NISSA LIGHT BELLA "When I realised that every morning I would see this light again", wrote Henri Matisse, “I couldn’t believe how lucky I was.” Paris may be the city of light, but Nissa La Bella in winter is the capital of soft low light.

Col de Vence: Nos montagnes à la carte #9 There is a ranch near the top of the Col de Vence: this fact will tell you a lot. Yes, it may only be a venue for horse-trekking, but there are cattle that roam across this mountain, and of all the cols we ride from Nice, Vence is the driest and dustiest and most open. It is the furthest west, and therefore the furthest of our favourite climbs from the great spine of the Alps, divider of peoples, trapper of clouds that lifts itself between France and Italy. The Col de Vence lies at 962m, above the bustling town of Vence and if you can tear your eyes off your stem in the final kilometres, you’ll have a great view of the Mediterranean from Italy to Cannes and beyond. Riders appreciate this openness in winter, since it allows you to climb (and, more importantly, descend) almost all the way in the sun. In the summer the heat can become blinding and oppressive; do not forget to fill up with water at the fountain that marks the proper start of the climb on the outskirts of Vence. It is said that Alberto Contador rode this 9.6km stretch, which rises 630m and averages 6%, in less 24 minutes. Strava times for local pros including the Café’s friend, Ian Boswell, suggest this is highly possible. Mere mortals who do it in less than 35 should count themselves lucky. It may be the baking heat, or the exhaustion of the climb, but strange things are reputed to go on at the top of the Col de Vence. It is, according to devotees of the disputed science of ufology. Strange anomalies, objects flying at high speed, unexplained lights, all have been witnessed from the Col, or on the plateau, though one of the most recent – the so called ‘Jellyfish of the Colle de Pouis’ – was proven to be a fake. Behind the Col de Vence is the Plateau de Saint Barnabé. For those on the Ironman Nice Triathlon this means the end is almost in sight. After one more short climb, a stunning road dips down towards the Esteron valley and back towards the Var and the Promenade finish line in Nice. For cyclotourists of a more contemplative nature, it is the entrance to a high plateau of farms and perched villages basking in the sun, many offering cafés to tempt you to stop to enjoy the scenery. You may also tempted to stay on the lower slopes, which were a famous hotspot for artists during the 20th century. La Colombe d’Or restaurant in nearby Saint Paul de Vence used to exchange its cuisine for artworks from those in the area. Now, its dining room is a gallery containing priceless Picassos, Matisses and Calders; a Braque, a Miró and a Chagall. Dining in Lycra – even Café du Cycliste Lycra – is not encouraged. Read more about where we ride and our local climbs in our Montagnes à la Carte series. Or visit us in Nice and experience them for yourself. Photography : Greg Annandale Words : Max Leonard Nos montagnes à la carte Madone d’Utelle Madone d’Utelle, sitting on a bluff that dominates the Var valley at the confluence of the Esteron and the Tinée, is a fixed point of navigation. VIEW MORE Col de la Bonette Claimed to be the highest paved road in Europe, true or not it is perhaps the least of its attractions. VIEW MORE Col de Tende If you like getting off the beaten track, you will like the Col de Tende. VIEW MORE Col de la Madone It’s a dramatic start to arrive in Menton and climb immediately from sea level, Col de la Madone is famed as a training hill for the pros. VIEW MORE Mont Ventoux When Napoleon wanted to construct the best naval fleet, he went for the toughest wood, coming from Mont Ventoux. VIEW MORE Col de Turini The thick forests of the Col de Turini are testament to the unpredictable weather the highest of the coastal climbs near our home town of Nice. VIEW MORE Col de Braus Find the point on Col de Braus where René Vietto, one of cycling’s greatest ever climbers, broke away to win his first professional race. VIEW MORE Mont Vial Mont Vial, standing at the confluence of the Tinée, Esteron and Var valleys, where the three rivers combine. VIEW MORE Col de Brouis For the people of Breil-sur-Roya before the Second World War, the Col de Brouis was a lifeline. It was the only route for them to the rest of France. VIEW MORE Mont Chauve Mont Chauve is Nice’s hidden mountain. It is hiding in plain sight, sitting there just to the north, right above the city, but nevertheless it is hidden VIEW MORE

September Sessions Admittedly, it's already October. But this ride took place in September and therefore can merit the title ‘September Sessions’. For those unfamiliar with it, September Sessions is a surfing documentary filmed by singer - songwriter Jack Johnson. It captures a moment in surfing history when international superstar Kelly Slater escapes the professional scene and swaps competition and sponsor obligations for soul surfing on new breaks to rekindle his spirit. September in the Alpes-Maritimes offers a similar kind of escapism. Beside the sea, the mercury rests somewhere in the mid-20s. In the mountains temperatures are pretty much pitch-perfect for riding. Roads are quieter, the sun is lower, the light is softer. And the big cols are still open. Legs are still in shape after the high summer season of long days and hard riding. The racing season is coming to a close and riding agendas are beginning adapted for the crossover to winter mode. It’s the perfect time for some free riding, up high. Ask any Azuréen cyclist worth the salt on their sweaty summer jersey about the Trois Cols and they will go all misty-eyed. Three cols - Allos, Champs and Cayolle. Each one more than 2,000m high, each one with its own charm, every one with its own challenges. It's a 100km loop of pure ups and downs - any flats along the way are false ones. In the cycling world, it is a relatively unknown option, maybe because it’s neither race, sportive or brevet. It just is. There are no rules. Go clockwise or anti-clockwise, either way will not disappoint and each col will leave its own imprint on your cycling brain. In September the roads are empty, the sky is a deep blue and the slopes are still vibrant green. Allos has its signs for fly fishing beside the valley’s grand river on the early 4% gradients, the ski village, deserted at this time of year, and newly laid tarmac that winds its way under the lifts to the 2250m summit. A col that cuts through the ridge with high banks either side, it really does go through the lowest part of this particular mountain. The refuge at the top overlooks the Ubaye valley. It’s the only one with remnants of the Tour de France still remaining in white paint on the first set of switchbacks on the north side. Zip up your windbreaker, let the the brakes go, tip it in and find your flow. Cayolle is a 29km-long story of gorges, open pastures and above-the-tree-line Alpine ruggedness. Locals will know that you can take a cut-through road directly off the descent from Allos and on to the climb without having to go the whole way into Barcelonette. Winding through the gorge, the numerous bridges take dramatic turns over the Bachelard river that gets noisier each week with the over-night rain that often falls up above. Out of the gorge, into the forest at Bayasse surrounded by magic trees providing that alpine fresh fragrance that every car driver seeks to emulate. Above the tree line, another mountain refuge offers comfort on the entrance to the amphitheater created by the peaks that tower over the west side of the Col. The Cayolle sits on the border between the Haute-Alpes-de-Provence and the Alpes-Maritimes. Like the Var River whose source is 5km down below, this is where the high mountains start their dive into the Med. Eyes front, heads down, through the tunnels towards Saint-Martin d’Entraunes. But it’s no competition, so stop in the switchbacks to take in the perfect mountain vista below. The Col des Champs offers the final part of mountain drama to finish off the trilogy. In 1975 it was part of the Tour de France when Merckx was the first to the top before he had his famous grand defaillance on the final climb to Pra-Loup. A team Bianchi car crashed on the descent to Colmars and French rider Bernard Thévenet went on to win the stage as The Cannibal showed that he was in fact human. But Tour de France history, whilst nice, is not what is special about this road and this route. The Col des Champs maybe sums it up best. It's a mountain pass like no other, it has roaming sheep and cattle, a plateau of open pastures, gravel roads branching off towards dramatic grey rock formations and a near 360 view offering a kaleidoscope of all that is great about the high mountains. It's been said before that cycling life above 2,000m is the best life. And September is perhaps the best time to be there. The Komoot Route

