1. Europoort -> Oudenaarde.
133.42 mi / 1,171 ft
8:24:05 Moving Time
Flat, hot, a lot of excellent bike paths. Bergs on the menu tomorrow.
2. Oudenaarde -> Rendeux.
139.51 mi / 8,563 ft
9:53:35 Moving Time
Bergs & Murs. A quasi Tour of Flallonia. Humidity at 693%. Bivvied in a grot/shrine last night next to the Koppenberg but posh-bivvying in a campsite tonight, mainly for the shower. Ardennes, Luxembourg and maybe the luxury of a hotel tomorrow…
3. Rendeux -> Nancy.
143.09 mi / 6,792 ft
9:28:29 Moving Time
Some nice Ardennes climbs, luxury Luxembourg piste cyclables (these ones are very much ‘cyclable’, an afternoon following the river & the most pleasant heavy rain I’ve ever experienced. A ‘transition’ day of valley-bashing tomorrow before the real tasty stuff starts 😁.
4. Nancy -> Besançon.
140.64 mi / 5,125 ft
9:22:13 Moving Time
Plenty of very pleasant canal/river Veloroutes, oppressive heat and some true bits of La France Profonde. Not the easiest of ‘transition’ days in these conditions. Jura and some proper climbing just around the corner.
5. Besançon -> La Tour-de-Peilz.
104.77 mi / 6,963 ft
7:31:02 Moving Time
A torrential downpour, nicely graded climbs, one beautiful camping spot. Most enjoyable day so far, the climbing was all very ‘holiday’ appropriate & I really found my groove. Big Bernard to be passed tomorrow but with potential weather in the afternoon I’ll be trying to get over as early as possible...
6. La Tour-de-Peliz -> Aosta.
84.74 mi / 9,327 ft
6:46:58 Moving Time
A big valley, a stiff but fun climb to Chambex & a big old slog up Big St Bernard. 4:30am wake up to try and get over St B before the rain. Was looking very ominous near the summit but got away with light rain for the last ~3k. Nice climb, never very steep and a stunning backdrop. Chambex was tastier, full of switchbacks & a quieter road. The grandeur & scale of this place is special, especially with snow still around up high. On the menu next: pasta, gelato, post 11am cappuccinos and maybe some cycling in between.
7. Aosta -> Carmagnola.
98.81 mi / 2,628 ft
5:57:53 Moving Time
A stonking tailwind-assisted down-valley cruise, some beautiful Piedmont villages and a not-as-enjoyable dicey dash through Torino.
Loving life in Italy, helped by the wind hurtling me out of the Aosta valley and spitting me in to some charming towns in the foothills. Cruising just felt easy all day - feels good to be making rapid progress. Dissecting the middle of Torino was a slightly less appreciated ‘experience’ with the stop-start of traffic lights (forgot those exist recently!) and keeping vigilant to the erratic manoeuvres of some Italian drivers. Spat out briefly (thankfully) to the baking Po valley which I’m glad to save the rest for the morning. Italy isn’t disappointing - its charming eccentricity and rough around the edges nature are charming. It’s certainly a place you won’t go hungry, I don’t think I’ve gone more than 5k without seeing somewhere selling foodstuff, so much fresh produce at great value. I may be acclimatising to this heat too as high 20s feels cool - but 35C in the open plains is still a bit much for this pasty Yorkshireman.
Next up - we will sea.
8. Carmagnola -> Imperia.
102.49 mi / 5,082 ft
6:24:29 Moving Time
100k of slight uphill, a tasty final hoick before plunging to the Riviera & some Capi to finish.
The ascent to start was so gradual as to barely be noticeable whilst following the Tanaro river upstream. The open plain narrowing as the mountains in the distance approached and being aided by a very welcome tailwind. So much so that I was questioning whether I was really going up-valley! Kicked up for the final 7km but still a cruisy-switchbacky climb & the tree cover kept things cool. At 950m altitude it was straight down to sea level over ~30km but a bit too twisty of a descent which always requires your concentration. The heat also suddenly hit and it was back to melting in 30C+ temps. Joined the Riviera at Albenga where, as you will know, the action of Milano-Sanremo really starts. The 3/4 Capi are reasonable kickers, especially Berta but they give great views at the top of each. Not as manic as I may have imagined but after all the quiet places I’ve been, dealing with all the traffic is frustrating. The rest should be more pleasant in the morning.
As for what’s next: Cipressa/Poggio for breakfast, Turini for lunch and who know what for dinner given I’ll be back in France on a Sunday afternoon 😆.
9. Imperia -> Touët-sur-Var.
112.77 mi / 12,339 ft
9:00:48 Moving Time
A MSR finale to start, a turn in land to climb form sea level to 1,600m & a Sunday roasting in the afternoon.
