Fête des Zinzins #2 Zinzin : Qui est bizarre, un peu fou // Someone who is peculiar or strange, a bit crazy… The Brevet des Zinzins is a challenge of three : climbing each side of the Col de Turini in one day. The second edition of the Fête des Zinzins, a group attack on the Brevet, was the story of another trilogy. A trio of crashes... Laura Barralis is in only her second year of riding and she is in the process of falling down the bicycling rabbit hole. Misfortune came for Laura on the day before the Fête des Zinzins. An incident on the Promenade des Anglais cycle path with a young girl on a bike meant she took a trip over the bars. The result was road rash from chin to toe and bumps and bruises down her left side. In other words, not enough to dampen her motivation to complete her biggest ride to date. Chris Grulich is a Parisian-born, Louisiana-bred, Niçois-based young gun who, like Laura, is in the throes of a new obsession. Before arriving in Nice, he was an IT student, a fashion model and a bike messenger in Paris (another altogether different but nonetheless notable trio…). He’s been savoring all the Alpes-Maritimes has to offer, and just one week before completed the Mercantour GranFondo which delivers up 190kms and 4,600m of elevation and tops out on the Col de la Bonette. Zinzins should therefore have been relatively easy. Until gravel came up and bit him on the descent to Sospel after the first climb of the day. James Hayden is one of the biggest names in long distance, ultra endurance cycling. His mantra is ‘pushing limits’. The Fête des Zinzins was scheduled as the perfect mid-season ‘training’ ride for him as part of his build-up to the Silk Road Mountain Race. Unfortunately, three weeks before his date with Turini, he attacked a river crossing during the Highland Trail 550 and his front wheel met its limit against some rocks. Flying over the bars, he banged his right knee in the process. As a result of his crash, James sustained a knee injury that at the time wasn’t thought to be serious but such is his ability to endure and the extremity of his competition, post-event diagnosis revealed more damage than originally suspected. Not one to avoid a challenge he lined up with the 20-odd other Zinzins at the Café to attack the Brevet on the longest day of the year. We’d secretly hoped for a record time for the L’Escarène, Sospel, Bollène-Vésubie parcours. However as the 27kms of the first ascent through Lucéram and Peïra-Cava ticked by it became obvious today was not the day. Instead James would watch others test their long-distance metal from the support car. Laura might be new to the game, but she has acquired experience quickly. She seeks to save energy as much as possible on the first climb and is not fooled into following faster wheels. Talking with her about her biking activities thus far it’s clear she’s serious about her adventures. Two weeks previously she climbed two sides of Ventoux from Bédoin and Malaucène with her parents and friends. Last summer she did Les Trois Cols – Cayolle, Allos and Col des Champs, each of them topping out above 2,000m – also with her parents. Evidently, it’s in the genes. But for Laura part of the fun is in the companionship and feeding off the energy of others. On the second time up from Sospel the objective was to stay with a group. That she did until the final 5km in the forest where the gradient simply does not let up and she lost the wheel in front. After that, the rhythm and power in her legs began to evaporate. But she’s a psychiatric nurse so presumably, or should we say – evidently, she knows how to play the mental game when the going gets tough. Meanwhile Chris was in a different battle. He’d flown up the first climb, meeting and riding with Ivan, a local rider who successfully completed the first edition of the Fête des Zinzins last year. Full of endorphins, adrenalin and youthful enthusiasm after obtaining the first stamp in the Hotel des Trois Valées on the Col, they pointed their noses downwards. Just 4km into the descent, roadworks led to an unusual amount of gravel on the road and before he knew it Chris was on the deck. His fashion sensibilities from his time in Paris and a certain element of sentimentality had led to his choice of blue tone Café du Cycliste kit. The Toile de Jouy design of Valentine reminded him of the same style he’d seen in his grand-mother’s bedroom back in New Orleans. Unfortunately, his cycling jersey and Marinette bib shorts were now more aerated than originally intended. However, it could have been a lot worse. Chris had set out with one objective today and he was going to finish it, blood or no blood. A true Zinzin. The other Zinzins had already verified their arrival at Sospel and were quietly going about their business on the second ascent. Pierre comes up with crazy rides across the Alpes-Maritimes and beyond every weekend, so this is just one more to add to his yearly Strava statistics. Somewhat frustratingly, he makes it look easy alongside Nico, another two-time Zinzin. Just like Matthieu, our Audax man from Marseille. He taps out a rhythm with amazing souplesse alongside his partner in crime and long-distance newcomer, Simon. Others like Thierry and Valentin are returning to complete unfinished business from last year with a steadier rhythm and riding and chatting with others like Laura to help make each 100m of elevation gain that bit easier. It’s acknowledged by almost all Zinzins that the second climb from Sospel is the hardest so the food and cold Oranginas waiting at the top (after Brevet cards are stamped, of course) are more than welcome. The Zinzin community spirit is strong and questions and discussions are mostly of concern for Chris who, having been patched up by the first aid kit from behind the Brasserie’s comptoir in Sospel, is somewhere down below. Tackling the toughest side, nursing a badly gashed elbow and a fair amount of road rash, in the midday heat must have been… an experience. But it’s a free world and an open brevet. So those at the front remount and head down to the third and final base town. On the bounce at Bollène-Vèsubie apparently not one café or brasserie is open to stamp brevet cards. Matthieu shows his long-distance experience and somehow enters the Marie (the town hall) to make him and Simon the only ones with a 100% stamp rate. Laura finds her rhythm with Valentin. They shoot the breeze and turn the pedals. Others crank up the pace and there are duos and trios of riders scattered up and down the climb like ants. Two-thirds of the way up the climb a blue and white flash comes down the hill. It’s Chris, followed by his partner for the day, Ivan. Some might have been disheartened to see the rest of the group at near completion of the route. Not Chris, he had nothing but energy and excitement to complete the third side. Laura makes it to the top and shares hugs and high-fives with the rest of the riders beside the fountain. Finally, after all those hours of suffering she shows the first signs of the effort - she is shaking, hopefully from excitement but presumably also with fatigue. But her smile is from ear to ear and she is ‘très contente’. Julien is first to the top to avenge last year’s two-side effort. The salty sweat stains make his all black jersey Zebra-esque. It was impressive watching his effort and will to make it to the Col for a third and final time. Whilst Brevet cards are now full (at least, Simon and Matthieu’s are) the job is not done. In keeping with the Zinzin spirit, there is of course the 50km return to Nice still left on the agenda. The group roll back down to the Café together for a well-earned pizza party. The Café porter bike has never carried such a brilliant delivery. Stories from the day are shared and the newer challenges are discussed over beers, because for Zinzins it’s all about the next big thing. Laura wants to ride both sides of the Col de la Bonette in one day. Then someone mentions the 7 Majeurs. The sky is literally the limit for some. And then, the sound of freewheels stops the conversation. Chris and Ivan arrive to break up the party. The group erupts into a round of applause. People want to hug Chris, but because of his injuries they can’t. He recounts getting stung by a wasp right on his road-rashed shoulder on the third ascent. He considers going to hospital but takes a beer instead. It’s a La Chouffe – 8%, a bit like certain parts of the Turini’s slopes, and therefore hopefully with the desired anesthetic effects. The group is complete again and mention is made of next year’s Fête. It’s three weeks before the Tour de France will scale Turini. We wonder if some of the peloton might want to join us. Photography : Ian S Walton

