Gimme Shelter The story behind our special edition Clementine sweatshirt, which raises money for the communities of the Alpes-Maritimes devastated by Storm Alex. On the evening of Friday 2 October 2020, the first of the year's winter storms swept across the south of France and Italy. And Storm Alex, as it was later named, was a storm of incredible violence and destruction. Usually Nice is a haven of calm. Sitting on the shores of the Mediterranean, it is sheltered from a lot of the bad weather by the Alps, which almost dip their toes into the water, at the Italian border 35 kilometres to the east. But occasionally maritime conditions can intensify incoming bad weather to produce 'bomb storms'. When Alex – a very large and powerful bomb storm – hit land, it unleashed terrible winds and rain on the mountains behind Nice, causing devastation on a scale possibly never seen before. In some parts of the arrière pays niçois (Nice's backcountry), more than 50 centimetres of rain fell per square metre of ground. That might be difficult to visualise, but that's a total of 500 litres, or around 4 bathtubs totally full of water, on every square metre in only 12 hours, washing away houses, farms, workplaces and other buildings, as well as destroying bridges and more than 70 kilometres of road. Nine people died, including two firefighters and a shepherd who was carried away by the water while trying to save his sheep. At Cafe du Cycliste we love the arrière-pays, and we celebrate its roads and its views with our clothing, photography and stories. We believe it's the best place on earth to ride a road bike and we sometimes call it our 'playground' (the gravel is awesome too). However, Storm Alex was a terrible reminder that the natural forces that created these stunning mountains, valleys and gorges do not only operate over geological timespans of millions of years: they can also have a huge impact in just hours and minutes. Worst affected were the three valleys carrying the Tinée, Vésubie and Roya rivers, which run from north to south and join with the Esteron and the Var before flowing into the sea by the Nice airport. The Tinée leads up to the Col de la Bonette, one of our favourite cols and the so-called 'highest inter-valley road in Europe'; the Vésubie is the principal access to the Col du Turini, where the Zinzins love to ride; and the Roya, which is bisected by the Italian border, leads to perhaps the best high gravel road in Europe, the Via del Sale. Several major towns were cut off, losing electricity, clean water and road access for several days, while some of the outlying villages and hamlets were only reconnected just before Christmas – and even then these are 4 x 4 tracks, no proper roads. In Castérino, usually a popular cross-country ski resort in the Roya, a handful of residents are spending the winter completely cut off, living off the food stores in the hotels and heating their houses with firewood. The picturesque town of Saint Martin-Vésubie was one of the worst affected. Once an important stop on the salt route to Italy, and a major trading post for the shepherds, farmers and producers of the mountains, its houses, bridges, roads, shops, museum, brewery, even its cemetery, were washed away. We have created a limited-edition sweatshirt bearing its name, in a classic varsity style, suitable for men and women. 100% of the profits made from this sweatshirt will go to the official relief fund, helping to pay for the hundreds of millions of euros of work that is being undertaken across the entire region to repair buildings, roads and flood defences, not to mention bringing food and material support to the inhabitants left without a livelihood – sometimes even without a roof. Mountain roads are not just for riding bikes – they are lifelines for thousands of people – and we want to stand in solidarity with the people of the arrière pays. We want to help life get back to normal, so we can all enjoy the mountains again together in the future. If you would like to support the relief fund, you can buy the special edition Clementine sweatshirt here.     Images by Daniel Cole.

Nissa La Bella A city by the sea. Our hometown is like all home towns, the good the bad and the beautiful. Mostly, we think the beautiful. For the light, for the landscapes and most of all for the life. 1. Castel plage, Promenade des anglais 2. Promenade des anglais 3. Marguerite Merino Jersey, Clear Grey 4. Vieux Nice 5 & 6. MAMAC - Musée d’Art Moderne et d’Art Contemporain; Coulée Verte / Promenade du Paillon 7. Vieux Nice 8 & 9. Vieux Nice 10. Place Saint François 12. Vieux Nice 11. Promenade des anglais 13. Rauba Capeu

