France Road Cycling – pedalnorth

Col de Turini from Nice

Pedalnorth Website — Sat, 11 Jan 2025 17:36:20 +0000

Cycling Adventures

MY FIRST COL – COL DE TURINI

by Diane Vilarem

I started cycling in the spring of 2019, and I immediately fell in love with it! The feeling of freedom was like nothing I had ever experienced before, and I really felt that I found the perfect complement to my Yoga practice. After about a month of bambi-like riding along the coast of the French Riviera I felt like it was time to take the bull by the horn and try one of the Maritime Alp cols. I mean, cycling is all about attacking those mountains, right? I really had no idea of what it was like to ride up a mountain, or hill for that matter, haha, or even which one to start with. Col de la Madone? Col d’Eze? Madone d’Utelle?

In the end, I decided to tackle the South side of the locally famous Col de Turini. This climb can be done from three different sides and ends at 1604m. Last years’ Tour de France passed through the shorter and steeper West side ascent then descended the South side. We took off an early Sunday morning in June, had a coffee at Café Du Cycliste by the port in Nice, then started riding through the city, up the short Col de Nice climb and into the little village of L’escarene where a short coffee stop was scheduled. The actual climb is 24km long from the village, with an average slope of 4%.

The first 6k of the climb is quite pleasant, 3-4% gradient until you reach another picturesque little village called Luceram. Here you can choose from two different (but very similar) routes that end up in an intersection approx. 10km later. The switchbacks start almost immediately as you exit the village, and it’s just a little hint of what’s coming up ahead! I still felt great at this point, enjoying the amazing views and finally feeling like a “real” cyclist attacking the mountain.

After some 5k of pleasant riding partly though a forest, you reach another intersection where a turn to the right will take you over to Col de Braus (I’ll tell you more about this amazing climb in another article) and by continuing straight you finally get to experience the real Maritime alps….5k of steep zigzagging up the mountain and halfway up this part I wasn’t smiling anymore but kept going. By the end of the zig-zag section you reach a “somewhat” flatter part of the climb, taking you into the mountain village Peira Cava.

From here it is roughly 8k to go. The climb takes you through a very nice forest until you reach the top which is an intersection where all three roads up Turini come together. You only ascend 200m from the village which makes the last part quite easy, apart from some short steep sections. It’s also common to ride into sheep-blockages at this section. When I finally saw the Turini sign, I felt victorious, proud and most of all very happy that I had beaten this climb, only a month after I bought my first road bike. I never would have imagined myself being a cyclist, and especially not one climbing big mountains!

There are three nice hotel/restaurants on the top and we fueled up with an amazing blueberry pie at the Hotel Les Trois Vallées, before descending back down to Nice. This ended up being the start of my Col-chasing. This last summer I spent 10 days climbing as many famous French Cols as I could find, but that will be the subject for another article. For now, look at the map and download the gpx file, then take yourself up this magnificent route

Stay safe and keep attacking those mountains!

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Cormet de Roselend France

Pedalnorth Website — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 14:08:55 +0000

Riding the Cormet de Roselend

The Cormet de Roselend is a superb classic Alps road cycling route, with local knowledge provided by our friends at TagRide in France, it’s definitely a route to enjoy.

At 1967 m, this high alpine pass in the Savoie provides awesome views, as you cross to beautiful Alberville and stay the night, before heading off elsewhere on your cycling tour of the Alps.

Route Information

Stats 71.49 km 1429 metres

Sitting at an altitude of 1968m the Cormet de Roselend connects Beaufort(744m) in the Beaufortain valley in the west and Bourg-Saint-Maurice(840m) in the Tarentaise Valley to the east.

The climb has a rich TDF history. It was first featured in the 1979 Tour de France and ten times since. In 2019 the climb was cut from the tour as a mudslide rendered the climb impassable.

It returns in 2020 for stage 18 and just happens to follow our preferred route over the Cormet!

