Cycling & Exploring Weekend
Come and ride the roads of Provence/Gard and explore the local vineyards, fromageries and markets. A unique experience for the seasoned cyclist and a sensory treat for the culture vulture
OVERVIEW
This weekend mixes elements from the Taste of Provence experience to complement some amazing cycling routes that this area of Provence/Gard has to offer. We visit the towns of Uzès and Chateauneuf du Pape and ride past the famous Pont du Gard.
Providing something for both cyclists and non-cyclists. We explore the local culture with markets, vineyard visits and places of local interest .This breathtaking part of France has so much to offer and this is a great introduction to Provence/Gard, its culture, food and landscapes.
DAY 1
A welcome tour of the Chateau.
A short t-shirt ride to stretch your legs or a walk to the top of the hill to see the castle ruins or relax and settle in.
In the evening we have social drinks and meet and greet everyone on the north terrace. A run through of the weekend and a time for some Q&A’s.
THE CHATEAU AND SAINT VICTOR LA COSTE CASTLE RUINS
DAY 2
Ride option - The morning ride will be out to the historical town of Uzès, past the cathedral and then heading down to the Pont du Gard in a loop that incorporates some stunning scenery and little villages.
Approx 4hr / 46 miles / 14mph with some coffee/croissant breaks.
Explore option - In the morning we will head off to discover a beautiful local food market to taste some culinary delights!
Both groups will meet back at the chateau for lunch before heading off to a special vineyard for some wine tasting together.
DAY 3
Ride option - Today cyclist’s will be driven over to Mont Ventoux for a morning of climbing on this iconic mountain or you can join the others at the antique market. We will ride the famous route from Bédoin to the summit.
Ascent approx 3hrs / 13 miles / 8.7mph. We will stop half way up at Chalet Reynard for refreshments.
After lunch we head over to the famous town of Chateauneuf du Pape. We will be in the shadow of Mont ventoux as we loop around passing the old Castle ruins. The ride is a fairly flat and an easy end to the day.
Approx 3hr / 30 miles / 12mph with some stop offs.
Explore option - Head over into town and rummage through an old antique market and find a real treasure to take home. Head back to the Chateau for a loverly lunch with the cyclist’s. We will then head over to a wonderful olive oil plantation to meet the owners and discover their production process. You will have the opportunity to buy some olive oil direct form the source!
DAY 4
Any early starters can join for a short ride, walk up to the castle ruins or relax by the pool.
A beautiful breakfast on the north terrace.
Time to pack the bikes up, collect your antique goodies you bought at the market and au revoir!
There will be one transfer to marseilles airport.
DATES
27th - 30th May 2021
22nd - 25th July 2021
Sept 2021 TBC
7th - 10th October
Travel
The Chateau is situated just outside of Avignon.
30 min drive Avignon TGV Train Station
50 min drive from Nimes Airport
70 min drive Montpellier Airport.
90 min drive from Marseilles Airport
We can offer to transfer you and your luggage to and from the Chateau via Marseilles airport. There will be one transfer on the Thursday and one on the Sunday. This is included in the cost. We will do our best to be flexible so please contact us with your travel arrangements to finalise.
You must also let us know if you will be bringing your bike, shipping your bike ahead or hiring a bike. If you are shipping I can build the bike up for you on its arrival.
Insurance
Safety is priority at all times on this weekend. This is not a race but a challenge to yourself to be shared with others. Be respectful to us and to your fellow team mates. If you want to stomp ahead on the climbs no problem but we will always regroup at the top but why not come back down and give the others some encouragement!!
Please make sure you have adequate bike and personal liability insurance. You will need to provide us with documents to show you are covered for the whole trip. We are not liable if you decide to fall off the mountain or someone decides to push you off!
FAQ
What happens if the weather is bad?
Will we do our best to make alternative arrangements either on or off the bike.
Will I get to see the Sunflower and Lavender fields?
Lavender will be around in the July weekend and Sunflowers can be around until October!
Sometimes they close Mont Ventoux because of high wind.
If the weather is good but too windy to climb to the top we can go as far as possible or use one of the many other amazing routes this area has to offer.
My flight is delayed!
We will do our best to collect you on time
Rapha, Mallorca
Cycling with Rapha Mallorca.
Rapha Mallorca is located at Plaça del Rosari, 1, 07001 Palma, Illes Balears, Spain.