Take me back to Turini: The Tour de France returns to Nice The Tour de France buzz has been absent from the Promenade des Anglais for too long. In 2020, the world’s biggest bike race is back to do Nice properly. A gallop beside the Mediterranean awaits to kick off no less than three stage starts on the French Riviera, within which the Tour’s mapmakers have built a real showcase for where we ride. The promenade’s 2020 Grand Depart might be two months late and lacking joyous fans banging the finish-line boards but France’s south-east corner’s beauty and cycling tradition will more than make up for their eerie absence. The city will hear the almighty clicking and clacking of 176 riders pressing their feet into pedals at the start of both stages before watching them roll off into the ‘arrière pays’. Stage one will feature a sprint finish on ‘La Prom’, whilst the massive mountain stage two will culminate in Paris-Nice-style fireworks on Col d’Eze and a flash past Café HQ on Port Lympia on the way to another seaside finish. Whilst it might seem a long time since the Grand Boucle visited the south, it does have rich history here. Downtown, a rainbow whirlwind was tearing through the shady streets the last time Nice waved the peloton off on its scenic route to the Champs Elysees, back in 1981. Bernard Hinault - world champion, already a double yellow jersey winner and on top of the world - barreled down the start ramp for a five kilometre prologue with his stiff Breton jaw clamped even tighter than usual. Aboard a silky blue Gitane and wearing his casquette backwards, the Badger had been denied a Tour hat-trick by tendonitis 12-months earlier and reasserted his dominance instantly - flying to a seven-second victory to grab yellow on day one of his most overwhelming Tour de France triumph. Hinault had built a lead of more than 14 minutes on second-placed Lucien Van Impe by Paris, and Lousion Bobet can only have been plotting similar dominance after he crested the Col du Turini back on Stage 12 of the 1948 Tour. The Tour organisers have employed the climb’s sapping 15 kilometre ascent to inject some pain into the peloton midway through Stage Two in 2020, similar to where Bobet laid the foundations for stage victory 72-years-ago. Setting off from San Remo, plodding down the coast and heading in-land for the Turini, these were the days of riders hauling leg-snapping gear ratios across Europe, shaping titanic thighs aboard their sluggish machinery. Flying off the Turini’s 1,607m peak, Bobet re-energised and dusted-off four fellow escapees at the line in Cannes, stopping the clock more than seven minutes before the great Gino Bartali - who had floundered since his Stage One victory. It was that night in Cannes that flipped the script, however, as Bobet led Belgian star Roger Lambrecht by 2 minutes and 29 seconds, with Bartali more than 20 minutes in arrears. The Tuscan icon’s hopes were buried but a single phone call reversed his fortunes, as a deputy for the Italian Democratic Party told Bartali that tension in his home nation was threatening to boil over into civil war after the Secretary of the Communist Party had been shot. ‘I will do even better than that. I will win the whole race,’ Bartali is believed to have responded. He crushed the young Bobet, bludgeoning his way to victory on the next three stages and riding into Paris more than 26 minutes clear in yellow. These were also the days well before extreme weather protocols and two years after Bartali’s stunning comeback, the town of Saint-Maxime - 100 kilometres west of Nice - was the scene of an extraordinary sight on the Tour. The 1950 peloton, including Bartali, Bobet, the great Swiss Ferdi Kubler and Belgian icon Stan Ockers, faced a gruelling day, riding from Toulon to Menton in searing heat. Having reached Saint-Maxime after 81 kilometres under the sun, these athletes who could withstand endless brutality in pursuit of a winners’ bouquet could no longer stand the heat. One by one riders freed their feet from toe-straps and made for the Mediterranean, ignoring the outrage of race director Jaques Goddet before resuming their battle, with Jean Diederich coping best to take victory in Menton. Cycling’s showpiece has avoided Nice since 2013 when Orica-GreenEdge stole victory in a team-time-trial on Stage Four by a single second from Omega Pharma-Quick Step after a blistering effort up and down the Promenade, but is ready for a far more memorable return in 2020’s edition. Whilst the Grand Départ will be adapted to the times we live in, the Café doors will be open, the big screen will be on and the espresso machine primed as always. Vive Le Tour. Visit the café in Nice for bike rental, kit and coffee. Text by Toby Miles

Where to Ride from Nice – The Nissa All-Road Ride Also known as the Café du Cycliste ‘Secret Weapon’ ride, for first-time visitors with a sense of adventure this is an all-road ride that connects two classic climbs, and showcases everything the Alpes-Maritimes have to offer. Riding north out of Nice, leave the Paillon valley to climb the Col de Nice via the smaller, traffic-free Route de Blausasc. A quick descent and traverse across the bridge in L’Escarène delivers you to the start of the famous Col de Braus which has lots of notable sections but is always remembered for those switchbacks that come two-thirds up the climb. The beauty of this ride comes at the Braus summit, where you take the gravel road to the right. It’s a beautiful escape into the middle of the Alpes-Maritimes that delivers you to Sainte-Agnès, France’s highest coastal village. It also happens to be the half-way point on the climb of the Col de la Madone from Menton. Feel free to push hard on the pro’s testing ground as after the summit, it’s a straight 35 minute descent back to Nice. KEY KIT Virginie - a gravel cycling short that provides extra space for all those off-road essentials. SEE THE SHORTS RIDE INSIGHTS Discover the two iconic climbs of this ride that are part of the Nos Montagnes À La Carte series SEE 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. 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 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 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. HOW TO CLAIM A BADGE

Where to Ride from Nice – Riding for Views – Mont Chauve Belvedere : a structure designed to command a view. Mont Chauve, known as Nice’s ‘bald mountain’, proves that nature constructed one of the best viewpoints the city has to offer. And as a dead-end road, it’s a great option for a quiet cycling climb close to town. Exit via the Boulevard de Cimiez, lined by belle epoque architecture and continue north until you reach the signs pointing right for Falicon, one of the region’s countless perched villages . Just before Falicon turn left at the mini-roundabout to join the climb. The switchbacks are laid across the crevice of the mountain at a steady 7% gradient. The back and forth approach allows for a different view with every 180 degree turn. What’s important is to continue past the barrier that comes after 5kms – the final set of switchbacks to the fort at the top are narrow, rougher and completely empty and offer a unique riding experience. Time your climb for sunset or sunrise to get the best views as far as Italy to the east and Cannes to the west, then descend for a post-ride refreshment beside the sea. KEY KIT Take the lightweight Fleurette jersey for the tough, south-facing climb of Nice's bald mountain, which is a quick but often hot escape from the city. SEE THE JERSEY RIDE INSIGHTS Mont Chauve offers one of the best views of Nice and the Baie des Anges. You can also discover Nissa La Bella from street level, through the lens of Benedict Campbell. 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 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