Riviera Gravel #5 – Via del Sale The Via del Sale or Route de Sel, depending on which side of the border you live, is maybe the pinnacle of Riviera Gravel. It's one of the highest unpaved roads within reach of Nice and quite possibly the most impressive. Reaching the route requires either an out-and-back day trip by car or on the touristic Train des Merveilles, or a multi-day ride from the Café. Whatever your chosen method, to go there is to pass from one azur coastal world to another, higher, alpine place of beauty. Arriving in Tende, looking up reveals an almost 360 degree surround of peaks, in which hides the network of historic gravel roads. These are not simple forest fire roads, but donkey paths the evolved into the double-tracks that gravel riders know and love. What remains of the engineering and construction of the Via del Sale is evidence of its purpose - this was an important trade route for a valuable commodity. From Tende many will prefer to take the switchback packed old border road that snakes its way up the mountainside to the old cross roads and abandoned military barracks that find themselves surrounded by the skiers of the Limone Piemonte resort during winter months. Alternatively, you can choose to add extra distance by starting your ride beside Mussolini's grand abandoned train station in Saint-Dalmas-de-Tende and climb to Casterino. It's a beautiful 13km alpine road to the hamlet where you then continue upwards towards the loose stuff. The east side of the Casterino valley tops out above the tree line at the Baisse de Peïrefique from where you follow the mountain's curve, enjoying a relatively flat and fully panoramic ride with impressive views of the Col de Tende. From Col de Tende following the track east is where the real ambiance of the old salt road kicks in. It's a roller coaster ride along the ridge line, up and over peaks, in and out of the contours of the mountains. Physically demanding and visually rewarding. That Instagram-winning moment comes as the road decides to follow a cliff edge pointing north east towards Turin before turning abruptly back on itself in the direction of the Mediterranean. Those who have ridden the Torino-Nice Rally will remember this section only too well. Many will have been aiming for a hearty Italian dinner and a good night of sheltered sleep at the Rifugio Don Barbera, a 20km ride from the Col de Tende itself. Here you can find refuge in a place where you feel completely removed from modern life. If it wasn't planned, the temptation to take an alpine overnighter will be strong. From the Refuge, the road climbs out to the dramatic views of the Cime de Pertégue before some welcomed descending into pine forests, in which some of the best mountain cabins this side of a hipster-coffee table book are hiding. The final climb of the ride is religious. Or at least it might feel that way if you are riding the whole route in one go. Up to the Passo di Tanarello with its viewpoint over the layers of peaks that line themselves up like accordion back down towards the coast, the last climb is a steep one. From here, the descent to La Brigue is long and rough, taking good bike-handling skills and strong forearms to cover the ground as efficiently as possible. Sometimes that is gravel riding. It's why they say maybe four hours on the rough stuff is worth six on the smooth. But the Via del Sale is not about statistics. It is an experience that will last a lifetime. Read more about the unbeaten tracks that surround Nice in our Riviera Gravel series. THE ROUTE - https://www.strava.com/routes/21790163

Col de Braus: Nos montagnes à la carte #8 About two kilometres from the top of the Col de Braus there is a section of 15% gradient. As this passes, the road takes a little turn to the right and, if you’ve been concentrating solely on what’s ahead, the climb now invites you to look back over the valley. There is a nice low wall to sit on and you can tell yourself, no, it’s not because you’re out of breath, you need to stop to take a picture of the road panorama below. We do at Café du Cycliste without fail, and we label it #everytimeipass. We like to think that this is where René Vietto, one of cycling’s greatest ever climbers, broke away to win his first professional race. René was born in Cannes, and as a boy worked at the Casinos while his mother picked jasmine flowers for the perfume makers in Grasse. René bought a bike with his tips and trained, and in 1931 won the Boucle de Sospel, launching an attack on Braus that would not get brought back. He did the same thing three years later, except that time it was during the Tour de France (which has passed over Braus 27 times, the last time being in 1961). He soloed from Braus to win on the Croisette in Cannes, where the crowd went wild, and where one of his supporters, spying someone trying to interfere with the hometown hero, punched the suspicious guy and knocked him out. That man was Jacques Goddet, the Tour’s assistant director. People have been stopping to marvel at this view forever; or, at least, since the col’s famous switchbacks were constructed in the early 20th century. It speaks to something in everyone – drivers and cyclists – who has ever laboured up a road to enjoy a view. However, this is not somewhere to pause if you’re a rally driver – the Monte Carlo Rally sometimes passes through, leaving black rubber marks on the hairpins which never quite fully fade away. Usually, though, the road is quiet, and the weather in this valley seems always to be gentler and sunnier than others inland. Locals come here to hunt in the valleys, and there is a secret swimming spot below, and if you’re here in the winter on a clear day you might even see all the way to the sea. Take your time up the ascent and you will admire the olive groves, and maybe spy the remnants of the old Route Royale, the salt road that linked Nice and the coast to Piedmont and the Dukes of Savoy in Turin. Read more about where we ride and our local climbs in our Montagnes à la Carte series. Or visit us in Nice and experience them for yourself. Photography : Greg Annandale Words : Max Leonard Nos montagnes à la carte Madone d’Utelle Madone d’Utelle, sitting on a bluff that dominates the Var valley at the confluence of the Esteron and the Tinée, is a fixed point of navigation. VIEW MORE Col de la Bonette Claimed to be the highest paved road in Europe, true or not it is perhaps the least of its attractions. VIEW MORE Col de Tende If you like getting off the beaten track, you will like the Col de Tende. VIEW MORE Col de la Madone It’s a dramatic start to arrive in Menton and climb immediately from sea level, Col de la Madone is famed as a training hill for the pros. VIEW MORE Mont Ventoux When Napoleon wanted to construct the best naval fleet, he went for the toughest wood, coming from Mont Ventoux. VIEW MORE Col de Turini The thick forests of the Col de Turini are testament to the unpredictable weather the highest of the coastal climbs near our home town of Nice. VIEW MORE Col de Vence The Col de Vence lies at 962m, above the bustling town of Vence and if you can tear your eyes off your stem, you’ll enjoy the stunning view. VIEW MORE Mont Vial Mont Vial, standing at the confluence of the Tinée, Esteron and Var valleys, where the three rivers combine. VIEW MORE Col de Brouis For the people of Breil-sur-Roya before the Second World War, the Col de Brouis was a lifeline. It was the only route for them to the rest of France. VIEW MORE Mont Chauve Mont Chauve is Nice’s hidden mountain. It is hiding in plain sight, sitting there just to the north, right above the city, but nevertheless it is hidden VIEW MORE

WHERE TO RIDE FROM NICE – VENCE Take the piste cyclable west and then climb the side of the Var valley and over to the pretty artists’ town of Vence. Fill up with water at the fountain before tackling this climb that’s a favourite with locals. On the top of the Col de Vence there are beautiful views over all the coastal towns, but once you drop off the back (and climb ever so slightly higher), you’ve left civilisation behind, and you’re out in the wilderness. Bouyon is a good stop for water, and Le Broc has a boulangerie and café, and then you descend back down the Var. If you want to dial the difficulty down, keep on going on the piste cyclable to the coast; otherwise, take the mapped route up to Aspremont for one more climb and a back-roads descent into Nice. key kit Fleurette Jersey The Col de Vence is south facing and the rocky landscape reflects the heat all year around. From spring through to the end of summer, take a Fleurette to handle the furnace that is the Fournaise. VIEW THE JERSEY RIDE INSIGHTS Vence happens to have not only what is perhaps the most perfectly located fountain, it’s right on the junction where the climb starts, but the town is actually famous for the purity of its water. READ MORE 1 - THE ROUTE DOWNLOAD GPX Please login or create an account to download file. 2 - RENT AND RIDE Travel light and book your bike. We offer a range of rental bikes, the R5 Cervelo road bike and the Aspero Cervelo gravel bike along with titanium road bikes from French marque Leon. Each bike is complete with pedals, tool bag and rear light while, if needed, each rental can also include Specialized shoes and helmet. VIEW OUR RENTAL BIKES 3 - THE CAFÉ Located on the Old Port, our café is the prefect pre and post-ride meeting place. With some routes that begin almost outside, excellent coffee and a full range of our clothing collections for men and women. There are weekly rides as well if you’d like to discover riding on the Cote D’Azur with like minded companions. You can find us at: 16 Quai des Docks 06300 Nice other rides When the ville of Nice decided to use #nicecyclingparadise to promote the grand depart of the 2020 Tour de France, there was definite method in the madness. If Paradise Lost has over ten thousand lines of verse, this cycling paradise found has almost as many routes, roads, stretches, views, climbs, cols, lacets, stops and starting points. Enough at least to satisfy even the most discerning cyclist. NISSA ALL-ROAD Linking two classic Alpes-Maritimes cols via a gravel ridge-line ride on a loop that takes you from portside to the heart of the mountains and back again. VIEW THE RIDE MONT CHAUVE Mont Chauve, known as Nice’s ‘bald mountain’, proves that nature constructed one of the best viewpoints the city has to offer. VIEW THE RIDE BONETTE Join the climb directly from the village and get ready for a day of zero flat riding by climbing and descending both sides of the mountain,. VIEW THE RIDE Braus & Turini Time to get serious. A ride that includes two of the majestic cols from our Montaignes a la Carte series and typical of what makes riding from Nice such an intoxicating mixture of pleasure and pain. VIEW THE RIDE Esterel & Adrets The Esterel national park stretches between Saint Raphaël and Théoule-sur-Mer. Stay close to the coast and, early in the year, watch out for the mimosa flowers on the descent back towards Cannes. VIEW THE RIDE Éze & Madone One of the classic rides of the region, which takes in two legendary climbs and hits you with a 10% slope right at the start. Ride out from our Café in Nice, take on the challenge and return to claim your badges. VIEW THE RIDE Mortola Ride a portion of the famous F1 Grand Prix course in Monte Carlo, and then climb out towards Menton, the last town in France, and over the border. It may be short but it includes two countries and into one principality. VIEW THE RIDE Duranus & Saint Blaise Head up the valley to where three rivers meet, climb higher still and take the time to look around. For those who are looking for some serious up, take in the Madone d’Utelle, from our Montaignes a la Carte series. VIEW THE RIDE GILETTE & BONSON The back country of Nice opens up behind the coast and this ride provides easy access. VIEW THE RIDE OUR BADGES To celebrate the local climbs and the roads we ride, we’ve created a badge for each of our local cols, collected together in our Montagne à la Carte series. The hard part of collecting your badge is climbing the col. CLAIM YOUR BADGE