Col de la Madone: Nos montagnes à la carte #5 It’s a dramatic start to arrive in Menton and climb immediately from sea level. Menton, also known as La Perle de France, is famous for its gardens and its lemons – the latter such a growth industry in the warm micro-climate of the bay and foothills behind that the taxes levied by the former ruling Monagasque government were one of the main reasons why the town to separated itself from its Riviera neighbour in 1848. Famed as a training hill, exactly where the pros commence their battle with the clock on the ‘classic’ start is a constant cause of debate. But those without the pressure of power meters and heart rate statistics usually prefer the ‘beach’ start. It mounts the hill with the sharp gradients of Corniche des serres de la Madone which immediately plunges you into a series of hairpins through vine trees that help make the town famous for its gardens and greenery. And it links you to the road from Gorbio, which is appropriate given that the real name of the climb, unbeknownst to many, is the Col de la Madone de Gorbio. The route from Gorbio links the two starts together, and from the junction where they meet the autoroute comes into view. Those who began on the classic route will have already wound their way around the giant stilts of the motorway – a stark concrete statement of modernisim and an undeniable feat of engineering that traverses the five different valleys between Gorbio on the western side and the eastern Garavan side of Menton. Once past the autoroute, the village of Saint-Agnes eventually appears between the craggy outcrops. One of the ‘plus beux villages’ of France, it’s named after the Italian princess who took shelter from a coastal storm whilst praying to the patron saint that shared her name. Once the storm had blown itself out she followed through on her promise to build a sanctuary in her saviour’s honour – much like the Spanish sailors did on Madone d’Utelle. Madonna has to be thanked for these sanctuaries with great cycling roads leading to them. Tucked away at the front of the butte on which Saint-Agnès is perched is the 80m ‘Gros Ouverage de Saint-Agnès’ that forms part of the Alpine or ‘Little Maginot Line’ – the lesser-known southern Alps defence structures which were initiated in the 1920s by the French government in response to Mussolini’s threats to reclaim Nice (parallel to their northern counterparts built to protect against German invasion). If you want a break from climbing the bunker’s strategic position affords you a view of the entire bay below and of the border and Italian coastline to the left and east. Locals still tell of 9 French soldiers resisting no less than 5,000 Italian opponents over a 10 day onslaught in the Battle of La Pont Saint-Louis. When they finally had to accede to the Italians, the door of the outpost was locked and the key given to the French soldiers as a mark of respect. Rumour has it that the barrier has never been repainted due to the amount of Italian blood that was spilt on it. These days, thankfully, the only gunshots come from the sanglier hunters that often take to the hills behind and above Saint-Agnès. It is in the wildness of the last 5kms where you’ll find herds of goats blocking the road, usually just after the three tunnels chiselled through the hard rock. On the final approach to the summit the antennae on the western peak gives a perspective of the last 200m elevation to be gained and the small deserted hut after a sharp left hander indicates the start of the final kilometre. Against the clock, Froome and Porte have taken on the mantle from Armstrong and Rominger and Porte finally admitted last year to breaking the 30minute barrier prior to the 2013 Tour. Us mere mortals should be happy to duck under almost twice that time for an ascent from the beach start. Whatever the number, a successful summit is rewarded with a view towards Peille and the higher mountains with Madone being a gateway Col that unlocks the door to a whole host of other climbs and routes in the Alpes Maritimes. It also allows for a moments contemplation at the monument made out of old artillery shells and shrapnel and inscribed “Combat de l’homme, éclats d’obus, désormais ne soyez plus que Madone de la paix” - “Battles of men, shards of shells, from now on you are no more than a Madonna of peace” 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 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

Riviera Gravel #3 – Sospel – Chemin de Paraïs – Col de Braus The Col de Braus is one of the most iconic climbs anywhere in cycling, even if its racing history is less than illustrious. The series of switchbacks nestling on its western slopes are the stuff of postcards, maybe the most photographed corners anywhere in cycling (at least in the Alpes-Maritimes). Not only are they a perfect ribbon of asphalt draped across the mountainside, but you can look down on them from above - a surprisingly rare thing amongst mountain passes. Yet Braus has a dark side. Winding its way up the eastern face of the mountain is a gravel gem that gets overlooked for it's more glamorous, tarmac sister. Climbing up from Sospel the Chemin de Paraïs is not marked or sign posted - if you didn't know it was there you would likely never find it, which makes it that little bit more special. Sospel has had a tumultuous military history, the mountains around the village are littered with forts and ruins from several thousand years of conflict as it was pulled back and forth between Nice and Ventimiglia, France and Italy, Occitania and Savoie. The Paraïs piste is relic from these conflicts, originally cut as a military access road. At the time it was built, the cannon was at the forefront of military technology, yet the horse was still the main mode of transport. That meant that military roads had to maintain a gradient of less than 8%, as otherwise the horses could not get the canons up them. Today that makes for steady, consistent climb - although it is a full 2km shorter than climbing up by the road, so while it may not vary, it rarely lets up either. You start the climb on the road to the Col de Turini, hanging a left at the maison du miel and climbing up through the houses of Quartier La Vasta. The piste itself starts at Sospel Mechanique and begins with a steady grade as you reach the first of the twelve switchbacks amidst the deciduous woodlands of the north-facing slopes. In the high summer these woods are a godsend, when the sun has turned the road climb into an oven-hot killing floor they offer some respite from the relentless heat. The fourth switchback takes you out onto the south-facing side of the valley, the vegetation changes from forest to scrub, the piste becomes deep with loose gravel and rock, the cool forest canopy is left behind and the gradient reaches the steepest of the whole. It only lasts for maybe half a kilometre, but the heat, the loose surface and the kick in gradient try their best to demoralise you with still another 5km to climb. If you are lucky and it has rained recently, the fifth switchback brings you back into the forest and greets you with the mountain torrent the runs down the heart of the valley - a perfect spot to cool down, if the summer hasn't left the stream barren and dry. From here the climb is steady, the gradient doesn't vary much and the surface tends to be less loose once more. On switchback six you can peel out and skirt round the face of the mountain to rejoin the road climb to the col, or you can stay in the woods and take the slightly longer climb to the Pas de l'Agree, some 50m above the Col de Braus, and descend to the col by the little singletrack through the sheep fields, rejoining the road at the back of the restaurant (if you don't feel up to singletrack, you can follow the road down to the col). From the col you have another choice - there is the easy option of taking the road back to Nice - some 40km, almost all of which are downhill - or you can stay on the gravel going by heading along the piste de Lavinia which runs north-south along the tops of the mountains towards St Agnes. It can be pretty hot and loose going in summer, there is nothing between you and the sun, but the gradient is much more mellow up here and you are rewarded by some of the best views down towards Nice. Col de Farguet marks the end of the gravel climbing. Through much of the year shepherds keep their flocks around here, which is dangerous business with the local wolf population. Defending from wolf attacks is hard going on the shepherds - they like to strike at 3am, which means sitting up all night on guard as the wolves have figured out how to outwit their dogs. So it's no wonder that when the wolves win a round the shepherds often express their anger by displaying the carcass as a protest. From Farguet you skirt the flank of the mountain and rejoin the road. There is just one, nasty kicker of a climb on the side of Mont Ours - a steep tarmac drag that is one last kick in the teeth before you start the descent. From there it is all downhill and you can follow the road down to Col de Banquettes and then Peille or St Agnes. Read more about the unbeaten tracks that surround Nice in our Riviera Gravel series. Footnotes: Photography & Text : Matt Wragg KOMOOT ROUTE