Character

A beautiful but challenging Alpine col with stunning views of Roselend Dam and the Combe de la Neuve valley that requires stamina on the climb and demands respect on the descent. The Cormet can be approached from either the east or west aspect, and at the summit either turn around or continue over to descend the other side. The climb is equally tough, averaging 6.0% in both directions with sections reaching 10% from Beaufort and 9% from Bourg-Saint-Maurice.

Both east and west aspects of the pass have their own particular charm and challenges.

We prefer to cross it from east(Bourg) to west(Beaufort). The views offered as the valley opens up with every marker passed on the ascent from Bourg make the climb all the more rewarding and the combination of the superior surface and more flowing nature of the road make for a more enjoyable and safer descent to Beaufort (one only has to think back to Johan Bruyneel’s terrifying disappearing act over the edge of the Cormet on Stage 7 of the 1996 TDF whilst descending to Bourg to know what we mean).

Refreshments & Where to Stay

This route offers many options for breaks and refreshments. Aime, Bourg, Beaufort and Albertville in particular offer up a variety of restaurants; but it would be remiss of you not to stop to enjoy a famous Beaufort tart in this delightful riverside town.

There are two restaurants situated at the lake offering wonderful views, but we prefer to carry on down to the lovely town of Beaufort and enjoy refreshments in one of the river side cafes. Watch out for the green water fountains in Beaufort that resemble little fire hydrants, to refill your bottles here! Once you’ve left Bourg there is no opportunity to refill water bottles until you have reached the lake. You will find a water tap behind the bins at the end of the lake on the way down to Beaufort.

Route

1.We recommend starting this route in the picturesque riverside town of Aime at an altitude of just over 650m, at the carpark on Rue des Iles. It is here you will join the cycle path that follows the Isere for around 13km, gently climbing up to bourg St Maurice at 840m. The river keeps you cool on hot summer days and the gentle path allows you to warm those legs up before the start of the mountain road.

(But of course it is possible to start further down the valley. However the road is busy before this and not particularly pleasant to cycle)

2. At Bourg we come off the cycle path and things heat up as we get straight on to the Cormet and the climbing begins.

3. We follow the D902 up through some small villages and into the forest that offers up some welcome shade.

3. 7km on from Bourg and you reach probably the toughest section of climbing, knuckle down for 10 classic alpine switch backs laid out over 2.5km of alpine tarmac.

4.Switchbacks completed, the road opens up into the valley ahead and you are rewarded with a flattish 2km. Enjoy the wonderful views of the Valley des Glaciers and Les Chapieux.

5. With 7-8km left to the top of the pass there is still some tough climbing to go, but you are rewarded with spectacular views with every corner turned until reaching the top at 1968m. Stop to catch your breath, take in the wonderful scenery and take a picture in front of the famous col marker.

6. From here on in it’s (nearly) all downhill as they say on the D925, and 4km of flowing road leads us to a sweeping left hand bend that opens up stunning views to the dam below.

7. The road sweeps around the top end of the lake for 3km before swinging off right to the descent to Beaufort. The surface improves from here and flows nicely, allowing you to let off the brakes between switchbacks. However, the views into the Beaufortain Valley are definitely worth applying the brakes for to take a minute to enjoy the vistas.

8. From Beaufort we continue down the D925 dropping roughly 400m over 20km to the town of Albertville.

If you were feeling very Spritely, then the col de Saisse starts from Beaufort but we ll leave that for another day/route

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Col de Petit St Bernard Cycling Route

Pedalnorth Website — Fri, 26 Jun 2020 09:34:21 +0000

One of the classics of the alps and steeped in history, it is believed the Carthaginian General Hannibal used this very route. The road connects Bourg st Maurice on the edge of the Isere in France with the Aosta Valley in Italy via the French resorts of La Rosiere and La Thuile on the Italian side.