Cool Spots For Red Hot Rides Hidden deep within the arrière pays Niçois we found some of the freshest pools spawned straight from mountain springs. The perfect antidote for high summer rides.

Take Me To The River #3 : Rocchetta Nervina Crossing the frontier from France to Italy is not only to chase the perfect espresso but also a feeling of having it all. It might seem strange, but the astonishing difference crossing from France into Italy is real. Is it the smell, the light, the Fiat Punto on the wrong side of the road? Andrea Mifsud, although he lives in Mougins, has a heritage that also crosses borders. With a mother from the Lombardia region of Italy and father who is half French and half Maltese, Andrea can claim to be fully Mediterranean. He has a strong bond with Italy, which sees him returning regularly for longer rides into the Ligurian hinterlands. With his 20 years of age he’s on the upward curve in his racing career but that doesn’t mean he doesn’ t like to mix it up when doing the longer steady rides – like exploring the Italian olive groves and ending it with a wild swim. The pastel colors of the old town of Ventimiglia fade into each other, just like Andrea’s jerseys and the roads and city have that Italian hustle and bustle that somehow fades into an almost musical anthem. Andrea adapts to the pace and strikes a vibrant modern flash across and older-looking town, before turning left up the valley towards Dolceaqua and then Rocchetta Nervina situated at the top of the valley amongst olive groves and the foothills of the bigger mountains. The altitude and the steady climate will guarantee a quality production of the olives, just as they do for the professional riders living in Monaco who make a habit of riding to Dolceaqua for a doppio on their recovery days. Andrea continues straight through Dolceaqua, keen to get to the river. His plight is helped by an Ape – those traditional 3-wheeled, vespa-engined, flat-bed utility vehicles that serve rural Italy so well. The also provide a nice bit of motor-pacing on the false flats and steady gradients that lead up the valley. Steady, that is, if you stay in the valley. A left turn right before Hotel Lago Bin on the Strada Provinciale 68 climbs up into the olive groves like only an Italian road can. It’s a short loop but it’s a severe one. Tarmac becomes corrugated concrete, becomes gravel. Secrets only discovered when turning each corner on yet another surface change through the precious Taggiasca olive trees which produce olives with a soft taste of fruit, just like the smell flowing in the air. It is like a kick in the face coming around yet another corner to see one more muro to be climbed on a that a “road” that is only know by the local olive farmers. Surely the Apes can’t make it up here. Descending directly down into Rocchetta Nervina, with a population of only 275 people, it is quiet. Very quiet. Heads turn to greet Andrea as he slowly enters the square of the former Roman village, which during medieval times brought the pilgrims from Piedmont to the Nervia Valley. Andrea turns left that takes him directly to the most beautiful and clean swim hole just behind the square itself – it’s the most accessible swim hole but somehow having the village as a backdrop makes it a special experience. The Savoys brought peace to the village in the 17th century and that feeling has stayed ever since, leaving the place to be a haven of tranquility, even though it is a popular spot. Locals used to go higher up the river to dive in or go canyoning, but recent landslides have put a stop to that. But that doesn’t take anything away from it. The rougher rock face on the left forms a channel with the polished slab of granite on the right, the former providing a place to jump from and the latter a place to dry out and relax on. It is another very chaud summer day of riding and the refreshing mountain water is everything anyone will ever need to cool down. After drying up and getting back on the bike, Andrea decides it is time to stop at Dolce Aqua. The café on the corner, the well-known spot for riders in the area with a specific flair for the perfect espresso (we are proud of our coffee, but we have to give the Italians respect for what they do with their coffee beans). The contrast of Andrea’s full-on race bike fitted with one of the new-wave handlebar bags filled with his swimming kit draws attention. He falls into conversation with a few locals and before we know Andrea’s Italian side is showing with hand gestures and impassioned stories about his dad. It almost feels like home. See the full swim collection here. Or simply check out our series of Take Me To The River swim holes.

Col de Turini: Nos montagnes à la carte #7 The thick forests of the Col de Turini are testament to the unpredictable weather on this, the highest of the coastal climbs near Café du Cycliste’s home town of Nice. Even close to the top of the heaped switchbacks that take riders closer to 1,604m, the sea can still be glimpsed, and warm, wet, maritime air regularly drifts inland and buffets the mountain, leading to downpours on its slopes Across its sylvan slopes thread innumerable trails and roads. Some are fit only for wild boar, deer and, in the autumn, an army of people attracted by the wild mushrooms that thrive in the cool damp shade of the chestnuts, larch and pines. Some of the best chefs in Nice have been spotted collecting mushrooms by hand, to serve in the finest Riviera restaurants that evening. Piera Cava, the village highest on the Turini’s flanks, has an annual mushroom festival where freshly picked delicacies are served alongside wild boar sausages and local wine. Cyclists may be bewildered by the profusion of roads to the Col de Turini. The main routes lead from L’Escarène, closest to Nice, and from Sospel and Lantosque. But pass by the Col Saint Roch, or by the dirt roads to Le Moulinet and you can still get to the top. It starts to resemble a real labyrinth. The numerous routes point to some higher purpose for the pass, one that has almost been buried in history… and higher is where you have to go to find it. Unusually for an Alpine col, Turini is not the highest road around. Travel up above the pass and first you’ll find a small ski resort, and then, even further up, the summits of the Authion Massif. L’Authion culminates at 2,082m, and is a series of interlinking peaks and small plateaux crowned by ruined forts and bunkers. Thanks to its viewpoint high over the Italian border, over several river valleys, and, in the distance, the Col de Tende, the high pass of the ancient salt route to Turin, it had tremendous strategic importance. Control l’Authion, in times gone by, and you controlled the Alpes-Maritimes. During France’s Revolutionary wars in 1793 and 1794, French soldiers mounted attack after attack on the 14,000 or more Savoy soldiers stationed there. They were repelled before eventually taking the Authion, and the region. The ruins now guarding the Massif date from the 19th century, when these Alps became definitively French. Back then, with so many soldiers stationed permanently at altitude, the towns of Piera Cava, La Bollène and Le Moulinet were bustling, thriving places, with markets, bars and entertainments for the massed troops. Now, it is quieter, but the impressive engineering of the roads to the summit remains. The most easterly ascent has been made famous by the Monte Carlo Rally, and the special night-time stage that for decades lit up the snowbound forests every winter. There has also been some notable night-time cycling. In 2001, a group of five English friends were riding from Geneva to Cannes, raising money for a leukaemia charity after loved ones were stricken with the cancer. They arrived at the top of Turini well after dark, exhausted and knowing they had to push on. But to descend the hairpins in darkness was potentially fatal. At that moment, attracted by the day’s residual heat radiating from the Tarmac, thousands of fireflies descended and landed on the road, lighting the cyclists’ way down. The Fireflies Tour, as it is now known, has raised millions of pounds for charity, and still passes every year. Read more about where we ride and our local climbs in our Montagnes à la Carte series. Or visit us in Nice and experience them for yourself. Photography : Greg Annandale Words : Max Leonard Nos montagnes à la carte Madonne D'Utelle Madone d’Utelle, sitting on a bluff that dominates the Var valley at the confluence of the Esteron and the Tinée, is a fixed point of navigation. VIEW MORE Col de la Bonette Claimed to be the highest paved road in Europe, true or not it is perhaps the least of its attractions. VIEW MORE Col de Tende If you like getting off the beaten track, you will like the Col de Tende. VIEW MORE Col de la Madone It’s a dramatic start to arrive in Menton and climb immediately from sea level, Col de la Madone is famed as a training hill for the pros. VIEW MORE Mont Ventoux When Napoleon wanted to construct the best naval fleet, he went for the toughest wood, coming from Mont Ventoux. VIEW MORE Col de Braus Find the point on Col de Braus where René Vietto, one of cycling’s greatest ever climbers, broke away to win his first professional race. VIEW MORE Col de Vence The Col de Vence lies at 962m, above the bustling town of Vence and if you can tear your eyes off your stem, you’ll enjoy the stunning view. VIEW MORE Mont Vial Mont Vial, standing at the confluence of the Tinée, Esteron and Var valleys, where the three rivers combine. VIEW MORE Col de Brouis For the people of Breil-sur-Roya before the Second World War, the Col de Brouis was a lifeline. It was the only route for them to the rest of France. VIEW MORE Mont Chauve Mont Chauve is Nice’s hidden mountain. It is hiding in plain sight, sitting there just to the north, right above the city, but nevertheless it is hidden VIEW MORE