Take Me To The River #5 : Gordolasque The valleys of the Alpes-Maritimes are generally named after the rivers that either formed them, or that run through them. The Gordolasque is not strong enough to have carved such a magnificent and dramatic valley. No river is. Bigger forces were at play when nature created this corridor of wonders. It's a valley that is known more to hikers than cyclists, so many will not find it when searching for the best cycling routes in the Alpes-Maritimes. Take our advice and make the effort. High summer means the mercury is high and that drives cyclists even higher. It’s in the genes, or the culture. Nature and nurture perhaps. Gordolasque fits the bill perfectly. Its source comes from the feet of what locals and visiting alpinists call 'the great 3,000s' - that is the three summits that each stretch their jagged tips more than three kilometres into the sky. They are Mont Gélas, Mont Clapier, and Mont Malédie. What does that all mean? It means the water will be super fresh. On a dead-end climb such as this, the directions are pretty simple. Go to the top. The road ends at the Parking du Contet, used by randonneurs as the base for their marching adventures. The swimhole is just beyond that parking at the bridge, which in French is called 'Le Pont du Contet' The wooden construction is perfectly in keeping with the ambiance of the valley, known for its wild beauty. The bridge is the way for the randonneurs to get from the left bank to the right (we are so far from the world of Paris, analogies are impossible), and take the eastern path that climbs its way towards the Grand Capulet. That same bridge also serves as the perfect place to hang your merino cycling jersey while you swim. Perhaps just use the nearby trees to change from bib shorts to swimming shorts, so as not to upset any nearby hikers. Out of the heat and into the cool, the contrast is sharp and taking the plunge draws a big breath. But the literal immersion in such surroundings is a reward that is better experienced than described. We might call it river swimming, but in truth, it's mostly a dip and a few splashes. Submerge your head and swim against the current for a few seconds. Let the river wash over you. Pointing yourself up the river is pointing yourself up the valley so that when your head emerges and your eyes open, you look towards the source. State-of-the-art 4k cameras, dolby surround sound and the best cinematography in the world can’t replace being in the place and seeing it with your own eyes. If you do this swim during the August ride of the month, then it is a fitting reward at the end of the testing second climb (the first climb is no easier). The work is done and all that is left is to dry off, kit up and follow the flow back down the mountain. See the full swim collection here. Or simply check out our series of Take Me To The River swim holes.

Dead-end roads that lead to panoramic views of the peaks of the Mercantour National Park. Out of the forests and into the wild.     See the full ride here See all Rides of the Month

Where to Ride from Nice – Getting High on the Bonette It’s a lesser-known fact that ‘Europe’s Highest Road’ is within reach from the Café HQ on Nice’s Old Port. Two entirely different worlds within a short drive, or a longer self-made Audax if you want to go Beach to the Bonette This ride is based on a 1.5 hour drive up the Tinée valley, to the town of Saint-Etienne-de-Tinée. 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, each at 24km long. Descend the north side and do a ‘démi-tour’ in Jausiers to climb the northern side. Open pastures and slightly more gentle gradients become steeper sections and Rocky Mountain-esque cliff faces that lead to the ‘Café 2,000m’. Take this chance to re-group before the difficult section to Lac de Eissaupres that marks the beginning of the last quarter of the climb. At the col, summon the energy to make the extra 1km steep climb to the Cime. Marvel at the panorama in front of you which will make the debate about whether this is actually the highest road in Europe seem inconsequential. KEY KIT Going this high it’s important to pack a jacket. Suzette is a light and packable yet fully water-proof cycling jacket to provide outer shell protection against high mountain weather possibilities. VIEW THE JERSEY RIDE INSIGHTS Don't forget to add the loop of the Cime de la Bonette which climbs above the Col to achieve the 2,802m elevation. The views are stunning and it's where someone had the crazy idea to stage the Highest Crit in the World. 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 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 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 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

RIDE OF THE MONTH : AUGUST The Secret Vésubie Climbs Dead end climbs are often overlooked and undervalued. Until you try them. Sure, cols are beautiful and going over the top gives a real sensation of conquering a mountain. Not to mention the practicality of linking one valley to the other. But. Maybe that is the beauty of the dead-end climb – it’s not for practicality but rather for the sheer hell of it. And experience shows, at least here in the Alpes-Maritimes, that actually they are some of the most interesting ascensions to be found. August’s ride of the month is one such folly. So we go back towards the Turini, the location of June’s Tour de France themed ride of the month and base ourselves further up the Vesubie valley in Saint-Martin-Vésubie. Saint-Martin-Vésubie is also known as the Suisse Niçois. It has long been a base camp town for alpinists, who are to thank for the first climb because it goes to La Madone de Fenestre. You may confuse that name for ‘fenêtre’ - the French word for window - but that would not be inappropriate. The top of this road offers a window view into the heights of the Mercantour National Park. First you have to get up there, and the road to La Madone de Fenestre is described by local riders as one of the sternest tests. As is often the case, the statistics don’t tell the full story. After leaving the town and being lulled into a false-flat sense of security, the road suddenly goes straight. And up. And up. A constant 10% average is noticeable. The only sensory distraction is the sound of the Vésubie river crashing beside you. It’s maybe because the road follows the river route so strictly that it’s difficult – the path of least resistance on the way down must mean the opposite for the way up? Breathing is… heavy. Criss-crossing the river, past landslides and through the alpine firs, you eventually pass a sign near the top to indicate you are entering the Mercantour National Park. Magic is just around the corner. After a couple of hairpins, the Refuge de les Madone de Fenestre comes into view. Not only is there a refuge, but also a chapel and an old hotel, now used as a communal base by randonneurs and alpinists who explore peaks that form an amphitheater above. The age of the group of buildings is a hint of the pioneering of the past when Count Victor de Cessole, the ‘inventor of the Alpes-Maritimes’ and his friends were the first to climb to the top of each of the Mercantour’s major peaks. Reach the top, stop and look up. Green disappears and is replaced by grey. If it’s a sunny but cloudy day the light and shadows dapple the granite peaks for a mountain view as good as you’ll get anywhere in the alps. There is a café at the far end of the refuge. Stop for an Orangina because you might need it for the second climb of the day. Back down the hill to Saint-Martin-Vésubie, then savour the 8km down the valley until you see the sign for Belvedère to the left. You might also notice signs for the Valley des Merveilles – the valley of marvels which holds Europe’s largest quantity of Bronze Age rock carvings. Knowing this adds a certain ambiance to the climb from Belvedère up the Gordolasque valley. It’s a valley known for its wild beauty. Before beauty comes effort. Leaving Belevedère it’s obvious you are on another side valley, dead-end climb as the road is narrow and the traffic is practically non-existent. The trees extend to the adjoining peaks but this road goes above the tree line. There are long fairly straight sections in the 8km, interspersed with a couple of switchbacks, that lead to the Cascade du Ray. Get some freshness from the Gorodolasque river that gives the valley its name, as the water tumbles over the big rocks, and use that to complete the final part of the climb. Pass the Hotel du Grand Capelet, named after one of the peaks above, and which with a bit of attention would not look out of place in a Wes Anderson movie. Picture-perfect chalets dot the last section of winding road that passes the Lac Long reservoir – a French tradition of exploitation of hydro-electricty that you may have noticed on the first climb. The end of the road is at the ‘Parking du Contet’, which is the depart for randonneurs in this valley. There is a bridge just beyond the car park where fly fishing and river swimming are possible – just cast your lines first before you scare the fish away by diving in. The valley almost resembles the American Rockies. Although this is a wild, lesser known climb it has some notoriety. Between Belvedère to here that they filmed the famous 1960s French TV show, Belle & Sebastien about the boy and his beloved Pyreneean mountain dog. It gained cult status, not least because of being shot in its authentic location and you can visit the ‘Cabane de Belle & Sebastien’ which is a mere 10 minute walk from the bridge. So when the climbing is done, stand once again at this dead-end road that provides a window on the highest peaks of the Alpes-Maritimes and simply appreciate the view and the fact that you are there by virtue of pedal power. Komoot Route Coffee stop : At the Refuge de la Madone de Fenestre Lunch stop : Saint-Martin-Vesubie has two boulangeries and the Brasserie Les Alpes serves salad, pizza, pasta and a plat du jour. Read about other Rides of the Month and find the perfect route by season. Or discover more details about cycling on the Cote d'Azur with our Riding Guide to Nice.