THE LUNCHTIME BOOM For those who have been in and around the Port and the Vieux Nice at noon, the shock will be memorable. When the clock strikes twelve the area surrounding the Parc du Château reverberates to the big bang. You hear it. But you do not see it. It’s called the Parc du Château. But there is no Château. It was destroyed by its own worst enemy, i.e. the French themselves. It was a citadel, a military bastion the origins of which started in the 11th century. In the 18th century it was owned by the Italian House of Savoy. The French took it back in 1705 and Louis XIV saw fit to destroy the castle the following year. The Château now is simply a seaside bosse, a rocky outcrop that separates the Port from the Baie des Anges, strewn with ancient relics to distract from the 360 degree panorama. It’s where tourists flock for a higher view of Nissa la Bella. Strategic voyeurism in a place previously used for military defence. The cannon was started to signal lunch time, an essential part of French daily life. But the cannon was not initiated by a Frenchman. A Scotsman, Lord Coventry to be precise, started what is now a strictly-adhered to niçois tradition. The Scottish Lord wanted to remind his wife that it was time to stop walking the promenade and eat. We like to think he was just adapting his Belle Epoque, winter staycation to the French mode de vie. The locals didn’t need a cannon, and they still don’t. The lunch break is a national culture - shops close, streets empty and brasseries hustle and bustle. It has has evolved as part of the population’s DNA over centuries. But in Nissa La Bella the cannon tradition stuck. So no chateaux and a French tradition reinvented by a Scotsman. At least there is still the cannon and its almighty boom across the bay. Rolled out each day by the modern-day military, stoked and fired on the tick of the last of the morning tocks to tell everyone it’s time to manger. Men of discipline, trained in armed combat and fitted out in crisp suits, proudly carrying on a centuries-old tradition. But there is no cannon. Philippe is a licensed fireworks expert. He wears trainers, jeans and a t-shirt and he has a friendly and familiar air about him. He’s more than happy to welcome us to firing of the cannon. The police were responsible for the firing of the ‘cannon’ up until 1992 when new legislation required certified pyrotechnics expert to be in charge. Enter Phillipe. The cannon is four launch tubes with a trigger wire, set-off by one of those square batteries you used to put in your remote control car. One single firework is projected into the air before banging like thunder. Since he started, Philippe has only missed the midday firing twice. Once because of an accident blocking the road, once because he got stuck in between protesting civil servants in Place Garibaldi, just below the château. He's been known to set it off an hour early on April Fool's Day. We take Philippe a Pan Bagnat, the specialist niçois sandwich (think of it effectively as a niçoise salad in a bread roll, drenched in olive oil) and we eat it amongst the tourists beside the Bellanda Tower that overlooks the Promenade des Anglais. They are totally unaware this is the man that just made them jump. And he's about to retire. That's sad but he assures 100% us the cannon will still fire. How is he so sure? His daughter will replace him. Details like the lunchtime cannon are what make Nissa niçois. The new Eglantine jersey proudly wears the Nissa La Bella badge on its sleeve. EGLANTINE FOR MEN EGLANTINE FOR WOMEN

WHERE TO RIDE FROM NICE – GILETTE & BONSON The cycle path on the western side of the Var river is an easy and flat route into the arrière pays, the deserted hinterland behind Nice; on each side, the climbs up to villages like Le Broc are challenging and fun, but this ride takes you right to the end of the cycle path, and into a short loop in the hills. Have a coke and an ice cream at a café in Gilette village square, high above the river while enjoying the views of snow-capped mountains, then carry on round to tiny Bonson. In the afternoons, the sea wind can make the return journey along the Var hard work, so if you don't mind another climb, take the road to Castagniers and descend the other side of the ridge into Nice. key kit Arm Warmers. In the early morning and during spring and autumn it can be cold in the Var valley. Take a pair of arm warmers to cut out the chill on the flat run towards the hills. VIEW THE WARMERS RIDE INSIGHTS If you want to extend the ride, go from Gilette to Toudon and then on to climb the steep slopes of Mont Vial. At the top is the weather station that resembles nothing if not a Bond villain’s lair. 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. 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 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. Ride the climb and claim the badge. Not technically included in this ride, Mont Vial can be added to the route for those whose legs feel strong. HOW TO CLAIM A BADGE

DUE SOUTH The “DUE” series is symbolic. It’s an invention, a good excuse, a perfect justification. It’s the beginning of the longer rides that will mutiply as the summer comes. It’s the time to get the bodies re-acclimatised to riding more than 200kms day after day. To test new kit, new accessories and new bike set-ups in real-world conditions. Essential experimentation before the big events like Born To Ride, the TCR or North Cap 4000 that Matthieu and Sophie have in their Audax agendas. It’s the time for old friends to reunite and assume their roles – like Gregory – chief joker of the pack. Sophie, a recent recruit to the long distance world, begins the journey in the role of ‘stagaire’, in search of the refinement long distance requires, like the balance between a fully-loaded bike and multiple days with substantial elevation. She’ll finish the ride converted to ‘Ninja’ status. It’s a great excuse to link the Café du Cycliste hubs, to bring to the foreign posts a bit of our French DNA. After having exported the gallic flair to London last year, it’s time to hit the road to Mallorca. The wind. More specifically the headwind. It was inevitable. The wind is the biggest joker when it’s in your face. It takes pleasure in doing its best to stop you going in whatever direction you point your wheels. The continental route plotted from Nice forms a big circular arc to Barcelona where the ferry awaits. The big question from the start was whether the wind would be on our side. Answer : no. We did our best to avoid and fight the gale force winds predicted by Météo France with pizza stops and chocolate eclairs. Friends from Arles came to lend a wheel to follow to get us to the Camargue. But the wind never stops, even when we reach the bumps and humps that must be overcome to pass through into Spain. Each evening we find a shelter, a hotel, a bench. And there is always a bar to celebrate another day accomplished and to numb any small pains resulting from the time in the sadldle. The road passes beneath our wheels, the local customs change, the décor evolves, the language becomes strange and the jokes come thick and fast. Sunrises blur into sunsets, colours explode, the night is intoxicating and its kilometres are like a suspension. All the ingredients are there and they are an essential to maintain motivation and build memories. Arriving in Barcelona it is all smiles, especially as we get an escort by Sami Sauri. It marks a new stage in the journey. The long days on the fastest roads and the cycle paths are finished, to be replaced with the small steep byways of The Island. Before boarding the ferry, finding a bar to celebrate the end of the Continental Leg comes as second nature. From the map of the Island we had decided to disembark at Alcúdia in the north east so we could take the entire length of the north coast, pass over Sa Calobra and link together the smaller seaside Cols on the way to Palma. At 4am the port is deserted. We take out our bivvies for a few hours extra sleep before breakfast and the attack on the second part of our journey to Café du Cycliste in Palma. When the Island wakes, we understand better its topography. It’s full of cyclists; they are everywhere. Their preferred style is definitely on the performance side and so our bike-packing set-up and pace stands out like a sore thumb. We sense a few mocking smiles and a few cyclists completely ignore us. But once the road rises up things change completely. When the hard roads begin we receive the approval of everyone, enquiries on what we are doing and sometimes incomprehension at our ability to climb at their pace whilst fully loaded. Sa Calobra. The nickname of the Col del Reis is like some sort of exclamation ! Which is appropriate. Everything is bigger. The view is amazing. The hairpins are totally beautiful. The way the road loops itself on the mountainside is, frankly, extravagant. The number of cyclists is almost haunting. For us that is fine. We’ve ridden the hard days to get to this col and we feel good to be here. We wanted to stay and camp in the cove but it’s a safe haven for tourists. So it’s back up the climb to find a village off the beaten track. On The Island it’s important to know how to share the space with the other visitors. It would be stupid to think this jewel in the Mediterranean could be kept a secret. You have to divert your attention from the tourist cars and find the places where they are few and far between, where you can instead enjoy the sumtouous curves of the smaller (but perfectly laid) roads. Take the time at lunch to observe, to discover Plan B is quite often a much better option than Plan A. After one day of experimenting we found what we came searching for – a different way of existing and enjoying the road and The Island. Another rhythm. And so we rolled into Palma at a slower pace. The final sequence was perfect : the rolling coastal route, the flat roads lined with palm trees, the smiles of the tourists and the warm welcome at Café du Cycliste was an ideal ending to this particular 1,000km escapade. The restaurants, the bars, the friendships. The season has begun. Footnotes: Photography : Matthieu Lifschitz & Sophie Gateau