WHERE TO RIDE FROM NICE – CAP D'ANTIBES The classic winter training route and a perfect recovery ride. Simply take the cycle path west along the sea front, keeping an eye out for rollerbladers and for cars filtering on and off the main road. Just before a big apartment block that looks like an ocean liner the piste cyclable finishes, so take care crossing over to join the road. Once in Antibes, you take the rampart road between the old town and the sea, before heading out on to the Cap. Surrounded by the calm Mediterranean, the pine trees hide huge grand villas, hotels and smooth quiet roads. You'll find a lot of local cyclists doing laps here. Stay for as many circuits as you like, before having a coffee on the other side of the Cap in Juan les Pins and then retracing your route home. key kit Yolande Merino Jersey. As it's a winter or out-of-season ride, the long sleeve merino of Yolande will breathe and heat as required during this lower intensity outing. VIEW THE JERSEY RIDE INSIGHTS Nissa La Bella is the official anthem of our home town. Sung every week at OGC Nice football matches and in schools around the town, it's an ode to where we ride. Another view and another angle to find another way to love our home town READ MORE 1 - THE ROUTE DOWNLOAD GPX Please login or create an account to download file. 2 - RENT AND RIDE Travel light and book your bike. We offer a range of rental bikes, the R5 Cervelo road bike and the Aspero Cervelo gravel bike along with titanium road bikes from French marque Leon. Each bike is complete with pedals, tool bag and rear light while, if needed, each rental can also include Specialized shoes and helmet. VIEW OUR RENTAL BIKES 3 - THE CAFÉ Located on the Old Port, our café is the prefect pre and post-ride meeting place. With some routes that begin almost outside, excellent coffee and a full range of our clothing collections for men and women. There are weekly rides as well if you’d like to discover riding on the Cote D’Azur with like minded companions. You can find us at: 16 Quai des Docks 06300 Nice other rides When the ville of Nice decided to use #nicecyclingparadise to promote the grand depart of the 2020 Tour de France, there was definite method in the madness. If Paradise Lost has over ten thousand lines of verse, this cycling paradise found has almost as many routes, roads, stretches, views, climbs, cols, lacets, stops and starting points. Enough at least to satisfy even the most discerning cyclist. NISSA ALL-ROAD Linking two classic Alpes-Maritimes cols via a gravel ridge-line ride on a loop that takes you from portside to the heart of the mountains and back again. VIEW THE RIDE MONT CHAUVE Mont Chauve, known as Nice’s ‘bald mountain’, proves that nature constructed one of the best viewpoints the city has to offer. VIEW THE RIDE BONETTE Join the climb directly from the village and get ready for a day of zero flat riding by climbing and descending both sides of the mountain,. VIEW THE RIDE Duranus & Saint Blaise Head up the valley to where three rivers meet, climb higher still and take the time to look around. For those who are looking for some serious up, take in the Madone d’Utelle, from our Montaignes a la Carte series. VIEW THE RIDE Gilette & Bonson The extraordinary back country of Nice opens up behind the coast and this ride provides easy access. Enough climbing to be a challenge without being too daunting. VIEW THE RIDE Éze & Madone One of the classic rides of the region, which takes in two legendary climbs and hits you with a 10% slope right at the start. Ride out from our Café in Nice, take on the challenge and return to claim your badges. VIEW THE RIDE Mortola Ride a portion of the famous F1 Grand Prix course in Monte Carlo, and then climb out towards Menton, the last town in France, and over the border. It may be short but it includes two countries and into one principality. VIEW THE RIDE Vence It includes a col from our Montaignes a la Carte series as well as unforgettable views and a route away from the madding crowds. Climb the side of the Var valley and over to the pretty artists’ town of Vence itself. VIEW THE RIDE BRAUS & TURINI A ride that includes two of the majestic cols from our Montaignes a la Carte series. VIEW THE RIDE ESTEREL & ADRETS The Esterel coast road starting from Théoule-sur-Mer is beautiful, winding through secluded coves and up and down into pretty village ports. VIEW THE RIDE Our Badges To celebrate the local climbs and the roads we ride, we created a badge for each of our local cols, collected together in our Montagne à la Carte series. After that we raised our eyes and we added badges for some of the world's iconic climbs, creating our Montagnes du Monde series. Ride the climb and claim the badge. From Col d'Eze on our doorstep to Sa Calobra, Mount Fuji, Mount Baldy and beyond. HOW TO CLAIM A BADGE

Take Me To The River #2 : Ruisseau de Redebraus We recently let the cat out of the bag on Col de Braus's dark side - the Riviera Gravel #3 climb up from Sospel which even extends beyond the road pass itself. And whilst we could again wax lyrical about the road climb's perfection, its history with Les Courses Disparues and the Tour de France, its hosting of the Monte Carlo Rally, we won't... So here is another secret. There's a fresher face to the Braus. On the other side of the mountain the Ruisseau de Redebraus cascades its way down the gorge towards L'Escarène. After you climb the famous picture-perfect hairpins there is a short gravel road that takes you to a waterfall accompanied by a bunker. But it is not the best place for a dip. For that we need local knowledge. Thibault and Laura are actual niçois cycling addicts. Not a day goes by when they don't either ride or plan the next ride. But they also love the outdoors in general and like to look for something else on the more relaxed sorties; or even better, to mix the two up. Do the efforts, reap the rewards kind of thing. Like Manon and Florent, Laura and Thibault have their favourite spots to ride and swim afterwards and the Braus has grown to be the preferred location to ride hard and then relax even harder in the depths of the gorge. Not that it’s all sunshine and sweat. This summer has seen some high pressure storms so that sometimes it’s a race against the rain rather than your riding partner. The weather can be localised and reading the skies is as important as watching the weather apps, but the heat and humidity rarely changes at this time of year. Thibault and Laura flee the coast but not the rain and arrive in L’Escarène via the Col de Nice a bit wetter than when they originally set out. From L'Escaréne there are two choices - a bigger climb directly north towards Luceram where you can choose either the Col de Turini straight ahead or the Col St Roch to the west (which, confusingly, can also lead to the Turini), or the 10km of Braus to the east. There’s no Zinzin attack on the Turini for Laura and Thibault today; just the traditional climb to Braus with a twist : Swimming trunks and swim suit in pockets and a demi-tour back to the perfect spot. The skies clear and the heat rises on the drying slopes of the climb which faces south west. This side can be a cauldron on the hottest of summer days and with the sound of the river below it’s tempting to forget the Col and go straight to the swim. However Laura is determined to get the training in, as she intends to tick Col de la Bonette off her to-do list in a few weeks. With the climb done, the two riders tumble like water back down the mountain, stopping just before the hamlet of Touët-de-l’Escarène where the trail that leads to the swim hole at the Ruisseau de Redebraus begins. There are a couple of abandoned cars with flowers growing from the windscreen and backseats and beyond that a house with six Patou mountain dogs who aren’t as welcoming as the fresh air of the gorge. Proof, if needed, that you are entering the wild side of Nice’s back country. Hearing but not seeing the river and its waterfalls only heightens the anticipation. It’s a cyclocross-esque approach with cleats on rough gravel tracks and bikes being pushed or carried over the shoulder. Arriving at the spot justifies the effort. A cascade falls into the pool surrounded by rocks as smooth as newly shaven legs. The mid-afternoon sun casts a direct line of light and shadow across the peaks and into the basin where the river water collects deep enough for diving. The water temperature is a shock to the system but only for an instant. Every time you dive into a river, the freshness of the water is a surprising contrast to the salt water of the Med. It’s almost like you can taste the minerals that have been extracted from the mountain by the torrents above. It’s a natural consequence of the environment that Thibault and Laura encourage each other to climb higher to free fall into the river. The rocks, warmed by the sun are the perfect place to dry out before thoughts turn to home. And the return journey gets delayed for just a little longer because when Thibault and Laura stop for a minute and look at what’s in front of them, they remember what this place is : a little slice of paradise. See the full swim collection here. Or simply check out our series of Take Me To The River swim holes.

