Day 1 - Thursday
Nice to Entrevaux 101km 2040m vertical.
We set out in convoy along the promenade and then as always with leaving Nice, you have to go up. We started climbing and it was then that people got a little envious that I wasn't carrying any luggage. The Dutchman had agreed to carry everything for me because I knew I would be the weakest rider in the group so for The Dutchman to get on his bike he had to perform a gymnastics routine to get over the tower at the back of his bike. I had been given a list of things I was allowed to bring but managed to sneak in some contraband makeup and clothes without him knowing :)
We were soon onto the peaceful quiet roads and headed up to Vence where we had some beautiful views of the valley. It was a little overcast but dry so it was perfect cycling weather. We continued climbing and had a 10km climb that started to bite a little near the end up to a tiny little village. We hadn't had time to stop for lunch due to some earlier mechanical issues so people were starting to blow going up the longer climbs such as Col de Trebuchet (1141m) and Col de Felines (930m). I was OK, I made it up all of the climbs but completely lost it on the last decent of the day down the Entrevaux where it was technical and steep. I had to stop and have a quick gel after I was about an inch from missing a switchback and launching myself over the edge. It made me realise how much even decending can take out of you. Maybe that is an indication of my current shape that I even blow up going down hill!!Entrevaux is a beautiful little walled town with a river along one side and a moat with 4 gates in and out across draw bridges. Really quaint and charming. I would really recommend it to anyone who wants to get away cycling for a few days to use it as a base. The hotel in the town in very cyclist friendly, the best part was they gave us all seconds for dinner knowing we had been riding all day!
Day 2 - Entrevaux to Entrevaux 123km 2150m verticalEveryone was very happy to leave their luggage in the hotel for day 2 and we set out to climb Col de La Couillole, a beyond category climb. This was going to be the toughest climb of the trip being over 16km and 1678m vertical. I knew it was going to be tough, and given how seriously I take my nutrition I was very silly and didn't eat enough before setting out which made the last 6km very unpleasant after I blew to pieces. I was really enjoying the spectacular views and we were riding up through the snow which was a great novelty but such hard work. The climb just seemed to go on for ever and I was getting slower which was not helping my mental state. I was trying to eat some bars but the damage had been done so I was having to stop frequently under the guise of taking pictures :)
I wasn't the only one who blew so after the lond winding decent we were all very pleased to spot a little place to grab
some food. The owner didn't really know what to make of us as we consumed numerous cokes, coffees, 2 main meals and dessert each. I was much happier and we started the next climb up to a ski resort. So funny to be cycling along and have skiiers zooming past! We got some strange looks at the top as everyone was having their afternoon hot chocolate and we roll into town on our bikes. After a fantastic long decent with fast sweeping corners along the side of the Daluis Gorge the road started to flatten out and I could start to enjoy the view. We had about 20km to get back to Entrevaux with a viscious headwind which was the theme of the trip! Midori and I jumped on the Dutch express and stuck like glue to the back of The Dutchman who pulled us home to a well deserved cold beer.
Day 3 - Entrevaux to Moustiers-Ste-Marie 86km 1300m verticalWe set off early with the aim being to go along the nouth side of the Gorge du Verdon, also known as the Grand Canyon of France. We set out from Entrevaux and did a wonderful climb to get over and across to the lake where we stopped in Castellane for coffee. It was cold, the wind was really gusting and it was threatening rain so we agreed to cut the ride short by 30km and go around the north side to get to Moustiers earlier. It was the right choice because it started raining just as we arrived at the hotel.
The gorge is so beautiful. There is a river that goes along the floor that is an emerald green and flows into a lake. I took some pictures but it is so hard to really capture how lovely it is. There is a road that goes along each side that has been purpose built for tourists and it is smooth and in great shape. Very welcome after 3 days in the saddle :)
Day 4 - Moustiers-Ste-Marie to Les Arcs 103km 1550m verticalWe were greeted with rain day 4 but decided to brave it. We were so lucky it stopped within 30 mins of setting out and the weather wasn't too bad. Our old friend Mr Headwind was of course with us. We started climbing up through Aiguines to get back up onto the side of the Gorge du Verdon and just had the most spectacular views. We crossed over the Pont de l'Artuby which is Europe's highest bridge with a 180m drop. A real engineering feat to build it!
The group had split so Oskar, The Dutchman and I stopped for lunch on the gorge and the other guys were in Comps-sur-Artuby, 13km away. Oskar was the powerhouse of the group. He is also Dutch, over 6'5'' and is built like an ox. The guy seriously missed a career as a time triallist. You point him in the direction you want to go and hold on for dear life. I was tucked in behind him and have never done such incredible speeds on the flats going into a headwind. He was dragging me along doing between 45 and 50km hour! I was working so hard with my heartrate sitting between 165 and 170 bpm and having the time of my life at the same time! We covered the 13km in a flash to catch up to the other guys. Everyone should get themselves an Oskar :)
We collected the others and continued on down towards Draguignan. The Dutchman was so pleased with himself that he found us a tiny little road that skirted around Draguignan so we didn't have to go through it. The rest of us were not so pleased given that stretches of it were 22% up!! The good news was it was over within 2km. I did try and get a local kid to swap his motorbike with my bike but he just laughed at me!
It was our last night together so we had a fabulous meal in the castle over looking Les Arcs. The castle was restored in the 70's after it had been used for years to grow mushrooms in. French food at it's best and we all had the 7 course dinner. Yum!
Day 5 - Les Arcs to Nice 113km 1000m verticalFinally the sun decided to come out! We had been very lucky with the weather but it was a welcome change to have some sunshine. We set out on a beautiful small road that was packed with cyclists! Anyone that had a bike was out enjoying the day with it being Easter Monday and also a bank holiday in France. We were climbing out of the valley out of Les Arcs and met some local triathletes who were telling me about the wonderful training rides they do. Makes Box Hill look like a speed bump :) The riding had much shorter climbs of 4km to 8km which suited me a lot more. The strange thing was I was feeling the strongest on day 5 so was powering up the climbs a lot better. We skirted around Grasse and then onto a quiet undulating road heading back to Nice. I jumped back into position behind The Dutchman and we had Oskar take on the head wind. The guys corner so much more agressivly than me so I kept slipping and would then have to sprint to catch the back of them again. Hard work but again very exhiliarating.
We got back to Nice and had an early dinner sitting on the beach. A perfect ending to a perfect 5 days :)
If anyone is interested in the routes we took or any tips about cycling in the Provence area, drop me a line, I am happy to share info.
Happy training.
Cx
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