L'ARRIÈRE-PAYS Behind the coast, the yin to the Riviera's yang is the back country where it's possible to get lost and lonesome, with or without two-wheels. Go explore.

Col d’Èze: Nos montagnes à la carte #4 The Chateau d’Èze, which sits atop the picture perfect village of Èze, was built over 400 years ago, and from its windows lucky guests – it is now a luxury hotel – can look out over the Italianate medieval village of Èze itself, and up to the mountains or down to the sparkling blue sea below. But King Kelly isn’t here High above Èze amid the pines is the Fort de la Revère, which was built in the 19th century to guard against an Italian invasion. From this ridge there is a commanding view of the Mediterranean and, behind, the snowy peaks of the Alpes-Maritimes. But King Kelly isn’t here either. Between Èze village and the fort runs the Route de la Grande Corniche, the highest of the three corniche roads that lead from Nice towards Monaco and Italy. Starting almost at the Café, it takes you steeply out of town, past villas and under palm trees, winding up through the hills to a height of 507m. And it’s here, in a dusty car park opposite an hostelry at the Col d’Èze that you can find King Kelly – in spirit at least. Sean Kelly won the Paris-Nice race seven years in a row, from 1982 to 1988; each year it finished with a time trial from Nice up to the Col; and in five of those seven years, King Kelly won the time trial, and the race, at the finish line just on a level with this car park. These days several riders have gone faster than him: his course record of 19’45” was beaten by Bradley Wiggins in 2012 and later by Richie Porte too. But the climb is still Kelly’s. And when you climb, escaping the noise and the bustle of central Nice, think of Kelly, the Irishman who ruled the Côte d’Azur – and aim for a time of under half an hour. 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. Photographer : Greg AnnandaleWords : Max Leonard NOS MONTAGNES À LA CARTE 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 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

Riviera Gravel #2 – La Turbie, Fort de la Revère From the beautiful perched village of La Turbie, down to the contrasting modernism of the concrete based autoroute and its péage, back into nature and reversing through time to the ancient fort on top of the mountain. Riviera Gravel #2 is in effect an extension of Riviera Gravel #1. Past Col d'Eze and along the Grande Corniche is the town of La Turbie where Roman ruins sit beside medieval churches which sit beside baroque villas. The fountain in the middle of town is a honey pot for cyclists who have climbed the 658m from the bord de mer to this perched village. Not many of them leave the fountain to climb the Chemin de Simboula up to the Fort de la Revère. CHEMIN DE SIMBOULA Initially the most remarkable feature of this gravel climb is that you start beside the A8 autoroute toll bridge. But it's a feelgood factor to turn your back on the cars and point your nose to the sky on the Chemin de Simboula. It's named after the military battery that is built on and in the summit of the Cime de la Forna and it starts with relatively smooth double track gravel. However, before long the gradient kicks up for the middle part of the climb - nearly 2kms at 8% on gravel is a good challenge. Look across the valley and you can see the Sanctuary of Laghet, where the spirit of the Virgin Mary is said to have manifested herself in the 15th Century in healing the sick, reforming prisoners and performing various other miracles. It is still a place of pilgrimage. But to see the light from the Chemin de Simboula you must reach the summit. The double track at the top of the climb splits. Go right for a view of the Alpes-Maritimes behind and circle around the back of the Fort de la Revère. This is the over-ground obvious military installation that was last used as a prison during WW2. In front is a panoramic view of the Côte d'Azur, Italy to the left, the Esterel national park to the right. As beautiful as that is, the best part of this ride is to the left. This may not be an independent assessment, but the two kilometers of old military road that awaits is one of the most spectacular bits of gravel you can find in Europe. Follow the signs for 'PAI 9 La Fourna' and you commence the front side of the Chemin de Simboula which leads to the actual military construction hidden in the rocks. These are hard to notice because attention is split between the spectacular gravel balcony road that clings to the cliff, the tunnels through the rocks and the mediterranean view to the right. Unfortunately this road is now a dead end. As La Turbie comes back into view over the rocky horizon, the way back down to the Grande Corniche is via a crumbling set of switchbacks which have been deemed unsafe for passage. But that is perfectly acceptable as turning round and riding the chemin in the reverse direction gives another chance to appreciate its magnificence from a different angle. Stop, take pictures, have a drink, have lunch. Whatever it is, take time to appreciate the view and the fact that a different discipline of cycling can give great gifts. Read more about the unbeaten tracks that surround Nice in our Riviera Gravel series. KOMOOT ROUTE

WHERE TO RIDE FROM NICE – MORTOLA Pretend you're James Bond on a bike as you spin along the Basse Corniche out of Nice towards Monaco, cliffs to your left, sparkling sea to your right. 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 into Italy. A short loop takes you off the main road, up a lush Italian valley and then home the way you came. Alternatively you can extend the ride to Dolceacqua for a proper Italian coffee in a picturesque riverside village. Either way, Monte Carlo can be congested during rush hour, so keep your eyes open. key kit Sunglasses. Cruising the coast like James Bond? Stylish sunglasses cut out the glare from the Med and allow you to stare at the local residents politely on the traverse of Monaco. VIEW THE GLASSES RIDE INSIGHTS Use this ride to scope out the start of the Col de la Madone, which begins in Menton. A town which is known as La Perle de France and is famous for its gardens and its lemons. 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 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 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 Sa Calobra, Mount Fuji, Mount Baldy and beyond. HOW TO CLAIM A BADGE