WHERE TO RIDE FROM NICE – BRAUS & TURINI Two of the big boys of the Alpes-Maritimes and two of the cols in our Montagnes à la Carte series – the beautiful Col de Braus and the imposing Turini. After warming up on the gentle Col de Nice, Braus takes you up sculpted switchbacks to 1,002m. Descend on the other side to Sospel, keeping an eye on the peaks over your left shoulder – if they’re obscured by dark clouds, it’s probably best you don’t head up. Sospel is a good place to take stock, eat and refill your bottles before the 24km ride from 400 to 1,600m. It starts off gently, in a deep river gorge, and then gradually opens up, with some remarkable views of rock formations and forests to take your mind off the climb, as well as a chapel perched above the road. There are plenty of cafés at the top for more drinks and food, and then it’s an almost 50km descent down into Nice. key kit Mona Jersey Climbing in the summer months is hot work and the sun can blaze even late Spring or early Autumn. A jersey that breathes and wicks is essential to make a hard task just a little easier. VIEW THE JERSEY RIDE INSIGHTS The Brevet des Zinzins is a challenge of three: the aim is to scale the Col du Turini by at least three of the principle routes (Sospel, La Bollène-Vésubie and L’Escarène via Luceram and the 'lacets' Baisse de la Cabanette). READ MORE 1 - THE ROUTE DOWNLOAD GPX Please login or create an account to download file. 2 - RENT AND RIDE Travel light and book your bike. We offer a range of rental bikes, the R5 Cervelo road bike and the Aspero Cervelo gravel bike along with titanium road bikes from French marque Leon. Each bike is complete with pedals, tool bag and rear light while, if needed, each rental can also include Specialized shoes and helmet. VIEW OUR RENTAL BIKES 3 - THE CAFÉ Located on the Old Port, our café is the prefect pre and post-ride meeting place. With some routes that begin almost outside, excellent coffee and a full range of our clothing collections for men and women. There are weekly rides as well if you’d like to discover riding on the Cote D’Azur with like minded companions. You can find us at: 16 Quai des Docks 06300 Nice other rides When the ville of Nice decided to use #nicecyclingparadise to promote the grand depart of the 2020 Tour de France, there was definite method in the madness. If Paradise Lost has over ten thousand lines of verse, this cycling paradise found has almost as many routes, roads, stretches, views, climbs, cols, lacets, stops and starting points. Enough at least to satisfy even the most discerning cyclist. NISSA ALL-ROAD Linking two classic Alpes-Maritimes cols via a gravel ridge-line ride on a loop that takes you from portside to the heart of the mountains and back again. VIEW THE RIDE BONETTE Join the climb directly from the village and get ready for a day of zero flat riding by climbing and descending both sides of the mountain,. VIEW THE RIDE MONT CHAUVE Mont Chauve, known as Nice’s ‘bald mountain’, proves that nature constructed one of the best viewpoints the city has to offer. VIEW THE RIDE Cap d'Antibes A classic Cote d’Azur roll-out that hugs the sea heading west and arrives at one of the region’s most well-known towns. Ideal out of season when the heat is lowered and the town itself is quiet. VIEW THE RIDE Esterel & Adrets The Esterel national park stretches between Saint Raphaël and Théoule-sur-Mer. Stay close to the coast and, early in the year, watch out for the mimosa flowers on the descent back towards Cannes. VIEW THE RIDE Éze & Madone One of the classic rides of the region, which takes in two legendary climbs and hits you with a 10% slope right at the start. Ride out from our Café in Nice, take on the challenge and return to claim your badges. VIEW THE RIDE Mortola Ride a portion of the famous F1 Grand Prix course in Monte Carlo, and then climb out towards Menton, the last town in France, and over the border. It may be short but it includes two countries and into one principality. VIEW THE RIDE Vence It includes a col from our Montaignes a la Carte series as well as unforgettable views and a route away from the madding crowds. Climb the side of the Var valley and over to the pretty artists’ town of Vence itself. VIEW THE RIDE DURANUS & SAINT BLAISE Head up the valley to where three rivers meet, climb higher still and take the time to look around. VIEW THE RIDE GILETTE & BONSON The back country of Nice opens up behind the coast and this ride provides easy access. VIEW THE RIDE claim your badge To celebrate the local climbs and the roads we ride, we’ve created a badge for each of our local cols, collected together in our Montagne à la Carte series. The hard part of collecting your badge is climbing the col. Braus and Turini includes three cols and two badges, unsurprisingly Col de Braus and Col de Turini. VIEW THE BADGES

FROM THE SOURCE Beacons of water and saviours of cyclists. These are the fountains of the Côte d'Azur that serve riders the life source enabling them to go that bit further. 