The toughest day so far, both in terms of altitude gained and dealing with the afternoon heat on the hillsides. I slept in shorts and a vest on top of my bivvy bag last night as it barely got below 25C overnight.
Got a bit excited on the Cipressa & Poggio, both nice climbs (especially at daybreak) but great to get an on-the-ground perspective of MSR as I reckon the finale is the best 30 mins of action in the cycling season.
Today’s oozing croissant flavour was pistachio, but less generous than yesterday’s example. Turned inland at Menton towards the Col de Turini via the very pleasant Castillon. Turini was long but never particularly testing (I always had at least a gear spare) and at least the heat was more manageable at altitude. The next climb to Utelle was made harder than I image it would be by the midday sun offering now shade, and my Garmin reading high 30s 🥵. The descent was then seriously sketchy with a lot of loose stone/gravel on the road, no barriers to stop you tumbling down the ravine and a section of abandoned roadworks with no signs beforehand. Just to fully cook me there was a nasty few kms at British gradients before the descent to the main valley where I am staying. For a ‘holiday’ this was a tough day, but such an enjoyable one. I can really see why so many pros live around here. If someone wants to offer me a job in Nice, I’m all ears 😉.
Up next, the scenery promises to be gorge-eous (well, even more so 🙂).
10. Touët-sur-Var -> Manosque.
94.39 mi / 6,243 ft
6:25:53 Moving Time
A long valley drag to some cracking views, a stunning but dicey journey though the Gorges and a dash through the Provence furnace.
Did I mention how hot it is? 34C where I’m staying this afternoon which is draining to say the least. My motivation to start early and not mess about too much is to avoid having to ride much after midday.
The morning was pleasantly mild (still short sleeves & shorts from the off - my base layer and gilet are forming permanent creases at the bottom of my bag) but an ‘exceptional’ closure of the first bakery I was aiming for nearly ruined my day. Fortunately I found the bakery in the next village had opened earlier than advertised on Google Maps so I could press on knowing my stomach was lined with viennoiserie. Croissant & Almond Croissant combo here- none of that oozing nonsense they love in Italy. A steady climb to finish the up-valley start led to the first lake of the day (Lac de Castillon). Picturesque all the way. After Castellane I was in the Gorges of Verdon which are remarkable but clearly a popular tourist attraction, especially going by the number of Dutch drivers, one in particular taking a descent at 30kph and braking at anything resembling a corner which did no good for my brake pads following behind. Every corner offered a photo op but the view over Lac de Saint-Croix was pretty special. Just a shame that every corner also offered the danger of some chump from the opposite direction trying to pull of a stupid overtaking manoeuvre.
A reasonably climby day but with nothing particularly steep - I’m getting far too used to these long 4-5% ascents that anything above has me worried, but it’s a pleasant way to gain altitude whilst managing the an at ‘holiday pace’. The mostly downstream run-in was accompanied by the now familiar mid-30C temperatures which I was glad to be soon out of.
Up next: some more Provence and another big lump of a climb whilst my heading turns north.
11. Manosque -> Veyres.
109.32 mi / 10,505 ft
8:23:52 Moving Time
A Luberon lavender-scented sunrise, a big old grimp up the ‘hipsters Ventoux’ and a classic French parallel-to-the-autoroute drag before a very inconsistent final climb.
After sweating 37 litres of water yesterday I hit the road before sunrise which is a delight to experience in the southern French countryside. After the first climb I was expecting one of the three bakeries in Cereste to be open at 6:30am but all was quiet. I pressed on the 24km to Forcalquier which may have turned out for the better as I was all the more ready for a very good croissant and decent pain au choc aux almonds. Provence looked and smelled lovely but the authorities have a penchant for laying ‘gravillons’ on hills, which made for some cautious descending.
The Montagne de Lure dominates the days profile, and landscape as I could see the Ventoux-like mast on the summit from miles away. 20km of mostly steady climbing (5.8% avg, a few more grippy kms at 8%) went by reasonably quickly and I found the ascent a much more pleasant experience than Ventoux. Hardly any cars, only one group of motorcyclists and a handful of other cyclists. Most was shaded from the sun, which was very welcome too. In fact the whole day was slightly fresher & more manageable - I even felt a slight chill descending the first climb at a Baltic 14C! The descent from Lure wasn’t the best, the surface often bumpy and a lot of gravillons for a number of kms at the bottom. It was also around here that I noticed my rear brake was requiring a lot of pull before engaging - I put this down to worn pads and resolved to swap them out when I had finished for the day…
A tour in France isn’t complete without a long drag along a straight road, slightly uphill in to a nagging heading. That was the pleasure I had before the final climb - an odd one which only averaged 4-5% but was constantly changing in gradient. One moment pretty flat, the next nearly 10%.