Col de Tende: Nos montagnes à la carte #3 Alpe d’Huez famously has 21 switchbacks, hairpins, or lacets - call them what you want. The Passo dello Stelvio has 48 on the classic, much-photographed eastern side, but that’s in 16.5kms and all on tarmac. The Col de Tende manages the same number in 7.4kms and, actually, if you turn right off the main road just over 1km before the Tende tunnel, you can add 17 more to make a dizzying total of 65 about turns. Plus the last 4kms are on gravel. If you like getting off the beaten track, you will like the Col de Tende It’s easy to see from pictures that the Col de Tende is something worth fighting over. Only 40 kilometres from the sea as the crow flies, it was used by Ligurian tribes in Roman times who established the settlement at Tende. The town grew rich and powerful controlling the pass in the Middle Ages, since it was key to the salt trade between the coast and the noblemen of Savoy. The House of Savoy was one of the oldest and most powerful royal families in Europe, who had ruled the Alps from Turin since the start of the 11th century. The salt came from the Camargue and Hyères along the coast, and was one of the most precious commodities of its age – so valuable, in fact, that in the 18th century the salt route became the first paved road in the Alps. In its heyday, it’s estimated that more than 55,000 mules worked the Route du Sel, also known as the Via del Sale (or the Real Strada, the Royal Route), and those muleteers in Tende were known to be the strongest. For good reason. At the end of the Roya valley, the col road ascends an almost vertical wall of rock, to 1871m, where the col and the Italian border now lie. After Italy came into being, in the 19th century, more than a thousand Italian troops lived at the barracks and manned the forts at the top. And in the Second World War, the whole valley was fortified with concrete bunkers, gun positions and pillboxes, pointing westwards into France. Now, the whole valley is quiet, and feels something like a no-mans-land. Tende has belonged to France since 1947, but still feels like a place apart. Locals still tend the terraced fields above the dead-end villages, and animal herders still graze their flocks in the mountain pastures under the Vallée des Merveilles, the Valley of Marvels, where there are thousands of engravings left behind by a Bronze Age bull-worshipping cult. The local dialect is called Tendasque, and at the local shepherd’s festivals there is more Italian produce on show than French. The spaghetti loops of the col road are quiet now too. The 3km-long Tende tunnel was built in 1882, taking all the traffic away from the top part of the road. So for the adventuring cyclist, it’s the perfect escape. 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 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 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

Riviera Gravel #1 - Vinaigrier, Col d'Èze, Plateau de la Justice It's about time we let the secret out of the bag. Where We Ride has a second playground, a second cycling paradise, a second option to explore. Yes, the roads of l'arrière pays are mostly car-free, but if you really want to get away from it all, gravel is your friend. So we are opening up another world and inviting you to come and adventure the Alpes-Maritimes via our gravel guide extraordinaire, starting with a surprisingly quick and close option. This is Riviera Gravel. THE EZE LUNCHTIME LOOP To be able to climb a classic like Col d'Eze by gravel in a desk-escaping lunchtime ride is special. From the Café it's a climb-fest right out of the box but the fun starts almost immediately. Mont Boron is five minutes away but its quiet roads and views of Villefranche bay make it an instant escape from the city. Instead of following the road we take the paths to get into adventure mode early. There are many different pistes cut between the trees in Mont Boron but it's a rocky outcrop so choose yours wisely (or follow our route via the link at the bottom of this page). This is the most fun way to arrive at the Col de Villefranche on the moyenne corniche that takes the traffic towards Eze village itself. VINAIGRIERThe route traverses the moyenne corniche at Col de Villefranche which sits at 149m. Taking the left towards Parc de Vinaigrier, there is gravel to be found in between the villas. It's alley-cat riding but not as you know it. To arrive at the actual parc, you must porter up a flight of stairs where you'll find a water fountain which can be helpful in the hot summer days. The famous niçois writer, Louis Nucéra, wrote of the Parc du Vinaigrier, 'la Beauté qui se voulait éternelle' - the eternal beauty that we search for. The tracks start on the west side of the mountain before a sharp right and steep climb as they cut their way through the terraced olive grove, past the bee keepers and towards the Eze Observatory. Apparently the parc is an Italian - Provençal combination born a long time ago whose beauty was deserving of protection and maintenance by the local authorities. A great start, in other words, to a challenging bike ride. LA ROUTE STRATEGIQUEAfter dropping out on to the tarmac of the Grande Corniche, it's a quick liaison to the Col des Quatre Chemins and a left turn to find the Route Stratégique. This is the golden section of this ride. As it's name suggests, it's a military road leading to the forts that lie above. It hangs on to the northern side of Mont Leuze and the Plateau de la Justice and stretches for nearly 2.5km at an average gradient of 6%. That begins to bite as there is a flat section in the middle and the road gets steeper and rougher towards the finish. But the beauty of this road is the sense of engineering that the outside wall gives, combined with the double-track gravel below which is nearly always without other people on it when you ride. And, of course, the view to the left of the higher mountains of the Mercantour National Park can inspire you to bigger longer rides. To emerge from behind the Hôtel Hermitage and arrive at the Col brings a certain smug satisfaction. From here there are options. You can turn right and climb further up to the Plateau de la Justice and find another two kilometres of gravel round to the top Mont Leuze before the descent to Nice, with stunning views over the Baie des Anges. Alternatively you can turn left and ride the road to La Turbie to add our next gravel climb to Fort de la Revère. Read more about the unbeaten tracks that surround Nice in our Riviera Gravel series. KOMOOT ROUTE

Col de la Bonette: Nos montagnes à la carte #2 Don’t look too hard at the Bonette’s claim – seen on signposts the length of the ascent from Jausiers in the north and from Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée in the south – that it is the highest road in Europe. There are a few paved roads that are higher. And it’s only the highest inter-valley route (ie, the highest road that actually goes anywhere) if you accept that the Cime de la Bonette loop around the mountain’s peak, above the col, is not cheating. Look instead at the Tinée river, which you follow up to where it is but a tumble of clear water flowing through a high valley to rival in beauty any further north in the Alps. Look at the white pinpricks of the tiny Alpine daisies in the meadows that, for a few short weeks after the snow’s retreat, lose their ochre colour and blasted demeanour and turn the most intense, celebratory acid green. Look at the sheep following their shepherds across the folds of the mountain above the tree line. Stand for a moment on the top of the cime, that dark pyramid with its 15% slopes that rip any remaining air out of your lungs, and then walk to the very top. There, at 2,859m, you’ll see the painted panorama naming each peak around you, and you can listen to the bells of the flocks on either side of the dividing ridge, those on one side dwelling in the high Alps, and on the other in the lower pastures towards the Mediterranean. Look at the remains of the grand forts that guard this ribbon of Tarmac, and imagine the life of the soldiers up here in the winter - when they would throw planks between the roofs of the barracks to create tunnel walkways under the thick snow above, and winch up their supplies from Bousiéyas, a hamlet hundreds of metres below. The Bonette road was built by Napoleon III when Nice and its surrounding county were ceded to the French by the Italians, in 1860. By pledging to create this Route Impériale, the Frenchman was making a statement that he would protect Nice, a jewel on the azure waters of the Mediterranean, and not let this part of the world be menaced by the Italians any more. Then look at the concrete hulks of the Second World War bunkers that also guard the road and the passes towards the border, and realise that one man’s determination can only last so long, and that the life of a mountain is almost infinitely longer. Find, if you can, the secret road to the Col de la Moutière, and take the tough gravel track from the Moutière to the top. Then descend back into the world of heat and scent where you’ll find the best pizza in the world waiting for you.. And there you’ll realise, if it hadn’t struck you already, that this is one of the best climbs in the Alps, of whatever height, and that the prodigious altitude just gives you longer to appreciate its charms. 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 AnnandaleWords : Max Leonard NOS MONTAGNES À LA CARTE 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 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 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