L’Étape du Tour Guide With Kong Fùfù - #1 COL DE LA COLMIANE L’Étape du Tour is one of the toughest one day challenges many riders will face. It’s the chance to ride the same mountainous parcours as the biggest race in the world, to imagine the pace and power of the peloton on the same roads and afterwards to compare normal rider statistics with the other-worldly performance of the genetically gifted professionals. The 2020 edition has been doubted, debated, postponed and finally re-scheduled. It’s still coming to Nice so for those riding the event (and equally those with wanderlust to come another time) we’ve put together a guide to the three main climbs by past-winner and Alpes-Maritimes cycling expert, Kong Fùfù First up is the Col de la Colmiane , aka the Col Saint-Martin. Kong Fùfù advises that, like any good story, every alpine climb of length has a beginning, a middle and an end. The beginning : “First of all, the ride to this Col is pretty long. Nearly 60kms in the valley means that wise riders will sit in the wheels and conserve energy, especially at the beginning whilst riding in the wider Var valley where the wind blows down from the mountains during early morning. The landscapes become more dramatic as you enter the Tinée valley where the rocks eventually turn to an iron red the deep gorge cuts its way towards the bottom of the climb itself. This Col is a long one at 16km – for most riders it will be around one hour of climbing. To deal with it mentally, you need to break it down into segments. The start is a stern introduction y as you leave the dramatic red rocks that quickly change to grey as you ride through the tunnels in the first few kilometres. After that, the road turns left to point up the valley at the end of which lies the summit. Here it’s important to quickly find a conservative rhythm, which is possible as the gradient stays fairly consistent. Try to find a good group that suits your abilities and take the draft. There is nothing to gain by forcing the pace on the first climb of the day.” The middle : “This climb is punctuated by four villages. Once I pass La Planet I know I’m in the middle section, joining the dots from here to La Bolline, then La Roche and finally Saint-Dalmas. Immediately after the first two towns the gradient goes up to an average of 7.5% - nothing too steep but it’s enough to notice the difference in required effort. Again, it’s not worth expending too much energy here. Towards Saint-Dalmas, the valley opens up and offers great views of the peaks that tower above. At the end of August wind should not be a problem, it normally blows north to south rather than east to west. The end : “Saint-Dalmas is a picturesque medieval town, and after the road squeezes itself through the old stone buildings and around the dominating church spire, the high mountain feeling begins to really kick in. This last section to the col is the most consistent at 6-7%. I previously raced time trials on this section and the non-climbers can compete with lighter riders because it is not too steep, but they use of a lot of energy in doing so. The last two switchbacks of the climb take you in between the fir trees that give that alpine fresh feeling, which is a welcome distraction on the long straight that leads to the summit. As ski stations go, La Colmiane is a small one so before you know it you will be on the descent. The descent is enjoyable as the road is wide and the surface good. Still, there are sections where there is nothing but a small parapet wall between you and a big fall so caution is always advised. Half way down the descent there are spectacular views up to the 3,000m peaks of the Mercantour National Park. Although the descent feels like it finishes in the town of Saint-Martin-Vésubie, in truth it’s downhill almost the whole way to the next climb, the Col de Turini. Clever riders will take advantage of this before what might be regarded as the hardest climb on the route.” Stay tuned for Kong Fùfù’s guide to climb #2, the famous Col de Turini Café du Cycliste have created a badge for each climb of L’Étape du Tour. If you ride it the event you can claim all three badges by visiting the café after the event and presenting a record of your ride. Anyone who has ridden one of the three climbs can also claim a badge here Discover more about Col de la Colmiane here .