Following a descent trying to mainly use my front brake, I took a look at the rear brake pads. There was still plenty of life in them. I had also however noticed that the hood was slightly loose so pulled it back and noticed a fair bit of liquid. It must have been leaking. When I remounted the wheel, even pulling the lever back all the way want really engaging. The only bike shop in town was supposed to have closed at 3pm and it was now 3:15pm. I thought I’d roll by anyway and saw the door was open. Amazingly the owner went above and beyond to help, ably assisted by his three young apprentices, even though he was supposed to be elsewhere. He attempted to re-fill the hydraulic fluid but the fix isn’t perfect as a part (which he didn’t have) is broken. He’s confident it will see me though for now and I can’t be more grateful for his help - 2 Roues et Demi in Veynes if you are ever nearby. Given tomorrow’s plans, having two working brakes might me sensible!
Up next, a day of either going up or down without much in between. Including a climb I’ve done both many times before but have never really done 🤔.
12. Veynes-> Vizelle.
96.39 mi / 10,820 ft
7:44:30 Moving Time
A chilly (yes, really!) start, the best pastry yet and The Alpe IRL.
I’m not sure how I’m going to readjust to ‘normal’ life after this. Everything about this I love: being on the move each day, the scenery, the (vast amounts of) food, the challenging but sustainable effort of the cycling, the encounters and conversations with others, being in France…
I had almost forgotten that even during a ‘canicule’ the mornings in the mountains can take a while to warm up. I was met with a chilling headwind on the first climb of the day, which had me in long sleeves for the first time in a week and even gloves. 7C was showing on the descent, so I’ve seen a 30C swing in temps over the matter of a couple of days. The second climb featured a very spicy final km, kicking up to 10-15%. Standard stuff at home but not what I’ve been used to here 😫.
I had planned to visit the bakery after the second climb (~60km in) but on arriving the counters were almost totally empty. I didn’t find out why but consoled myself that my fix would have to wait until after the Col d’Ornon, the 3rd of the day. I have a bag brimming with Madeleines anyway so wasn’t in danger of going hungry. The Ornon only really felt like a proper climb for the final 5km, but being a wide smooth road made for a cracking descent.
My pasty fill was very much satisfied just before Bourg d’Oisans (excellent plain & almond croissants) and it was on to Alpe d’Huez. I was genuinely looking forward to the ~13k at nearly 8%, partly for the fame & Tour history, partly for experiencing the climb for real having ‘ridden’ it 88 times on Zwift. It didn’t disappoint. It was again warm by now but mid-20s which only had me in a mild sweat 😅. I found the first few km quite stiff but when the gradient relented slightly it was very manageable, and enjoyable. Taking in the names of past winners at each corner, looking back down the valley below and the scale of the mountains the other side of the valley. It wasn’t overly busy too, with other cyclists or drivers so I must have timed the ascent well. I descended the ‘alternative’ route via Villard-Reculas and had my 50km almost all downhill finish slightly frustrated by a headwind. One of those where it’s just on the limit of whether you can tuck in and freewheel or feel like you have to pedal because you’re constantly loosing speed otherwise.
Up next, the final full day on the continent 😢. However, thanks to Simon Mathieu I won’t be taking the direct route, but I have been tipped off about where to find the best viennoiserie in the world (or at least in the area)!
13. Vizelle -> Lyon.
110.15 mi / 7,910 ft
7:57:31 Moving Time
A croissant to ride 2,500km for, a final big climb followed by one fine descent and a slightly anticlimactic denouement to end this part of the journey.
Today’s report is accompanied with a tinge of sadness already setting in. This was the last full day on the continent and with the kind guidance of Grenoble local Simon Mathieu (also for the first part of the route) I started the day with a diversion to pick up possibly the finest croissant I have ever tried. Pâtissier Chocolatier "FERRAZZI" in Grenoble if you’re ever in the area. The almond version was also excellent but I reckon you can judge a boulangerie by its plain croissant and this one was top.
This got me up the 14km climb out of the city in to the Vercours, where over in the shaded side of the hill it wasn’t particularly warm, yet. Another nicely graded climb that took an hour plus (at my current speed 😆) - the locals here are truly spoilt. I took second breakfast at Villard-de-Lans and decided this was the day to not hold back food-wise, not that I have been anyway during this trip! For the past two weeks I’ve been smashing back rice/semolina puddings, usually the smaller packets (although 4 at once has been common). This time I went for the big boy - the 500g tub all in one with some banana & peanut butter thrown in for good measure. Show me a better ride food… The descent from the Vercours through the Gorges de la Bourne was extraordinary, both the ideal gradient and non-twistiness of the road for descending and the scenery provided by the steep rocky mountainsides.