Madone d’Utelle: Nos montagnes à la carte #1 As ships navigate across the sea according to certain fixed points in heaven, or on a faraway shore, so do cyclists when riding through familiar or unfamiliar territory. A hill on the horizon, a particular house that denotes a turning, or the sea shining down below. Ride in the back country around Nice, and one of those reference points is the chapel of the Madone d’Utelle. It sits next to an aerial on a bluff that dominates the Var valley at the confluence of the Esteron and the Tinée, and is, next to the antenna atop Mont Vial close by, a constant presence. We owe this guidance to Spanish sailors. Over a thousand years ago – or so the story goes – the seamen were caught in a terrible tempest one night on the Mediterranean Sea. Close to death, they promised to build a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary if their lives were spared. At once their prayers were answered: the mother of God appeared in the landward sky, and a blinding holy light illuminated a mountain for them. The sky and the sea quietened and the Spaniards were saved. The marker they erected on the mountain the Virgin had chosen was the origin of the first sanctuary above Utelle, a settlement that had existed since before Roman times, and had become the important first stop on the salt road into what is now Italy from the coast. Locals will tell you that if you look closely you will find star-shaped fossils in the stones around the Sanctuary. This is evidence, for some, of the divine presence on the mountain. But scientists will of course point out that this landscape was once, some 140 million years ago, below the surface of the ocean, before the folding of the earth’s crust formed the mountains that pushed these marine creatures up towards their heavenly counterparts. At 1,140m, the plateau on which the Sanctuary sits caps the Var valley, and offers a 360º panorama from the coast to the peaks and valleys of the Alpes-Maritimes, on the north and west sides, and across to Vence and Grasse to the east. It’s a regular climb of 14.4km from Saint-Jean-la-Rivière down on the Vésubie river below , although the road below the village of Utelle is steeper. In 1800, amid fighting in the region between the local Niçois (who had at that point sworn their allegiance to the House of Savoy and Italy, not France, for more than 400 years) and French and Spanish forces, the French took control of Utelle. The sanctuary was reduced to ruins. The Utellois started a petition to rebuild the holy site, and by 1806 the Madone had been restored – with all the building materials and labour coming up the slope from the river at the bottom. Above the village the road splits and a tunnel heads towards the Tinée valley; but the path to the Sanctuary, now narrowed to a ribbon, keeps climbing through cool woodland that must have afforded the labourers and their mules some respite. For the final few kilometres it opens out, giving tantalizing glimpses of the mountains around, before a final couple of switchbacks take riders to the plateau... This has long been a place of pilgrimage and healing, but one that for cyclists has remained a well-kept secret – beloved of local riders including Joe Dombrowski … until now. In March 2016, the penultimate stage of Paris-Nice finishes on the summit, bringing the views from this holy site to a wider audience. 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 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 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

Les Courses Disparues #7 : Grand Prix de Nice François Urago was as niçois as the Promenade des Anglais itself. Born in Vence to Italian parents he was raised on the rolling roads of backcountry. Born the youngest of three brothers, he was soon infected by his siblings' passion for the vélo. It’s the stuff of Riviera dreams then, that François might one day win the big home race and our latest Course Disparue the Grand Prix de Nice. Compared to some other Lost Races, the GP de Nice had a long innings from the first edition in 1923 to the last in 1976. Like a lot of niçois events, the focal point was the La Prom - with the départ and the arrivée located so as to provide a spectacle for the big crowds that turned out on the beach front. From the seaside the peloton faced a loop of approximately 160kms that traced a path from the coast to the hills, between Nice, Grasse, Cannes and Antibes. It wasn't an all-out climbers' race, but rather one for the rouleurs and the baroudeurs. Being a one-day event, those with eyes on the trophy knew that at some point they would have to go 'all-in' if they wanted to raise their arms at the finish line on the seafront. The list of winners throughout the 50 plus years is a mirror of what we see on the roads every time we ride – a mixture of local heroes and cycling’s elite. From Urago to Bobet, to the path-beating Englishman Brian Robinson and the Irish hero, Seamus “Shay” Elliot. The message to be found in between the lines is that this is a race that made careers for all. Post-war the entry list was made up mostly of local French and Italian neo-pros, just like Urago. He turned professional in 1924 and his career on the road was mostly limited to racing in the region, but that is not to say that the level was lower - he was competing with the likes of the great René Vietto and Fermo Camellini, who both went on to earn global success in the Tour. In his first time racing the GP de Nice as a pro, Urago came fourth but finished a full two minutes behind the winning break. In 1925 he was forced to abandon due to a broken wheel. The 1926 edition of the race was different in more ways than one. The organisers reversed the direction to go anti-clockwise from Nice and the pressure was applied from the start on the gentle slopes that lead to the village of Levens. From there it was a bounce in and out of the Var Valley where the steep parts of the climb from the river up to Le Broc made the first selection. Just 50km into the race and the leading group was reduced to seven riders. Sometimes statistics say it all. Reading the race report from the archives of L'Eclaireur de Nice it's possible to see Urago's tactics were perfect - always near the front but never at the front, he was never noted as being higher than fifth wheel as the peloton gradually self-imploded. The race made its way in and out of the valleys and along the foothills of what are locally known as 'the Préalpes' - the mountains before the bigger mountains. The 'balcony' road that is a traditional route for local cyclists to this day strings together a chain of perched provençal villages from Saint-Jeannet and the famous town of Vence to Bar-sur-Loup and eventually Châteauneuf-de-Grasse - a town which can lay honourable claim to being the birthplace of Café du Cycliste. The real test of the race, when done anti-clockwise, was the climb to Gourdon and above to the Col de l'Ecre, where the parcours of the Grand Prix de Nice meets that of the Grand Prix de Cannes. The Lost Races parcours often criss-crossed each other like this on their way to making the careers of some of the biggest names of cycling's golden era. Post-war was when the Riviera breeding ground got populated by the names that went on to become cycling royalty, such as Anquetil and the Bobet brothers. It was also when foreigners realised they needed to be on mainland Europe and, dare we say it, in La France to not only establish their names but also gain entry to the biggest race of them all - La Grande Boucle. Cycling historians have recited how Brian Robinson laid the foundations of British cycling success in Europe. Robinson arrived in France as part of the British Hercules team in 1955 for what some say was the birth of the modern day winter training camp. Just as the modern day pros have done in Nice and Monaco, Robinson and his English and Irish team mates found pre-season training perfection in the famous Les Issambres winter base just beside St Tropez. It was here the kings of the 50s like the Bobets, Anquetil, Derrigarde and Stablinski did their pre-season work. But as he was still establishing his career Robinson had to return to England for the off-season. As it turned out, a bit of manual labour shovelling earth to make the foundations for a home in England was the secret to success on his return to the Riviera in 1957. “I came home in the winter and dug all the trenches for the place we live in now. I rode my bike at weekends and went back to France in January. With all that trench digging it took me about three weeks to get fit. That’s when I beat Louison Bobet to win my first big pro race, the Grand Prix de Nice.” Robinson won by a mere 50 seconds with a last-minute escape to the line ahead of none other than Louison Bobet himself. Clearly digging holes in the ground had allowed him to dig a little bit deeper on the bike. He went on to finish third in the Milan San-Remo the following month and continued the upward curve of his career to go on and win a stage of the Tour the following year. Unheard of for a cyclist from Huddersfield in Northern England. But let’s return to local hero Urago. Having kept his nose out of the wind as much as possible, he picked two ramps the punctuated the descent back to the coast on which to make a gap. The red mist was down and as the breakaway strung itself out, the two riders remaining on Urago’s wheel had a crash with a car. François was left alone for the final 20km. Soloing to the line, it was a racing cyclist’s perfect moment with the sea and its mountain backdrop, the flotilla of boats in each harbor along the way, and the crowds waiting anxiously on the Promenade des Anglais. Urago went on to achieve greater things on the track but that one day on the 21st February 1926 helped build a family bike business that lasted over fifty years. The Lost Races never failed to deliver. Promenade des Anglais, Nice, France. Read more about the races that gone but not forgotten in our Courses Disparues series.