THE PERCHED VILLAGES RIDE LOOKBOOK Hopping from hilltop to hilltop, linking the perched villages makes a shark’s teeth parcours that peaks on the remote but remarkable Col St Roch.   See the full ride here See all Rides of the Month

Take Me To The River #4 : Col St Roch If you ride the Route du Soleil in the South of France in July, the writing is on the road. You are going to get hot. Thankfully, freshness is never far away if you keep your eyes peeled and your ears open. Listen for the sound of tumbling water, look for the greens that get greener, spot a few randomly parked cars and, chances are, you're not far away from another Côte d'Azur swim hole. The climb of Col St Roch is a testing 24km climb from Contes, but as we said in July’s Ride of the Month it's a game of two halves. The first half of the Col St Roch is the more gentle one, but also the most exposed. This is where the heat builds, regardless of your lightweight cycling jersey built for the Fournaise, such as the Fleurette. The swim hole comes after the roller-coaster of descents and short climbs after passing through Coaraze village and is accessible just after the bridge at the base of a tough climb to the Col itself. In road cycling, it's often tempting to push on. Road bikes are fast and encourage speed. But as a wise man once said; 'you have the right to go slow'. Not only that, but you also have the right to stop and enjoy the mountain and all of its features, should the need or the desire arise. Sometimes it's good to leave the racing to the racers. And whilst Col St Roch is a testing climb, it's also one of the quietest cols to cycle on from Nice. That means, most of the time the river should be the same. Follow the trail to a smaller lower bridge to find the pool of crystal-clear fresh water, the source of which is literally from the ridge-lines of the Alpes-Maritimes visible a few hundred metres above your head. The Amandine shorts will fit in the middle pocket of your summer cycling jersey, just. On the Côte d'Azur you don't need anything else as the daytime sun will dry you on the rocks beside the water in no time. But first you have to get wet. When river swimming, the temperature is always guaranteed to be fresh. How fresh is a question of how high you are and what the recent weather has been. Don't deliberate. The recommended technique for entry into the water is the shorter, sharper one. Without scientifically testing it (maybe we should), experience has shown that a river swim enables at least another two hours of riding, regardless of what's gone before. Submerging yourself in the water, surrounded by the mountain, is like resetting the Garmin to zero. So, by all means lounge like a lizard on the rocks just until dry but then it's time to kit up again and ride some more. Back in the saddle the mind turns firstly to the incredible rejuvenating effect of the water and, secondly, to the thought that in the mountains, there must be more of these places everywhere, if you can just find those accessible from the cycling routes. So maybe stop one more time at an appropriate vantage point and survey the landscape before planning the next dip in the ravines of the Alpes-Maritimes. Or, if you prefer some assistance, simply check out last year's series of Take Me To The River swim holes . See the full swim collection here.

Frequently Asked Questions We've tried to ensure that the process of claiming badges is kept as straightforward as possible. To claim your badge you need to connect your Café du Cycliste account to your komoot account and go out and ride. To help with any difficulties you may face we have listed below a number of common questions and step-by-step answers. If you do not find the answer to your query here please get in touch with our support team via email at service-clients@cafeducycliste.com HOW DO I CREATE / LOG IN TO MY CAFÉ DU CYCLISTE ACCOUNT? 1. Click on the “Account” icon in the top right-hand corner of the website. 2. If you do not have an account, click on “CREATE AN ACCOUNT”. a. Enter your details and create a password. You can also subscribe to our newsletter; L’Edition. Then click "CREATE MY ACCOUNT" b. Hover over the “Account” icon in the top right-hand corner of the website and click “Account”. c. You are now on your Account page. Click “Badges” to start claiming your badges. 3. If you do have an account, enter your credentials and click “SIGN IN” a. Hover over the “Account” icon in the top right-hand corner of the website and click “Account” b. You are now on your Account page. Click “Badges” to start claiming your badges. HOW DO I LINK MY EXISTING KOMOOT ACCOUNT? 1. From the “Badges” page on your Account click “CONNECT TO KOMOOT”. You will be redirected to komoot. 2. If you are already logged in, your account will be recognised, and you can click “Continue with this account” a. Click “Grant Access” and you will be redirected to the Café du Cycliste badge page. Please allow a little time for your tours to be analysed and badges connected. b. You are now able to claim your badges. 3. If you are not logged in, enter your email address which is linked to your komoot account and click “Continue with Email” a. Enter your password and click “Log In” b. Click “Grant Access” and you will be redirected to the Café du Cycliste badge page. Please allow a little time for your tours to be analysed and badges connected. c. You are now able to claim your badges. HOW DO I CREATE A KOMOOT ACCOUNT? 1. From the “Badges” page on your Account click “CONNECT TO KOMOOT”. You will be redirected to komoot. 2. Enter the email address which you want to link to your komoot account and click “Continue with Email” 3. Create a Username and Password and click “Sign Up” 4. Click “Let’s Get Started” and follow the komoot sign up steps to customise your account. 5. You will also receive an email prompting you to “Activate Account” and taking you to a confirmation screen within komoot. 6. Your komoot account is ready to go. HOW DO I UPLOAD HISTORIC RIDES TO KOMOOT? 1. Click the “Plus” icon in the top right hand corner of the komoot homepage. 2. Click “Import a GPS File” 3. Click “Upload File” and choose the GPS/GPX/FIT file which you wish to upload. 4. Choose “Import as Activity” and click “Next” 5. Select the correct Sport Type from the list. Please note that Sport Type will not impact badge eligibility. 6. Select the date that you completed the ride 7. Select who you wish the activity to be visible to. Please note that activity visibility will not impact badge eligibility. 8. Click “Import Activity”. 9. Name your Activity and click “Got It” 10. Your Activity is now successfully imported. Why No Strava? Following an update to their API our badges offer sadly no longer functioned with Strava. However, we've worked closely with komoot to revamp and improve the badges. You don't require a paid komoot account to access badges, and it's possible to upload completed rides directly into komoot. So even if you rode a climb a few years ago, you can still claim your badge. BADGES FOR COLS We've created a collection of badges in celebration of iconic climbs near and far. All you have to do is ride the col and claim your free badge. VIEW MORE MONTAGNES DU MONDE Explore some of the most celebrated cycling climbs globally. And a few less celebrated but no less good. VIEW MORE MONTAGNES À LA CARTE The cols of the Alpes Maritimes offer some of the best riding in Europe. Providing inspiration and perspiration in close to equal measure. VIEW MORE BADGES HIGH FIVE Kick start your badge collection. Claiming five cols in one ride means lots of distance and plenty of elevation, but when you're riding in the Alpes Maritimes you wouldn't want it any other way. VIEW MORE