I was spat out in to a landscape more resembling the typical La France Profonde which, although pleasant, lacked the sheer breathtaking qualities of the places I have been during much of the past week. I still enjoyed the ride though and was accompanied for a while by a local until I turned off on to a road named ‘Impasse de …’ and he said in French ‘bikes don’t go there’. As this part of the route was planned on the fly using Komoot as a change my original plans I was slightly concerned it was another ‘Komoot Special’ of guiding you up a dead-end road or something definitely not suitable for ‘road cycling’. It looked like a road to me so I continued and the surface itself turned out fine. It was just the 20% gradient that was a bit of a shock. I was just telling my new acquaintance how roads in the UK just go straight up hillsides (none of this switchback nonsense) and I was now treated with a fine French example. This aside, the rest was relatively nondescript and I was treated one final time to a baking before the weather turns tomorrow. Turns out 2 weeks in this weather only gets you 17% adapted. You can take the boy out of Yorkshire…..
Up next, some riding (weather/how-much-I-can-be-bothered dependent), a different form of transport, some time for reflection and most importantly some of the finest pastries Lyon has to offer 🙂.
14(a). Lyon -> Lyon.
19.76 mi / 1,175 ft
1:44:01 Moving Time
A soggy indirect route to the Centre Ville, a very disappointing boulangerie experience and a cool velo café to hang around in.
I really like Lyon, it’s a beautiful city but feels more manageable than Paris and largely cycling friendly. A lot of this riding was done on cycle lanes, especially near the centre. It honked it down with rain over night, and a ridiculously loud bang of thunder woke me with a jolt. It was still raining when I set off but mild enough to not be particularly unpleasant, even a novelty after all the recent sweltering. I took in a diversion via some pleasant suburbs to reach my final French morning pastry fix which it turns out was crap. I’ve had better from UK supermarkets. I’m disappointed in myself for being too hasty in my boulangerie selection (I was keen to find somewhere to sit indoors to dry off a bit at it was still drizzling).
I then spent a much more pleasant couple of hours at Le Comptoir du Cycle bike shop come café where the staff and other pass long customers were very welcoming and accommodating. Then on to catch the train, another 5km city centre journey all on segregated cycle lanes. I could see Lyon being a great place to live…
15. Portsmouth -> Sheffield.
206.47 mi / 10,830 ft
14:22:34 Moving Time
A final taste of ‘French’ viennoiserie, a very welcome appearance of a co-equipier for the first stretch (thanks Fraser Hughes) and an appropriate way to round off a trip which was exactly what I wanted it to be and more.
I set off from Rotterdam two weeks ago with a route planned, but nothing else apart from a train/ferry back to the UK 14 days later. I knew what distance I had to an average each day but left myself the liberty to decide day-by-day to ride as far as I wanted as stay where I wanted. I enjoyed myself so much that ended up adding extra distance and climbs to the final couple of days to bring the total distance to 2,736km👉/32,200m👆. Despite (or perhaps due to) a quasi rest/travel day yesterday this was the day where my legs finally decided they didn’t have the desire to give much more. Fraser Hughes met me at Portsmouth and did a great job of putting up with me talking non-stop for 5+ hours about this and that climb, this and that croissant etc before leaving me to my own thoughts after Oxford. Unfortunately this point coincided with when the route turned slightly crap. The south was constantly rolling on quiet lanes but from here on I had plotted the most direct route and the next 100k were on largely straight, almost flat minor A roads for miles with no deviation which offered little to attract attention. Maybe just a far cry to the scenery I was treated too especially over the past week. My legs kept spinning but finding a comfortable position for the long flat stretches was difficult and I could sense my ability to put of consistent power just wasn’t there. When things got spicier again for the final few hours I chirped up a bit, also boosted by a pleasant sunset and the promise of accomplishing a fitting finale to the journey.
Unfortunately it’s not time to go cold turkey on the daily pastry fix (will still be a weekend thing though, don’t you worry 😁) and figure out how to re-adjust to a lifestyle where I’m not on the move each day, sleeping in a different bed/field each night and consuming 3 breakfasts without it even touching the sides. This has been the best thing I’ve done in a long time. There was no performance goal, no specific outcome I was after except for having a positive experience doing things the way I wanted and that felt right. When I do next take part in a competitive event, the alternative perspective this trip has offered will only serve me well. Travelling solo by bicycle also pushed me to engage more with my surroundings and the people I met along the way. People in general are kind, welcoming and show a genuine interest in your journey. Being receptive to these exchanges and savouring the opportunity to practice my (apparently fairly good, according to the locals 😊) French enriched this experience. Perhaps I will return with a more open attitude to everyday life, which would be a positive outcome.
Thank you to everyone who has engaged with this journey along the way, it is flattering to appreciate the interest and a pleasure to hear from you.
Up next, a few weeks of sitting in my pants on the sofa watching the Tour whilst admiring my tan lines (there may be photos to follow…). Then, maybe this has given me the taste for something a bit more extensive…..
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