It offers a great introduction to alpine cycling. Although long at around 30km in length it has a steady average gradient of around 5%. The descent is made all the more enjoyable due to the great surface, stunning views and flowing bends.

Route Information

Stats 90 km 1595 metres

Refreshments & Where to Stay

This route offers many options for breaks and refreshments. Aime and Bourg in particular offer up a variety of restaurants and La Rosiere has plenty to offer as well along with stunning views. On the climb itself there are plenty of laybys to safely stop, but if your short on water be sure not to miss the Hotel Belvedere.

Character

Tough alpine road cycling route with extensive mountain views, and an epic descent to introduce you to alpine cycling.

Route

We start this route in the picturesque riverside town of Aime at an altitude of just over 650m at the carpark on Rue des Iles. It is here you will join the cycle path that follows the Isere for around 13km gently climbing up to bourg St Maurice at 840m. The river keeps you cool on hot summer days and the gentle path allows you to warm those legs up before the start of the mountain road.
At Bourg we pop off the cycle path and on to the D1090 and the famous climb to the Hospice and border checkpoint ahead.
Heading on we pass through the village of Seez and start into the switchbacks. Every metre gained rewards with even more stunning views to the ski station of les Arc across the valley and vistas upwards to Tignes and Val D’isere leading on to the mighty L’iseran.
About 14km out of Bourg you will find the Hotel Belvedre(marker16?) on your right with an outside water tap to quench your thirst. Its pink and easy to spot but is your last chance to refill your bottles before La Rosiere.
At the 23km mark you reach the Ski station Of La Rosiere 1850 and it has an array of restaurants and bars. A great spot to take in the views and some sustenance if required.
Pushing on through La Rosiere the roads takes a more meandering course than the switch backs below. With about 6km to go it sweeps to the right offering up views of the imposing Hospice ahead and the awaiting snow banks depending on the time of the year. From here the end is in sight and with a final push through the short section of switchbacks under the watchful eye of the st Bernard statue its on to the border and the top at 2188m.
We like to give the day an international feel by heading over the crossing a few hundred metres into Italy and enjoying a coffee on the Italian side before turning back to enjoy a lunch in the little restaurant on your right just before the hospice.
Well fed, the descent back to Bourg is a delight. The road is wide and sweeping with lots of tarmac to let off the brakes between the switchbacks, and is a great place to start for those new to or not as confident at alpine descending. From Bourg, you can retrace your path along the cycle path or the road to Aime.

For this route we have chosen to return from the top of the Col. Of course it is possible to continue as far as you like towards Aosta adding kms and m’s as desired. For those looking for a more challenging variation there is the option of a shorter, steeper ascent to La Rosiere via the town Montvalezan.

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Cevennes Gorges France

Pedalnorth Website — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 15:15:31 +0000

Three Routes in the Cevennes

ROAD CYCLING IN THE CEVENNES
Wonderful cycling in this beautiful area of the South of France, close to historic Montpellier

Image by Myrabella Wiki Commons

We have Phil Deeker of Rapha Cent Cols fame to thank for this, after we spotted some amazing photos on social media a couple of years ago, and also having watched Ray Meares’ ” Wild France” programme on TV. The region was described as being tranquil with a spectacular landscape; mountains, gorges and limestone plateaus.

This beautiful region of natural park is situated north east of the Ariege Pyrenees, and west of the Alps. It sits south of the city of Clermont Ferrand and north of Montpellier.

We chose to base ourselves in a small hamlet, which sits above the town of Florac, and it turned out to be a perfect location. Florac itself was approximately 5 miles from our gite, so we stocked up at the local supermarket and boulangerie on Sunday morning, and by lunchtime we were keen to get the legs turning, after two long days in the car.

We have full gpx files for the final three days, and google mapping for them.In time, we will add gpx files for the first two days riding too.