RIDE OF THE MONTH : JULY July's ride of the month is one that joins the dots, linking together the perched villages of l'arrière-pays niçois. In French we'd call it a 'parcours des villages perchés'. There are pretty French villages, and then there are really pretty French villages. The sheer amount of them led to the invention of a system that categorized the cream of the crop as 'Les Plus Beaux Villages de France'. Only 20% of applicants are awarded such privileged status. In the Alpes-Maritimes department we have three, and two of them are on cycling climbs. Slap bang in the middle of this ride is one such village, on the less popular but no less beautiful climb to Col St Roch. First, to start the chain we ride to Falicon. Located directly north of Nice and sitting at the foot of Mont Chauve it's on the Route des Villages Perchés created by the local government to guide tourists on their own join the dot adventure. Cyclists however take a different route to find the empty roads. We descend from Falicon and follow the valley to Tourettes-Levens before turning on to the Col de Châteauneuf. The western side of the Col is a manageable climb at 5.5km with an average of 5% gradient. The village that gives the climb its name, Châteauneuf-VielleVille, is ironically a de-perched village of sorts. The ruins above the Col de Châteauneuf give an indication of a previous, higher life. Once the danger of more barbaric times had passed, the residents moved to farm the lower pastures where olive trees and citron groves bathe in the Mediterranean climate. Through the village, the hairpin with the croix de fer on the inside offers views back to the sea on the outside. It’s worth an Instagram moment. Further down the descent, the next habitation on a hill comes into view – Contes has a dominant position on the rocks in the Paillon valley. It’s from here that we follow the valley to La Route du Soleil. Those paying attention to the bornes at the side of the road just after passing under the cliff face on which Conte's sits will notice it is more than 20km to Col St Roch. That is a lot of up. Thankfully it is a climb of two halves, punctuated in the middle by Coaraze. Internet research doesn't throw up any explanations as to why the road to Coaraze is known as the Route du Soleil, but riding it provides more than ample evidence. In July, it's a hot road to ride. And it's that sun that provides the light that inspires the artists. In the village itself there are sundials designed by a number of artists including Jean Cocteau. The sun not only helps tell the time here but it also bathes and nutures the mimosas, olive trees, cypress trees, oaks, chestnut trees and pines. As Cocteau himself said, "The Côte (d'Azur) is the greenhouse where the roots grow. Paris is the shop where the flowers are sold." The village brasserie is a perfect stop for a cold Orangina, and just across the street is a fountain to fill bidons before the second half of the climb. Leaving Coaraze, the road enters a different, higher and more rugged mountain world. Rumour has it that this is Chris Froome's favourite stretch of road in the entire region. It is almost always quiet with minimal traffic. The road dips and dives for approximately 4km before the final climb starts. Up to the left somewhere is a trail that goes to the lost village of Roca Sparviera, which can be found riding the north side gravel of Mont Férion. But today is about the road and the 5.5kms to the Col du Savel is as a stern test of fitness, especially given what has already passed under your wheels. Look up and you might see the imposing wall that holds up the road as it hairpins left towards the summit. It's from that corner that most people stop to photograph the switchbacks below. Over the top of the Col du Savel and you get 1km of downhill to the Col St Roch. Col collecting has never been so easy. Take the right for the fast descent to Luceram, not so muchna perched village but rather a snuggled one, surrounded by the peaks that lead to Piera-Cava and on to the Col de Turini. From Luceram, if you've had your fill of climbing to hilltop villages you can descend the whole way to Nice. For those who want more, take the left opposite the boulangerie in L'Escarène to descend to Grave de Peille and climb to Peille village. It's a real testing climb that starts of with 3km of steep gradients, but Peille is maybe the village on this ride that is most deserving of entry into Les Plus Beaux Villages de France. When the climb is done, take the time to descend off the main road and venture into the small streets of the village. Somewhere in the heart of it is a beautiful fountain surrounded by shops and houses that have stood still in time. Do that yourself and savour the moment. Then wheelie your way back to Nice.   Read about other Rides of the Month and find the perfect route by season. Or discover more details about cycling on the Cote d'Azur with our Riding Guide to Nice.