EAU POTABLE At the centre of the village, at cemeteries everywhere in our country, sometimes found hiding between high fashion shops in Monte Carlo, fountains providing 'eau potable' are a feature of cycling life in France. It's a great convenience that, depending on your chosen route, usually allows you to carry one bidon instead of two. Saving weight and allowing extra carrying capacity for other essentials, like a second spare tube or a croissant, for example. We are not sure which came first; the fountains or the French pride in the quality of the water supply. What is sure is that before the arrival of running water in homes, fountains were major places of social life - for hygiene, washing food and clothes and inevitably therefore as a centre for interaction between the inhabitants of each town and village. Some are supplied by the general public water supply, others are fed direct from the source. Originally located just outside or at the entrance to a village, at a spring, or close by, connected by underground channels. They were often built on the same site as an earlier Roman fountain, and the same basic designs were used from medieval times until the 19th century. Today they are not as vital in everyday life, but still remain useful, especially to us cyclists. Take a tour de l'eau around the cycling playing field that begins at Café HQ to know where you can get one of cycling's most essential ingredients. LA TURBIE The first fountain on our list may be regarded as 'The Mother Fountain'. It's at the centre of the village of La Turbie and it is honey to the cycling bees who ride the eastern roads of the Côte d'Azur. It was built nearly 200 years ago by the Romans and gets it source from Mont Agel, were the Lost Race, Nice-Mont Agel, once hosted climbing legends like Federico Bahamontes. The footway beside it is called Rue de la Fontaine, the (recommended) restaurant beside that is called Café de la Fontaine. If this fountain was on social media, it would be an influencer. Accessible from Nice, Menton or Monaco as a summit reward or a first step for cyclists either on the 'short' ride up from the coast or before heading to the Col de la Madone, or further afield to Turini, Braus via Peille and L'Escarène. MENTON Go east, as far east as you can go within Southern France in fact, and you'll find La Fontain de la Frontière - the border fountain. It's situated in the middle of the junction where the old road forks left to climb up over Mortola (not to be confused with the similarly-named Italian mur) past army checkpoints and abandoned bunkers - the more interesting and more testing contrast to the lower coast road that takes the tunnels into Italy. On the fountain is written 'Bienfaisance Internationale' : international charity. A positive message located in a place where wars have been fought. Drinking the pure stuff from the tap of goodwill before crossing the border must be a good omen for a ride into Italy. VENCE Whilst La Turbie might be the mother fountain for cyclists, Vence is the perhaps the holy land for water quality and supply, so much so that they have an annual Fête des Fontaines. They number twenty-something in the town and they are fed by spring water from La Foux. This source has been tapped since the first century AD. It is fresh, slightly mineralised and low in sodium, and is said to have diuretic benefits. Conveniently, if you don't have the time to divert into town for the more grand fountains, there is one right at the junction where the 10km of the Col de Vence begins. SOSPEL Sospel is a water town; beside the Bévera river it made its money as a hub on the trade route from the sea. It's still a hub, but mostly for touring motocyclists, enduro mountain bikers and high peak hikers. But it remains very much an arrière-pays town, so much so there isn't even a petrol station here. Luckily for us cyclists there are fountains aplenty. It's needed because the only entry and exit from this town is by Col - Turini, Braus, Castillon, Vescavo or Brouis. Fill your bidon and pick your punishment. MOULINET If you chose the Turini from Sospel you face a 24km climb. Manage your hydration correctly and you can wait for the fountain at the top; but the town of Moulinet also offers a solution halfway up the mountain. In relative terms this fountain is recent. It's marked 1957, presumably because during the Second World War, the entire civilian population of the village was moved by German occupation troops to Cuneo in Italy between September 29, 1944 and April 12, 1945. Now it is a beautifully peaceful place with a very provençal square opposite the fountain which sits on the outside of a hairpin bend in the middle of the town - one of the thousands of hairpins of the Col de Turini that turn you Zinzin. PEILLE The search for water is a good reason to turn off the national road and explore the cobbled streets of the medieval village of Peille. You maybe have come down from the Col de la Madone or through the olive groves on the surprisingly testing Côte de Peille, which features annually as a ramp to string out the peloton on the final stage of the Paris-Nice Race To The Sun. Near the Palais Lascaris, this is an ornate fountain and an example of a water tower designed to display power and importance. EZE Accompanied by a statue of une sirène - a mermaid - you could miss the Eze fountain easily as it hides behind the café chairs and the tourists descending from buses to go across the road and visit the spectacularly perched old town and chateau of Eze. After climbing Col d’Eze take the first right to descend the steep road that arrives on the Moyenne Corniche. The fountain is on your left, with a café directly beside where if water isn't cutting it and you want to stop and watch the world go by. TOURRETTES-SUR-LOUP From Vence, if you don't go up but rather go west you'll arrive at Tourrettes-sur-Loup. It's on the Nice Ironman parcours but is known as a village for artisans. The fountain matches the village's medieval history and, as the name suggests is fed by Le Loup, where we found our first swim hole. Drink the water then ride further north west to swim in the source.

The Highest Crit In The World Criterium : a bicycle road race, consisting of numerous laps of a short closed circuit. Criterium, 'crits' for short, are for bringing cycling to the people. Crits are full-gas speed on short pan-flat circuits with 90 degree bends, the odd hairpin and barriers with fans hanging over the top, ringing branded cloches and drinking beers provided by sponsors. Crits are for post-Tour de France show-boating and pro-cyclist salary top-ups. The Highest Crit In The World is none of these things. There are no food trucks, trade stands or hospitality suites. There are no grandstands or finish line arches adorned with branding. The road is not closed, although it is practically empty. It’s as far away from the niçois streets and people as you might possibly expect. It's for six riders who were inspired by a simple off-the-wall idea. The Highest Crit In The World does however share some of the core characteristics of its lower elevation contemporaries. Redline racing, riding non-stop at or over threshold for several laps and contested between racing cyclists with the bike handling skills to ride elbows out and go shoulder to shoulder in a frantic battle for the line. Add in oxygen deprivation and the idea of a criterium at this altitude becomes an extreme concept. The Highest Crit In The World took place on the Cime de la Bonette, topping out at 2,802m above sea level. We believe it is the Highest Crit In The World because there are no official records documenting other mountain top crits. If there are others who have done it, we'd love to exchange stories and compare notes. Those that have been there will know that the Cime de la Bonette is the 2km loop that lassoes the peak of the mountain above the traditional Col itself. For us, having visited the Cime so many times over the years, it was an obvious thing to do : at least, it's as obvious as any of the other follies in this sport. The riders of Highest Crit In The World were, in a way, self-selecting. These are those young enough, fit enough and/or crazy enough to ignore the logistical difficulties, the physical challenge and be blinded by the idea of something really quite unique. To turn the screw on one another at altitude, over a parcours of two halves – one with a quite brutal ascent with ramps at 20% and the other a barrier-free hair-raising descent. The riders of the Highest Crit In The World are a selection of the best amateurs from the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region both past and present. They rose through the ranks from the juniors to the elite amateurs, and beyond. At 19, Andrea Misfud is the youngest and has recently graduated from the junior ranks to join CR4C Roane, one of the top teams in the French Division National 1. ‘DN1’ is as high as you can go as an amateur and is the spring board to a pro contract. Despite a recent leg break, Andrea is on the way up but away from the demands of the top level he still loves an adventure - his first ascension of Ventoux was with us on gravel... Conversely, and to prove the point that genetics are a huge factor in cycling talent, Andrea's dad, Jean-Stephan decided to join the party. Because he'd just been riding with his son at altitude down the valley in Isola 2000 and he still remembers glory days winning local races and further afield winning stage three of the Tour de Tunisie and being awarded Best Combative Rider of the RÁS, Ireland’s premier stage race. And, we guess, moments like this with your son are pretty special. Valentin Caraplis is a Café du Cycliste employee who runs marathons and rides the biggest sportives he can find. The running tunes his top end, the riding works on his endurance and the sense of adventure maintains motivation levels at maximum. He's a mountain lover and he’s here to prove he's not just a diesel engine. Thomas Navarro, 25, is a local elite amateur cyclist who has now turned his hand to other things, namely a profession in triathlon. Having raced with and against Florent and Marvin before his transition (pun intended), Thom was delighted to line up on the Col to break up the swim-bike-run repeat that pays the bills. Florent Icard’s view from home in Auron includes the Cime de la Bonette. As we’ve documented before, Flo is just like his dad Michel – a rider for life who doesn’t discriminate between who he rides with or what the particular discipline of cycling happens to be on the agenda on any given day. Plus he has an actual cowbell to act as the cloche for the start/finish line. He always brings la classe. Marvin Gruget is primarily a mountain biker, not a roadie. He has many notable entries on his palmares but the one that stands out is finishing ahead of a certain Lance Armstrong at the XTERRA (off-road) Triathlon World Championships. Once he transitioned to the road in 2015 he became regional champ almost instantaneously. He also claims to be a world champion at pétanque and one-legged surfing, but so far this has not been verified by the authorities. The racing of the Highest Crit In The World? Two cycling teams, two cycling jerseys, the south side in Dalida Navy and the north side in Dalida Bordeaux. Anti-clockwise loops of the Cime, climbing the western (Saint-Etienne) side and descending the eastern (Jausiers) side. To have a start finish line on the line of the Col de la Bonette itself is, dare we say it, something other-worldly. The Cime road splits left and right from the Col and cuts its way into the mountain to trace the track to the roadside memorial at the highest point. It’s an 800m climb on the south east side at an average of 10% gradient and Strava says the last right hander before the summit hits 20%. What it doesn’t tell you is how much less oxygen you are getting into your blood. That job is left to lungs and legs to feedback directly just how much O2 they are missing. 'The bicycle-riders drank much wine, and were burned and brown by the sun. They did not take the race seriously except amongst themselves. They had raced among themselves so often that it did not make much difference who won' (Ernest Hemingway) Only it does make a difference. It always does. Andrea and Thom may be the only two riders still actively competing but everyone save for Andrea's dad has pinned on a number against each other at some stage. There is no prize money at stake for this self-invented folly but it's more important than that. Pride amongst friends. That's why The Highest Crit In The World might be sub-titled, 'the race of non-stop attacks'. Each one with a smirk or a smile and in the knowledge that it will probably never last. Racing for fun. This kind of racing requires serious bike skills and the Highest Crit In The World is no different. It's worse in fact. The moon landscape results in debris on the steep descents so line choice is not necessarily the more traditional one but rather the stay-on-two-wheels one. Not that this worries our racers. When you have descended most of the mountains in France in a 100-strong peloton, the relative space of the Cime de la Bonette and familiarity with the riding styles of those around you is 'comfortably enjoyable’. And the winner? There probably should have been a handicap system in place based on age, life commitments and palmares. Everyone came together as they passed the cow bell going into the final lap. And then unfortunately the photographer's camera had a problem. So we have no evidence of the winner but needless to say he’s still talking about it. If you really want to know the result, you'll have to come to Nice to meet the riders on one of our weekend rides and hear the six different versions of the truth.

