30th

 Lijiang countryside ride

October 31st

Lijiang countryside ride, pack bikes

November1st

Riders depart for home

  

 

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SUPPORT

 

Again, the cost of the training camp is US$4200.

 

We will provide:

- A ride guide, namely, Nathan and or Michael Carter

- Basic but clean and comfortable guest house accommodations (doubles, or singles with $1,000 supplement)

- Three meals per day (no alcohol included) and on-bike snacks

- Airport pickup and drop-off

- Follow car on 100k plus rides and on Shangri-La excursion

- Off-bike guide and professional translator fluent in Mandarin, French, and English

- Informal training advice and amusing stories

 

You will be responsible for:

- Airfare to Lijiang.

- Meals on flying days.

- Chinese visa ($155.00 as of May 28, 2008), to be arranged before departure, even if flying to Hong Kong

- Travel and health insurance.

- Your (road) bicycle and kit, including spares and basic tools.

- Souvenirs and incidentals.

- Not whining!!!

 

 

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TRAVEL

 

There are numerous ways to get to Lijiang, but the most economical is to purchase two round trip tickets, one to Hong Kong and one on a Chinese domestic discount airline from Shenzhen, in mainland China, to Lijiang.  This will involve an inexpensive bus transfer and border crossing between the two airports, and requires arrival in Hong Kong as early in the day as possible to allow a margin of at least five or six hours between flights.

 

 

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ABOUT NATHAN

 

Nathan Dahlberg hails from New Zealand, where he started competing at 16 and was junior national champion a year later.  He joined the professional ranks in 1988 and raced for 7/11, Motorola, and Spago in numerous one day classics and stage races including two Tours de France.  Highlights from those years include wins in stages of the Tours of Switzerland, England, and Mexico, and a win in the GP of Antwerp.  During a long recovery from an accident in 1992, Nathan earned an Olympic Coaching diploma in cycling, and subsequently shifted his focus away from the European scene. With the help of Dutch colleagues he formed the Marco Polo cycling club to promote global cycling.  In the last seven years this project has not only sent teams from Europe to race abroad, but it has also brought riders from Asia and Africa to race in Europe, most recently through a Discovery Channel Team sponsorship.  Throughout this period Nathan continued to compete at an elite level and by now he has raced in 40 different countries with over one hundred victories.  In the last three years he has diversified his career even further by serving as national cycling coach in Bahrain, and by organizing road and mountain bike races in Pakistan and China.

 

Nathan now splits his time between China and his native home, where he is developing the first Kiwi UCI continental pro road team.

 

 

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BOOKING & CONTACT DETAILS

 

Naturally, it would be useful for us to have some idea as soon as possible of the likelihood that you will come along.  Once you have made a firm decision to join us, it would be wise to purchase airline tickets as early as possible.  Joe Cruz will assist in making flight arrangements for North American riders.  Please consult him before booking.

 

The only other booking deadlines are as follows.

 

- US$200 non-refundable deposit due April 1st, 2008 via paypal or check

- US$1000 balance due April 20th, 2008 via paypal or check

 

 

 

Nathan Dahlberg: n.dahlberg@xtra.co.nz

Joe Cruz (North American liaison): jcruz@williams.edu

Yulong Mountains

Yulong Shan – Jade Dragon Mountain towering 3800 meters above Tiger Leaping Gorge.

Bai sha country village

Beautiful countryside!

Lijiang Old Town at night.