Fuel for a Nation Every morning, without fail, a cake stand sits on the Café du Cycliste bar laden with freshly baked croissants and pains aux chocolats to fuel the first cyclists through the door. These morceaux of delight come from Boulangerie Lagache, just five minutes north of the Port on Rue Arson. The Maître Artisan (master craftsman), Monsieur Lagache has a good track record; in 2011 he won the award for the best baguette in the Département of Alpes-Maritimes. We decided to rise early with the bakers and find out what it takes to make breakfast for a large and expectant neighbourhood. To view the preparation work, the folding and kneading, the mixing and the glazing before the ovens were loaded. Then we would profit from the empty roads by climbing Mont Chauve, the mountain that towers above the Baie des Anges, for a view of a fully lit yet almost completely asleep Nice. Bread and cycling; it could be argued that these are two staples of French life. Of course, those at the serious end of the cycling scale professionals and amateurs alike used to hollow out the baguette and simply eat the outer crust on the misunderstanding that it helped them stay lean. Nowadays, professionals avoid it altogether, or so they would say – we have witnessed one local professional end a five hour ride with a pass-by the boulangerie for a ‘recovery baguette’. Everybody loves French bread. Steeped in history, boulangerie is a métier of passion. In France, where some regard the price of bread as the short term trigger to the revolution and therefore the birth of the Republic in 1789, du pain is a source of conflict. The boulangerie profession must feed the people, but also has to be regulated to maintain standards and to prevent the artisans of yeast and flour working around the clock, seven days a week. So Boulangerie Lagache is shut every Tuesday because the government demands it. Legislation was passed in 1920 to prevent the boulangers starting before 4am. “It is forbidden to employ workers making bread and pastry between ten in the evening and four in the morning.” Four o’clock in the morning is early enough for even the hardiest of cyclists. There is no half-wheeling at this hour, especially with Mont Chauve on the menu. A touch over five kilometres at a steady 8% gradient is a testing enough breakfast. The things we’ll do for a pain au chocolat. Because, of course, not all bread is savoury. The croissant is to the sweet-toothed weekend warrior what the baguette is to the hungry post-workout professional. A guilty pleasure of layered dough and butter that puffs with excitement when ready. Just don’t tell anyone an Austrian invented it. It’s crescent shape isn’t dissimilar to that of the curves of the Mont Chauve mountain which are traversed by the road the first set of hairpins before the barrier and the second, tighter set that take you to the Fort on the peak. Here we take in the view of Nissa La Bella and her contours that are exposed by street lights. With low cloud and no moonlight the sky and the sea merge into one dark mass. Beyond the range of the bike lights who knows what is out there - that's part of the thrill of riding in the dark, if done with a friend. The cold air begins to speak up, and it’s time to descend back towards the warmth of the ovens and the gifts that they give. Since modern legislation was introduced, you must have a level V diploma (CAP: Certificat d'Aptitude de boulanger) or higher to be certified as a boulanger. As with most walks of life, qualifications on a piece of paper are only the start. Monsieur LaGache has been a Maître Artisan for over three decades and that experience is evidenced by the queues out the front door when we arrive back in front of the boulangerie. These are the best baked goods in this particular corner of Nice. A bag of croissants and pain au chocolat are collected and we race to La Prom in the hope that the clouds have cleared and the sun will set the bay alight. It doesn’t happen but that’s alright, we have the best of French baked goodness to tide us over. Footnotes: Thanks to all the staff at Boulangerie Lagache for all their co-operation and for their trés trés bonnes viennoiseries .

What lies above, beyond the beach. "There are so many amazing little climbs all over the place, and so many interesting roads that just make you want to explore. It seems to be perfect territory for Forrest Gump riding — just setting out and seeing where you end up." - the Climbing Cyclist on riding the Côte d'Azur. Like Forrest Gump just kept on running, us velocipides just want to keep on rolling : round the next corner, over the unbeaten path, through the col. Quick city exits and quiet roads that keep on winding and climbing and crossing borders into principalities, Italy, or simply the next valley. Keep on keeping on. The Riviera might evoke a packed hullabaloo of tourists fighting for space on busy coastal roads as they make their way to the sea. The fact is, if you choose your route correctly, you can be up and out of Nice in less than ten minutes, and at 1,000m above the Mediterranean in less then sixty minutes. Up there, in the depths of l’arrière-pays, time can stand still like a sun-worshipper with a 30€ a day front row beach transat. Between the Mediterranean and the highest peaks lies a plethora of valleys overlooked by perched villages built in pastel colours, each one offering the obligatory boulangerie, brasserie and free fountain water to top up your bidons. Layers of folded earth crust, laced with french road engineering that surely justifies some of the taxes paid by the French citizens. Choose to stay in the compact folds of the collines, or venture further north where the valleys are deeper because the peaks are higher. The Roya valley, the Bevera valley, the Veusbie valley and the Tinée valley. Take the last one to end up at the foot of Europe’s proclaimed highest road*. The beach bums don't have to be forgotten; you can nearly see them on a clear day from 2,000m above sea level if you venture round the Boucle de l'Authion - the 14km loop above the 24km climb to Col de Turini. That's nearly 50km of climbing if you start from Nice. Up, ever up. And after the snow line is reached or when the sun is on its descent over the western peaks of L'Esterel national park, all that is left is to turn around and freewheel back to Nissa la Bella. The roads are waiting. The roads are calling. The roads are empty. For more information on the routes and climbs of the Côte d'Azur, check out WHERE WE RIDE