SCENES FROM THE CIME Take a trackside view of not only the highest, but undoubtedly the most beautiful criterium in the world. This is bike racing, but not as you know it.

Riviera Gravel #4 – L’Estérel The Route des Cols has been a badly kept secret amongst the other sporting disciplines that practice their follies in the Estérel national park. With a name like that, surely it's a road cyclist's heaven? Col de Théoule, Col des Trayas, Col de la Cadière, Col des Trois Termes, Col des Suvières, Col de l'Aire de l'Olivier, Col de l'Essuyadou, Col du Mistral, Col du Baldou, Col du Perthus. It's quite a mouthful. And it's all on gravel. Green forests, red gravel, blue skies. The Estérel Massif is a car-free playground sandwiched between the Mediterranean and the limestone rock of Provence. It was once part of Africa, hence why you can find the 'Notre-Dame Afrique' statue in these hills - a memorial to fallen African comrades. When you arrive in the middle folds of the park it for sure feels 'other-worldly' - a stark contrast to the coast and the more alpine mountains to the east and north of Nice. The start of the ride is in Théoule-sur-Mer, some 42km from Nice. The loop is nearly 65km so it might be better to take a train to get there. It's worth it. From Théoule there is a quick hop over to the Port de la Rague, before turning right off the bord de mer and on to the gravel Piste de la Cadière, where the initial slopes have some steep ramps. As the name and list of cols suggests, the loop is one roller coaster of ups and downs and criss-crosses of the carrefours of the forest double tracks. For visitors, it is definitely best to download and follow a GPS file. As part of the national operation of the Esterel forest, there are two maisons forestiere where the officers responsible for maintenance of the surrounding beauty are based. There is also a sign warning visitors to 'Beware Of Alligators'. At the time of writing no alligators have been encountered in the area surrounding the maison. The forest service tends to Mediterranean pine, chestnut, hornbeam, fig and olive trees. Mixed in with the traditional mimosa, contrasted against imported tropical friends like the eucalyptus from Australia it's a real escape into nature. That plant life needs protected from what can be extreme heat in the middle of summer. Combined with the mistral, the risk is such that fires are prohibited all year round. In July and August you must check the notifications published by the emergency services before entering the park. Descending past the lakes to the southern part of the loop, glimpses of the sparkling Med may tempt you back the coast and there are always options to exit the park's west side. Stay on the loop and the aptly-named Piste Castelli leads east back towards Théoule. A rare flat and fast section takes you back east towards the Col du Mistral, which leads to the Col de Baladou, which leads to the Col des Suvières back to the Maison Forestiere. The route really does live up to its name. Once you've climbed back past the Maison Forestiere Trois Termes all that is left is a ridgeline ride past the Rocher des Monges and a descent back to the sea for a a dip, maybe an apéro, and the train back to Nice. Unless, of course, you have enough left in the tank to ride. Read more about the unbeaten tracks that surround Nice in our Riviera Gravel series. THE ROUTE

WHERE TO RIDE FROM NICE – DURANUS & SAINT BLAISE Take the cycle path from Nice and then at Saint Laurent du Var take up the Var valley cycle path. It climbs slowly to where the Var, Tinée and Vésubie river gorges meet. You’re heading up the Vésubie, a remote and beautiful deep river gorge with barely any traffic. At Utelle, take a sharp right and be astounded as you climb high above the road you were on up the valley side. At Duranus is the Saut des Français, where in the 18th century local resistance fighters from the County of Nice forced French soldiers to jump to their deaths. It’s over 200m down. From Levens you take a right and head through the beautiful villages of Saint Blaise and Aspremont, before descending the Col de Bast into Nice. Turn this into an epic ride by climbing to the Madone d’Utelle chapel, 900m above the village. The Alpine panorama is worth the effort! key kit Mauricette Jacket. The balcony road to Duranus is in a deep gorge with many shadows. Take a packable jacket, especially if adding the option of Madone d'Utelle where the weather of the different valleys can converge and cause surprise storms. VIEW THE JERSEY RIDE INSIGHTS Ride in the back country around Nice, and one of the constant reference points is the chapel of the Madone d’Utelle. It dominates the Var valley at the confluence of the Esteron and the Tinée and according to legend we owe its presence to Spanish sailors. READ MORE 1 - THE ROUTE DOWNLOAD GPX Please login or create an account to download file. 2 - RENT AND RIDE Travel light and book your bike. We offer a range of rental bikes, the R5 Cervelo road bike and the Aspero Cervelo gravel bike along with titanium road bikes from French marque Leon. Each bike is complete with pedals, tool bag and rear light while, if needed, each rental can also include Specialized shoes and helmet. VIEW OUR RENTAL BIKES 3 - THE CAFÉ Located on the Old Port, our café is the prefect pre and post-ride meeting place. With some routes that begin almost outside, excellent coffee and a full range of our clothing collections for men and women. There are weekly rides as well if you’d like to discover riding on the Cote D’Azur with like minded companions. You can find us at: 16 Quai des Docks 06300 Nice other rides When the ville of Nice decided to use #nicecyclingparadise to promote the grand depart of the 2020 Tour de France, there was definite method in the madness. If Paradise Lost has over ten thousand lines of verse, this cycling paradise found has almost as many routes, roads, stretches, views, climbs, cols, lacets, stops and starting points. Enough at least to satisfy even the most discerning cyclist. NISSA ALL-ROAD Linking two classic Alpes-Maritimes cols via a gravel ridge-line ride on a loop that takes you from portside to the heart of the mountains and back again. VIEW THE RIDE MONT CHAUVE Mont Chauve, known as Nice’s ‘bald mountain’, proves that nature constructed one of the best viewpoints the city has to offer. VIEW THE RIDE BONETTE Join the climb directly from the village and get ready for a day of zero flat riding by climbing and descending both sides of the mountain,. VIEW THE RIDE Braus & Turini Time to get serious. A ride that includes two of the majestic cols from our Montagnes a la Carte series and typical of what makes riding from Nice such an intoxicating mixture of pleasure and pain. VIEW THE RIDE Gilette & Bonson The extraordinary back country of Nice opens up behind the coast and this ride provides easy access. Enough climbing to be a challenge without being too daunting. VIEW THE RIDE Éze & Madone One of the classic rides of the region, which takes in two legendary climbs and hits you with a 10% slope right at the start. Ride out from our Café in Nice, take on the challenge and return to claim your badges. VIEW THE RIDE Mortola Ride a portion of the famous F1 Grand Prix course in Monte Carlo, and then climb out towards Menton, the last town in France, and over the border. It may be short but it includes two countries and into one principality. VIEW THE RIDE Vence It includes a col from our Montaignes a la Carte series as well as unforgettable views and a route away from the madding crowds. Climb the side of the Var valley and over to the pretty artists’ town of Vence itself. VIEW THE RIDE ESTEREL & ADRETS The Esterel coast road starting from Théoule-sur-Mer is beautiful, winding through secluded coves and up and down into pretty village ports. VIEW THE RIDE CAP D'ANTIBES A Cote d’Azur roll-out that hugs the sea and arrives at one of the region’s most well-known towns. VIEW THE RIDE Our Badges To celebrate the local climbs and the roads we ride, we created a badge for each of our local cols, collected together in our Montagne à la Carte series. After that we raised our eyes and we added badges for some of the world's iconic climbs, creating our Montagnes du Monde series. Ride the climb and claim the badge. From Col d'Eze on our doorstep to Alpe d’Huez, Wuling, Koppenberg and beyond. HOW TO CLAIM A BADGE