Click the links below and view details for each of the 5 days cycling in the Cevennes

Day 1: 19 miles Les Bondons

Day 1: 19 miles Les Bondons

We decided to do a short ride as we were tired from the journey. We cycled to a pretty village called Les Bondons, which involved a nice winding climb to get us started, leading to a striking plateau. The scenery, although you would not describe it as mountainous on this particular ride, was still spectacular with the “puechs” a distinct feature of this landscape. The roads were quiet and we descended back to our base on a very small road, with a rather bumpy surface.

Day 2: 65 miles Mont Aigoual

Day 2: 65 miles Mont Aigoual

The weather was beautiful, and we were ready for a longer day in the saddle. Mont Aigoual was our destination, at 1567m, this was definitely a mountain as opposed to a hill! To reach Mont Aigoual from Florac you have more than one option due to the network of roads. We chose to ride through the pretty village of Vebron and then through the Gorges du Tapoul. This is probably one of the quietest roads I’ve ever had the pleasure of riding: so scenic and peaceful… and also quite challenging with a good chunk of 9% as we climbed to the village of Cabrillac. From there it was the final stretch to Mont Aigoual, the road was a constant, slight uphill, but never steep at this point.

As we reached the road to the observatory, we saw a large group of cyclists. Up to then we’d not seen any other road cyclists. The views from the summit are simply magnificent, a clear blue sky and 28 degrees made this a pretty perfect day. We returned via a different road from Cabrillac, descending Col de Perjuret. Having ridden down this road, we decided it was a “must do” to ride up it during the course of our trip.

Day 3: 71 miles Riding above the Gorges

Day 3: 71 miles Riding above the Gorges

Another hot, blue sky day and we decided to head again towards Vebron to ascend the scenic Col de Perjuret, with its rugged cliff faces. Then came the descent to the town of Meyrueis. The start of this road was rather gravelly from recent road repairs, not ideal, but thankfully it was only for a short stretch. The town of Meyrueis was lovely, and we stopped to buy water and admired the town for a few moments. This would also be a nice place to stay in the Cevennes. From here we headed along the valley, along the Gorge de la Jontes, a wonderfully quiet, winding piece of road, with fascinating rocky features.

We could have ridden for many miles but we decided to turn around so that we could ride the other road out of Meyrueis, which takes you up above the Gorge de la Jontes, giving absolutely spectacular views. The valley road was pretty but this was magnifique! We soon came to a dramatic, open plateau, it seemed so vast. A gradual descent to begin, as we followed signs for St Enemie and the Gorge du Tarn. After a long stretch, the road rose again for the small climb to Col de Coperlac, and from here the views became breathtaking again. Sweeping switchbacks with barely any cars took you to to the tourist town of St Enimie. It was busy but the atmosphere was relaxed, it felt like a mix of locals and visitors all enjoying the sunshine, with many taking a dip in the river.

The road back to Florac was mainly flat from here but with a slight but constant headwind, making the return feel quite challenging. The scenery, however, was beautiful making each pedal stroke worthwhile. Once back in Florac, the last climb awaited us, approximately 4 miles up to the gite.

Day 4: 61 miles More Quiet Roads of the Cevennes

Day 4: 61 miles More Quiet Roads of the Cevennes

Blessed again with sunshine and blue sky, we headed out of Florac onto the tremendously scenic Corniche des Cevennes. A gradual climb, not steep, very quiet, paradise on two wheels! After reaching Col des Faisses we descended to the village of Le Pompidou, where we stocked up on water at a small bar. Our next destination was Barre des Cevennes, via a network of “white roads” on the map. We took a tiny road to the village of Gabriac, not the best surface but we survived! Next came the village of Sainte Croix Vallee-Francaise, very pretty and barely a soul around. From here we started the climb up to Barre des Cevennes. It was around 8 miles, with approximately 5 miles climbing at around 5% gradient. This was a real pleasure, sun on your back, ascending through the trees and rocky outcrops, up out of the valley.