L'ANNÉE 2018 "Ride as much or as little, as long or as short as you feel. But ride" - Eddy Merckx Every time a cyclist rides, they create a story. Long or short, at home or abroad, there is always a tale to be told. Before we hit reset the digital kilometre counter, we take a look at some of the stories that the road presented to us in 2018. From south of Marrakesh to as far north as the Arctic Circle, exploring new roads, gravel roads, fly fishing and fig hunting. Here are our notes from the field. #1 - BACKDROP OF THE YEAR The return of Morocco. Snow covered Atlas Mountains and a visit from the locals. It is an on-going love affair between Café du Cycliste and Morocco. You only have to go 50km south west of the nation's capital to be at the feet of the Atlas, where multi-coloured rollers meet snow-covered backdrops and endless empty roads disappear over vanishing point crests that lead to the peaks above 2,000m. #2 - RIDE OF THE YEAR Rolling on the edge of the 'Île Magique', off-season but still in the sun The first of Le Week-End Prolongé series was a roll-on, roll-off ferry ride to explore the northern roads of Corsica. It was a father-son affair which, of course meant the gloves were off any time weakness was shown. But riding the dramatic west coast of Cap Corse after the Best Charcuterie In The World, towards the sunset on Nonza beach was a cycling memory that will live forever. #3 - AUDAX OF THE YEARDue North, from Nice to London to join the Café du Cycliste dots with an on-saddle sommelier to guide by the glass through the regions. Audax can be whatever long distance audaciousness you want it to be. This year we challenged three riders to put the Audax range to the test in a shop to shop adventure from Nice to London. The seven day, 1,200km voyage gave plenty of time for musings on what is long, why is long, and how is long. Plus the opportunity to raise a glass in every region of la France. #4 - PRODUCT OF THE YEAROcéane, a culmination in Riviera style that has evolved since the beginning of la Belle Époque. Inspiration and escapism from the Côte d'Azur. Inspired by the French Riviera, Grace Kelly and the glamour and sparkle of life beside the Mediterranean. The Océane jersey was a limited edition pièce de résistance of the summer. Shelves were emptied as quick as monsieur Richie Porte climbs Col de la Madone. Shot in the sun on Cap Ferrat, apparently the most expensive real estate in the world. #5 EVENT OF THE YEAR The Fête des Zinzins : a celebration of craziness on all three sides of Col de Turini Group riding the Brevet des Zinzins. First approach from L'Escaréne, second from Sospel and third and last from La Bollène-Vesubie. From half-wheeling to survival of the fittest to the rise to top of the cream of the climbers. Nine strong riders, 170km on the horizontal axis and 4km on the vertical axis. Only five men finished but everyone plus more will return next year. #6 - MOUNTAIN OF THE YEAR This year our badges for cols went global. The snake that is Sa Calobra proved the most popular. Sumitting mountain roads delivers many rewards, but another one doesn't do any harm. Badges are now available for a selection of les Montagnes du Monde, from Taiwan to NYC's Bear Mountain and including the Tour classic Tourmalet. With more to come in 2019 make sure you claim a deserved badge of honour. #7 - OFF ROAD ADVENTURE OF THE YEAR Magical misty river scenes were the reward for a pre-dawn gravel start to go fly-fishing with Solenne Fly fishing was not only the new excuse to ride but also the reason to stop and enjoy nature's finest offerings. On the last day of the fishing season, le serpentine river, up a dead-end road out of the Allos valley, was a special start to a great day out. #8 FUEL OF THE YEAR Fuel is one of the key parts of a good ride. Even better if it's picked from the Mother Tree of Col d'Eze We all know how important fuel is during any ride. We've had an over-dose of tajine in the Atlas, savoured the Best Socca In The World, but what is better than picking fresh figs off the Mother Tree on a late summer's evening ride up the Grande Corniche? If we had to pick only one source of fuel, the fruit of the Garden of Eze would be our choice of the year. #9 - LIGHT DELIGHT OF THE YEARA burning sky in the crisp cold of the Arctic Circle. We chase sunrises and sunsets all over the world, but this year we found the best one in Alta, Norway. #10 - LLAMA OF THE YEARThe boss of the Col de Tourmalet Somewhere on Col de Tourmalet this Llama is having a great and relaxed time but wondering why the guy on the bike never moves.

Nissa La Bella 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. Viva, viva Nissa la Bella ! O la miéu bella Nissa, Regina de li flou "Long live Nice, long live beautiful Nice Oh my beautiful Nice, Queen of all the flowers" Seen through the eyes of photographer Benedict Campbell, to have another view and another angle is to find another way to love our home town.

There is no plan. I’m from the Southwest of Ireland. People always talk about the weather here, it’s the first topic of any conversation and it fits snugly into the small-talker’s comfort zone. We live in a maritime climate, at the mercy of the pagan weather gods. In any one day we can experience sun, torrential downpours and howling winds, so it’s no wonder it dominates our behaviour, our moods, our outlook on life and our plans. I’ve always been drawn to extremes, to landscapes and cultures that are, by nature, tough. In my own way, I guess I’ve been trying to understand how people forge a life in these wild, weather-beaten locations. This curiosity has brought my wanderings by bike to some of the most far-flung islands in the Northern Hemisphere: Iceland, the Faroes, the Hebrides. My recent trip to the Isle of Jura in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, is one that will definitely stay with me forever. Organized by Pannier.cc, we were in the company of Chris McNally, cycling illustrator extraordinaire, his sister Wren and photographer Chris McClean. It was going to be a good trip, fun people, up for adventure, it doesn’t get better. The island has only one road that stretches 30 miles from south to north from the ferry. There are no prescribed adventures on this island, you need to make up your own. And make up our own, we did. After riding 10 miles from the ferry to our camp spot in a beautiful location overlooking the sea, we tucked into a warm dinner, enjoyed some of the local whisky then retreated to our tents in howling winds and lashing rain. Not the warmest reception...but we woke to blue skies and a whole day of exploring ahead of us. The thing about ‘planning’ bike adventures is...plans never really work out how you imagined them to - and that’s just it - the ‘plan’, no matter how well thought out, is a figment of the imagination. The plan usually goes out the window when you roll away from your empty camps pot and all the unpredictable stuff starts to happen. Like bad weather, getting lost, getting lazy...and so on. We had ‘planned’ to ride as far as a shack on the tip of the island where George Orwell took refuge to write but, we lost so much time buying whisky in the Jura distillery, buying heads of cabbage and food for our camp dinner in the only shop on the island, then chatting with a farmer and his wife who are diversifying with a gin business, that we simply ran out of time. So, stuck at a crossroads, we were forced to choose between George Orwell and a deer stalkers Bothy (recommended by the gin-making farmer who has probably never ridden a bike). We decided to forgo Orwell and head for the bothy which was...according to Komoot, about 10km away. Apparently ‘trail’ in Scotland covers an extremely varied plethora of interpretations. I’ve experienced what are categorised as ‘gravel’ trails by locals to be singletrack worthy of a full-suspension mountain bike. And on the Isle of Jura, it's no different. This ‘trail’ was a line through the bog, slightly darker than the rest of the bog, created by men in rubber boots holding guns, looking for deer. What ensued was over an hour of pushing our laden bikes (the cabbage and gnocchi) over and around mounds of bog and sea grass while being feasted on by midges to the point that we couldn’t stop moving. Even.for.one.second. We did have to stop because we needed to discuss the fact that we were only moving at 4kph and at this rate it would take us 2 more hours to get to the bothy even going downhill - never-mind getting back up over the hill and riding the 30 miles the next morning to catch the ferry. Again...we aborted the plan, returned to the road and had some whisky. The whisky must have made us come to our senses, for it wasn’t until we each had our fair share of the aptly named Jura brew called ‘Journey’ that we settled on the best plan of the day: find a camp spot in a little cove, build a fire and make some cabbage salad and gnocchi. That sounded like a good plan...and it sure was! Footnotes: Photography : Chris McClean / Text : Fiola Foley @ Komoot