Mont Ventoux: Nos montagnes à la carte #6 When Napoleon wanted to construct the best naval fleet in the world, he naturally went for the toughest wood, and that came from Mont Ventoux. In 1967, a wind speed of 320km/h was recorded at the top, the strongest ever recorded in France. However, you don’t need a 20m-high antenna attached to a meteorological observatory to know that the top of Ventoux is windy – or that any tree that dared to grow near the summit would have to be extraordinarily tenacious and hardy. Such intuition and tactical nous were characteristic of the great Corsican commander, but in truth, this solitary Provençal peak, which is scoured by the icy Mistral wind, was known for its wood far before that. People have been cutting it down, according to historical sources, since the 13th century when custody of the mountain was given to the village of Bédoin by the lord who owned it. That was around the time that the Italian poet Petrarch climbed to the top. He claimed, having done so, to be the first person since antiquity to climb a mountain purely to see the view – and the view from the top is spectacular. Though geologically part of the Alps, Ventoux stands more or less alone, unencumbered by mountains of equal stature. Just a couple of kilometres from Ventoux’s summit is the Col des Tempêtes, a narrow ridge that affords great vistas over the mountains of the Luberon and the Vaucluse, the pre-Alps to the east, Cévennes to the west, and the vast plains of the Rhone and the Camargue towards the Mediterranean Sea. Ventoux was once known for its charcoal – another major factor in its deforestation – and is now famous for its truffles, its lavender, and the wine (the Côtes du Ventoux) that is made in its shadow. Even though it is in the heart of Provence, where summer temperatures soar to the high 30s, the mountain is snowbound for much of the year. In the 17th and 18th centuries the trade in Ventoux ice thrived, with locals piling ice in shady nooks and then selling it – to make sorbets, chill fish or preserve cadavers – through the spring and summer months. But for cyclists, it is the forest and its lack for which Ventoux is known. There are three ascents by road (and a hidden fourth, a rocky track), which take riders through the hot, heavy and oppressive woods before thrusting them into the glare of the upper slopes. Because, you see, the deforestation and the wind have over the centuries combined to sweep all the topsoil away, leaving only a dazzling white limestone rock, broken into jagged chunks by repeated frosts and thaws. This is the ‘lunar’ landscape that since 1950 has made, and in a couple of notable cases – the tragedy of Tommy Simpson, the earlier collapse of Jean Malléjac – broken, the Tour de France’s stars. Let us be clear: the road to Ventoux does not go anywhere and there is no reason to climb it by bike, except for the simple fact of its existence. It exists only as a challenge, the ultimate mirror, says cycling philosopher Paul Fournel, in which riders, stripped bare, confront not only the grandeur of nature but also their essential selves. Perhaps this is why the legend of Ventoux endures, and new chapters keep being written. Read more about where we ride and our local climbs in our Montagnes à la Carte series. Or visit us in Nice and experience them for yourself. Photography : Greg Annandale Words : Max Leonard NOS MONTAGNES À LA CARTE MADONE D’UTELLE Madone d’Utelle, sitting on a bluff that dominates the Var valley at the confluence of the Esteron and the Tinée, is a fixed point of navigation. VIEW MORE Col de la Bonette Claimed to be the highest paved road in Europe, true or not it is perhaps the least of its attractions. VIEW MORE Col de Tende If you like getting off the beaten track, you will like the Col de Tende. VIEW MORE Col de la Madone It’s a dramatic start to arrive in Menton and climb immediately from sea level, Col de la Madone is famed as a training hill for the pros. VIEW MORE Col de Turini The thick forests of the Col de Turini are testament to the unpredictable weather the highest of the coastal climbs near our home town of Nice. VIEW MORE Col de Braus Find the point on Col de Braus where René Vietto, one of cycling’s greatest ever climbers, broke away to win his first professional race. VIEW MORE Col de Vence The Col de Vence lies at 962m, above the bustling town of Vence and if you can tear your eyes off your stem, you’ll enjoy the stunning view. VIEW MORE Mont Vial Mont Vial, standing at the confluence of the Tinée, Esteron and Var valleys, where the three rivers combine. VIEW MORE Col de Brouis For the people of Breil-sur-Roya before the Second World War, the Col de Brouis was a lifeline. It was the only route for them to the rest of France. VIEW MORE Mont Chauve Mont Chauve is Nice’s hidden mountain. It is hiding in plain sight, sitting there just to the north, right above the city, but nevertheless it is hidden VIEW MORE

Take Me To The River #1 : Les Gorges Du Loup Houses or apartments with swimming pools on the Côte d’Azur are hard to find and hard to afford. For many the swimming pool is the Med. But when La Fournaise - the heat of high summer - arrives, even the azur ocean water can lose the freshness required to cool down adequately. The solution for some of the region’s inhabitants to escape the intense heat is to head into the folds of l’arrière-pays and swim in the luminescent, mineral-filled fresh water of the rivers that flow through the valleys. Their locations are not secret, but mostly a case of ‘if you know, you know’. (Sometimes when cycling you will pass a line of 10 to 15 cars parked in a random location and wonder if there is a birthday party or funeral nearby.) Nor is the  internet overly helpful in providing information about the spots. You must look at an actual map. Once you do, you’ll start to trace the many blue lines of the rivers that spring from the heights of the Alpes-Maritimes. Remember, this is where the mountains meet the Med. The Aigue Blanche, the Bévéra, the Bouyon, the Ésteron, the Gorodolasque, the Loup, the Maglia, the Roya, the Siagne, the Vésubie. Wikipedia lists 38 rivers in total for the region. Finding your spot is one thing. Getting there is, of course, another. Unless you’re a cyclist who’s already out in the arrière pays. Cycling in La Fournaise is a question of lightweight kit but when hot becomes too hot, stopping for a dip is a perfect way not only to cool down but also to drink in the beauty of the surroundings. Having dipped our toes in a few tributaries, we wanted to know more so we asked some local cyclists to take us to their favourite places to climb off, strip off (within reason), and dive in. Manon Hubert and Florent Icard were the first to volunteer. When not working in the mountain resort of Auron, they descend to Cagnes-sur-Mer just west of Nice and are always packing in as much riding as possible between the winter ski and summer mountain bike seasons up above. In the high summer many cyclists located west of the Var river (the major one that flows into the Med beside Nice airport) go north via the Vallon Rouge, which begins at Colle-sur-Loup. This road traces the path of our first river, Le Loup. The high valley sides of the Vallon Rouge provide shade and shelter from the sun. It’s not only a nice gradual false flat of a climb, it’s also where Manon and Flo, without planning it, often find friends riding there at the same time. At the top of the Vallon Rouge is Pont-du-Loup. Just before entering the small hamlet, the road forks right to Les Gorges du Loup. It’s on the Nice Ironman route, so relatively well known in the triathlon world. But those guys have already had their swim and they are on the clock. Not so Manon and Flo. If they want to get a decent amount of training done, Flo and Manon first go north to Tourettes-sur-Loup and Gréolieres les Neiges before descending back through Cipières to the gorge itself. But after the work is done they find their spot just north east of Bar-sur-Loup. To access the best pools you must climb a little, so MTB shoes or an alternative is needed. The effort is rewarded with a choice of multiple pools with rocks ranging from two to eight meters high from which to launch yourself. Launching themselves whilst canyoning with friends is how Manon and Flo found their spot below the D6 road that winds its way parallel with the river. Once the initial adrenalin of the jump and the cold water subsides, what is best is to sit with only the noise of the river and look up towards the mountains and let the freshness wash over you. Manon and Flo aren’t necessarily the best at sitting still though. Manon is a keen fly-fisher and often carries her kit to try and hook a trout or two when the season is right. This river is a seasonal solution to feed hers and Flo’s addiction to outdoor life. The added bonus of their location, once dried off and re-mounted on bikes is to descend back to Pont-du-Loup to the famous Confiserie Florian. Find something for your sweet-tooth before the run back to the coast to dry off your maillot de bain and look on the map for the next swim hole destination. Laura and Amandine are now available to be taken to the river, or wherever you happen to be diving in. See the full swim collection here. Or simply check out our series of Take Me To The River swim holes.