More water purchased at Barre, then down to Saint Julian d’Arpaon and up to Col du Sapet. It was late afternoon by now and I was unsure how I’d fare on this last climb. Thankfully the legs got going and this turned out to be one of my favourite climbs of the week, the views across the dramatic Cevennes landscape helping to ease the tiredness away. After the climb came several miles of winding road as we headed to Le Pont Montvert, a lovely mountain town. Then it was pretty much downhill all the way for around 7 miles, back to our gite. A gem of a ride with around 6600 feet of ascent.

Day 5: Mont Lozere (Col du Finiels) 35 miles

Day 5: Mont Lozere (Col du Finiels) 35 miles

The legs were getting tired, but another day of fine weather meant we just had to head out again on the bikes. So we decided on a shorter ride, but it still came with a challenging climb. We decided to follow the road that our gite was situated on, climbing up through several pretty villages to the town of Le Pont Montvert. This is where the climb to Col du Finiels begins, the name of the road that gives spectacular views of Mont Lozere, one of the highest peaks in the Cevennes, at 1541 metres. It is also famous from Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes”.

We didn’t see anybody travelling with a donkey, in fact, we saw very few people at all, except for a small group of guys on electric bikes, enjoying the descent! The scenery was typical of what we’d become accustomed to during the last few days, stunning, vast, open landscape. Pretty wild flowers lined parts of the road, and we both agreed that although this was our first visit to the Cevennes, it definitely would not be our last.

We descended back to Le Pont Montvert and spent a little while admiring the town and taking photos. Finally, on to the sweeping descent back to our village, returning tired but happy with our fabulous five days of riding.

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Mont Ventoux and Gorge de la Nesque

Pedalnorth Website — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 13:19:45 +0000

Mont Ventoux and Gorge de la Nesque

MONT VENTOUX
The legendary French road cycling climb, taking in
this classic cycling route up the iconic mountain

Mont Ventoux

Bustling market towns, stunning lavender fields, breathtaking Gorges, and an iconic mountain climb, what more could you want from a ride? Starting from the market town of Sault, cross the plateau before climbing to the head of the Gorges de La Nesque. The spectacular viewpoint offers a perfect excuse for a break before descending down through the Gorges.

Mont Ventoux

Distance and ascent: 84km and 1917 metres of climbing

The Tour de France has never taken this dramatic gorge road as the tight twisting turns are too narrow for the caravan. After leaving the Gorges all roads lead to Mont Ventoux! Join the climb up this infamous mountain in the small village of Sainte Colombe, it is one of the toughest road climbs out there, over 20km in length with an ascent of 1639m. After climbing through the forest to Chalet Reynard you reach the famous lunar landscape and will pass the memorial to Tom Simpson on your way to the summit. All that is left is to enjoy the 27km descent back down to the village of Sault!

This route is described in an anti-clockwise direction in order to allow you to enjoy a stunning descent through the Gorges de La Nesque before climbing the most challenging side of Mont Ventoux. During July and August it may well be worth considering riding the route in the opposite direction as the climb of Mont Ventoux can get unbearably hot in the afternoon sun.

The route starts and finishes at the town of Sault and can be built into a fantastic cycling holiday at www.serredesormes.co.uk, located in the spectacular Gorges de La Meouge.

Route

1. From Sault follow signs to Carpentras on the D942.

2. After 3km turn left, signed Monieux and the Gorges de la Nesque. Follow the road all the way through the villages before reaching the village of Villes-Sur-Auzon.

Turn left into the village and at the junction turn right and after 100m turn right again signed to Flassan.

3. Turn left at Flassan, signed to Bedoin and then after a few 100m ignore the left turn and continue straight ahead until you reach D974. Turn right signed Sainte-Colombe and Mont Ventoux and follow this road past Chalet Reynard to the summit.

4. From the summit descend back down to Chalet Reynard and take the left turn to Sault.

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France Road Cycling – pedalnorth

Col de Turini from Nice

MY FIRST COL – COL DE TURINI

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