The Art Of Being French If you search the internet for the history of Nice and the Alpes-Maritimes, you might come across the statement that our hometown and surrounding region was ‘Made in Italy’. Yes, la dolce vita may be alluring, but la belle vie is undeniable. In Nice at least. A quick history re-cap will tell you that Nice was exchanged between the Italian County of Savoy and the French government no less than six times before it finally returned to France in 1860. Borders move, governments change, populations flux. And even the promenade is English, right? The belle époque, the golden years brought the first form of tourism to Nice. Aristocracy from northern Europe came, bought, built and leisured on the beachfront. The Niçois lunchtime cannon to mark the most important part of the French working day, was started by a Scotchman. But. Walk through the marché des fleurs on the Cours Saleya loud with life and smelling literally of roses. Stroll past the Provençal pointu fishing boats that form a floating kaleidoscope of colours in the harbour outside the Café HQ. Stop and observe the boulodromes that buzz with the click-clack of metal on metal and the chit chat of tactics and competition. Sit at one of the brasseries that dot every corner of every quartier and observe the to and fro of the adjoining tabac, or the queue for baguettes at the boulangerie across the street. These are things that you can find throughout France. The flavour varies depending on the location, but the essence remains the same. The administrative divisions from big to small indicate the complexity of geo-specific eccentricities – quartiers, arrondissements, communes, cantons, départments, regions. A case in point : there are estimated to be somewhere between 1,000 and 1,600 different types of French cheese. Important note : they are all French. And so Nice doesn’t do cassoulet but it does do daube de sanglier. It doesn’t do a Bretagne crepe, but it does do the best socca in the world. It doesn’t do a heavy Bordeaux but it does do a mean rosé. Those regional variations of products come from one thing that unites the country, literally from the ground up – le terroir of the countryside. Rural France is what artists like Renoir and Matisse fell in love with and is what July holiday dreams are made of. Wide-open spaces, picnics in the pastures, getting lost in old town streets. The Niçois arrière-pays is awash with villages lost in time – pastel colours, fountains with adjoining stone laundry baths, and big church spires. In every town you’ll eventually find the Hôtel de Ville, each one with La Marianne inside. She is the symbol of ideals that the nation shares and aspires to. La Marianne is the antidote for the struggle to define the concept, introduced by our very own President, of “the art of being French”. To explore that concept would take a lifetime… which would not necessarily be time wasted. What can be assured though is that despite their history, Nice and the Alpes-Maritimes have mastered that art. Stop, sit on the street and observe - you will begin to get the notion. Or otherwise simply come and celebrate Bastille Day. Or, you can do so anywhere by wearing Marianne with pride as she adorns the Francine Limited Edition jersey. FOR HIM FOR HER

Follow the Tour de France routes through the arrière-pays to cliff-hanging balcony roads, the alpine freshness of Col de Turini and the classic coastal climb up Col d’Eze.  

RIDE OF THE MONTH : JUNE June was set to be the biggest month of the cycling year in Nice. The Grand Départ of the Tour de France, with its premium select from the World Tour peloton and the circus that follows, was set to kick off on the 27th of this month. Of course, global events took over, but the great news is that the Tour will go ahead at the end August. Being on our doorstep, having been planned for this month, it was as good an excuse as any to trace a parcours where the action will happen later this summer, on Cols Turini and Eze. The Tour de France Ride Without road closures, the smart option is actually to mix up both stages 1 and 2 to avoid the busy roads in the Var valley. We head north out of Nice via the Cimiez quarter, full of its belle epoque buildings that line the hill. Climbing already just a few kilometres from the city centre, it’s a big day for the legs. Leaving the city outskirts, the road traces the edge of the Var valley towards Aspremont which has one of the finest fountains stops in the region. This is not only the route of one of our arrière-pays rides but also the way the first stage will exit the city towards the arrière-pays no less than three times. It's a format designed for spectators to get more than one passing view of the peloton before the lead-out trains blast their way towards the finish line on the Promenade des Anglais. To link Stage One with Stage Two we use the beautiful small road that descends to Saint-Blaise. Here you skirt the town via the switchbacks above it before traversing the old viaduct bridge that leads to a climb through the olive groves back towards Levens. The boulangerie on the left of the entrance to the town offers a chance to fuel if you need it. Opposite here is the turning for the Mont Férion Riviera Gravel climb. Today is a pure road day however and what lies ahead provides good reason to continue on the smooth stuff. From Levens to Duranus the road clings to the rocks on the west side of the Vesubie valley gorges. The term ‘balcony road’ may have been invented just for this stretch alone. After the climb through the hamlet of Duranus there’s a sign on the left marking the ‘Saut des Français’. According to legend, it was here that militia defending the Savoy-governed Comte de Nice (not at that stage part of France), threw French republican soldiers over the cliff to certain death in the late 18th century. Don’t look down if you’re scared of heights. The balcony road rejoins the main valley road at Saint-Jean-de-la-Rivière, where you can also turn left to climb La Madone d’Utelle. But the Turini lies just ten false flat kilometers up the valley, passing through more deep gorges. Looking up at the surrounding peaks gives a sense of the riding possibilities in this valley - they are plentiful. The north western side of Turini that will be tackled by the peloton at the end of August is actually the shortest of the three main routes to the summit. Still, with 15km at 7.2% average gradient, this is hors categorie climbing. Just 2km into the climb, the town of Bollène-Vesubie used to be a mid-mountain, fresh air health retreat for Italian and English aristocrats. Now the visitors from those nations are usually either on motorbikes or bicycles. The labyrinth of routes on this mountain and its history in the World Rally Championship have turned Turini into a veritable playground for two and four wheels alike, thankfully without the crazy numbers to be found on the Ventoux and Stelvio. Climbing the western side could be broken into three parts – up to and past Bollène-Vesubie, into the middle section which is riddled with switchbacks offering views up and down the mountain, and then through the forest section to the Col. The fastest recorded Strava time is 43:55 by former Dutch pro Remmert Wielenga. A respectable amateur time is anywhere just below or above the one-hour mark. It’s worth visiting any of the three hotels located on the Col. Each has its own rally memorabilia pinned to the walls, one even has a spectacular pinball machine collection. And after the climb you should have no guilt whatsoever in tacking the blueberry tart that is often on offer at Hotel des Trois Vallées, where the patrons kindly stamp our Brevet cards each year during the Fête des Zinzins event. The descent back to Nice is via Piera-Cava, down the famous hairpins of ‘la Cabanette’ to Luceram and on to L’Escarène. At L’Escarène you’ll get one of the easiest col collections of your life – one kilometer out of the town takes you up and over the Col de Nice. That said, you’ll have already climbed around 1,800m at this point, so it’s still well-earned. Arriving back in Nice, it’s not natural to us to climb Col d’Eze instead of returning to the Café. However part of the point of all pilgrimages to pro parcours, such as L’Étape du Tour, is to put yourself through the same challenges. So we turn left up the Grande Corniche, aka Col d’Eze. The stage will actually visit the climb twice, with one full climb followed by a second ascent to the half way point, the Quatre Chemins junction. We find Col d'Eze is often under-estimated by first-time visitors who ride it straight from the Café. After climbing Turini, it really stings the legs, especially the first two kilometers which average an 8% gradient. For the Tour riders, the Eze loops will probably be where the GC contenders try to gain some time gaps. It's a tried and tested loop that ASO have used to make the Paris-Nice final stage a proper race to the line. For mere mortals after roughly another 15km and 700m of ascent, the plunge back to the sea will be a welcome finale to a substantial ride. From the alpine peaks of the Turini to the big blue of the Côte d'Azur, it really is a showcase stage for #nicecyclingparadise. Komoot Route Coffee stop : Boulangerie Alexis in Levens comes at around 1.5hours into the ride and is perfect to fuel up before heading into the Vesubie valley. Lunch stop : Hotel les Trois Vallées on Col de Turini has a nice terrace on the Col if the weather permits, or go inside and admire the rally memorabilia that covers every wall. If you want to fly and ride the Turini and Eze loop on a top of the range bike, you can rent one of Café du Cycliste fleet of Cervélo R5s HERE   Read about other Rides of the Month and find the perfect route by season. Or discover more details about cycling on the Cote d'Azur with our Riding Guide to Nice.

Pastel colours, wooden shutters, tall tenements, flower markets and artisan ateliers. The narrow and lively streets of Old town Nice offer not only shade from high-summer sun but also a kaleidoscope of buzzing life. As seen through the lens of Benedict Campbell.  

NICE GRAVEL GUIDE THE RIVIERA’S WILD SIDE As road cycling continues to merge with the outdoor adventure world, the search for unbeaten or simply unpaved paths has moved up every cyclist’s agenda. On the Côte d’Azur, before the classic cols came the double tracks of the ‘routes strategiques’ and the DFCI forest roads. Look on the map to find the vast network of dashed-white lines that climb to cols, traverse national parks and connect perched villages. Some of the ground work has already been done via our Riviera Gravel series but part of the fun is getting out there and getting lost and found yourself.   For those wanting to sample some Riviera Gravel our CAFÉ HQ on Nice Port now houses top of the range Cervélo Aspéro gravel rental bikes, together with the full gravel collection. Arrive and explore. GRAVEL STORIES When it comes to gravel, it's often about choice and the choice is almost endless. Where ever you are, wherever you go, there are new routes to discover. It is a big gravel world out there. ÇA PEAK Mont Ventoux is a double-edged sword because, it's Mont Ventoux. But what about its G-side? READ MORE BUNKER RESEARCH They are known as Routes Stratégiques - roads built for military purposes. And they are mostly gravel. READ MORE THE SALT ROAD Today, the salt roads have mostly disappeared without a trace. Ideal, therefore, for an adventure ride. READ MORE POINT IT TO THE BREAK Find the best roads and tracks that lead to the best bay with the best waves. READ MORE ARL – MRS They created something powerful; something that would make you addicted to gravel. READ MORE SUGGESTED GRAVEL RIDES From the some of the best road riding in the world, to some of the best gravel riding. The Alpes Maritimes is a place like few others. We can point you in the right direction but the route should be all yours. MONT FÉRION The gravel equivalent of Mont Ventoux. With three sides to climb and a chapel. VIEW THE RIDE L'ESTÉREL Green forests, red gravel, blue skies. The Route des Cols is a badly kept secret. VIEW THE RIDE FORT DE LA REVÈRE From the perched village of La Turbie and along the most spectacular stretch of chemin VIEW THE RIDE COL DE BRAUS One of the most iconic climbs anywhere in cycling but with a dark side. VIEW THE RIDE VIA DEL SALE One of the highest unpaved roads within reach of Nice and possibly the most impressive. VIEW THE RIDE ON STONEY GROUND It's not where you go but how you go. Gravel tracks stretch far and wide from those outside our door to those across oceans, all linked by the thread that is adventure and a desire to explore. View the COLLECTION. #WHATISGRAVEL Gravel riding is more than what you see. It's a state of mind, a work of art, a day in hell, a heavenly sunset. It takes us into new dimensions. But it's also more than that. What is it? Join the Search. 1 - THE CAFÉ Located on the Old Port, our café is the perfect 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 2 - CERVELO ÁSPERO Travel light and book your gravel bike. The Cervelo Áspero is new kind of gravel machine, built to explore personal limits as well as unbeaten tracks. Each bike is complete with pedals, tool bag and rear light while, if needed, each rental can also include Specialized shoes and helmet. BOOK AN ÁSPERO 3 - WHAT IS GRAVEL CYCLING? Gravel cycling is off-road and on-road. Gravel cycling is double-track and single-track. Gravel cycling is riding and not riding. Gravel cycling is racing and not racing. Gravel cycling is an old bike or a new bike. Gravel cycling is everywhere and nowhere. Gravel riding is a moving object and maybe a state of mind. READ MORE PRATICAL how to arrive With direct flights from around 30 European countries as well as further afield, Nice is well connected by air. The tram line now goes direct to the old Port, where our café is situated. For more information on flights, see the Aeroport de Nice website. Nice has two train stations. From Paris the journey is around six hours and brings you into the heart of the city. For more information on trains, see the SNCF website. where to stay Despite the exceptional riding on its doorstep , Nice is the fifth biggest city in France. Given its attractions, there are numerous place to stay while you’re here, from hotels through to guest houses and, of course, private appartment rentals. For more information on where to stay, see the Nice Tourist board website.

It’s the ‘Secret Weapon’ ride taking in all that the Riviera cycling playground has to offer. Sometimes you can have your cake and eat it.