Located in the heart of the charming old town of Palma, Rapha Mallorca offers a wide selection of Rapha products and serving fine food and drink, you can expect a packed agenda of rides, special events, and live race coverage.
They organise weekly rides every Tuesday - Thursday - Saturday. Rides are led by local guides going through the beautiful landscapes of Mallorca.
More info in the RCC App or at rapha.cc calendars.
I was there for a weekend break and joined in on a club ride from the Rapha shop to the top of the Col De Soller. It was part of a Strava challenge for that month to see how many times you could climb it. They were climbing twice that day but I only went the once as had arranged to meet the wife for lunch! Coll de Soller is a famous category 2 climb. Over 400m of elevation. The road has many, many hairpin turns and is almost traffic free. Lovely!
The other side leading down to Soller is more sheltered from the sun and again is full of twists and turns. Be weary descending this side as it can have more debris from the trees and sometimes be slippery.
At the summit you will find café Ca'n Topa which has been there since 1880 under various guises. Food and service is good, the couple running it speak a number of languages and are knowledgeable about the climb and the area.
I stayed in Palma at Hotel Cort . As you can imagine most hotels are bike friendly but it’s always best to call ahead and check. I was able to keep my bike and bike box in the room with me and used the small lift to bring the bike up and down.
The food here was very good and lots of choice in the morning to fuel up before the ride. They also served good coffee! You can sit inside or out in the famous square Plaza de Cort which is known for it’s olive tree called Olivera de Cort – which is around 600 years old and is a popular tourist attraction. I went out of season and the room was a good price but as it’s very central and will book up quickly in the summer!
There are lots of great restaurants in Palma and I recommend going to visit El Camino for amazing Tapas and La Rosa Vermutería which is an old-fashioned Local that serves the best patatas bravas in Palma!
If you looking for some pre ridden routes to follow and download to your GPS then you can use either Komoot or Strava. The Strava blog has a good piece on climbs in Mallorca here and you can download the climbing segments. Cycling locations website have some great epic rides to look at and are downloadable here.
Enjoy!
Itinerary
Getting to City Airport, within London, it’s best to shop around for Taxi prices. The airport has its own stop on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), which takes you to Tube interchange stations such as Canning Town, Stratford and Bank. If your driving look here.
Flying British Airways from City airport to Palma is a dream! This is because it is a small and quick airport but also I live nearby!
BA offer to take your bike box on as your hold luggage as well as a carry on case and laptop bag. The bike box must be max 190cm and 23 kg (51lbs) Find more info here. They ask not to pack extra items in the box but I always add my helmet, shoes and tools with no problems yet. They ask on the info page to call ahead but I have never done this and I just add the bike whilst booking online.
When arriving at Palma airport you will need to collect your bike box at the last carousel, number 17 and wait for it to come through. There will be many bike boxes and it’s best to start taking them off and lining them up as the carousel will stop moving if there are too many on there.
It’s easy to get a large Taxi the other side but always make sure it’s from a Taxi rank.
I stayed at the Hotel Cort on Plaça de Cort, 1107001 Palma de Mallorca.
There are also plenty of bike shops for your needs. Hire, pick up spares or get your’s fixed here.
If you like Tapas you must visit El Camino. You cannot book so arrive early. It is a bar seating arrangement where you can watch the chef’s prepare your food! La Rosa Vermutería has a great local feel to it. I advise booking and ordering the patatas bravas.
If you’r going out on your own make sure you tell someone where you’r going, pack the correct spares for your bike and always check the weather. It can get windy and some routes are pretty tough!
To see and download the Rapha route you will need an account with Komoot or follow me on Strava.
Rapha, Miami
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Cycling with Rapha Miami.
Rapha Miami is located at 3911 NE 1st Ave #106, Miami, FL 33137.
I was in town for some sun after Christmas and took part in the annual RAPHA#FESTIVE500 event. This is 500 kilometers in eight days! I haven’t managed it yet!
You can hire bikes from Rapha but you need to be a RCC member. When I went they had problems with delivery of the Canyon bikes but usually offer bikes through the website.
It was a good mixed crowd that turned up and these rides are a no drop social affair. We headed out to the Key of Biscayne with some great views and a quick coffee stop at Starbucks, of course, in Palmetto Bay.
One thing about riding in Miami is that it is FLAT, very FLAT. The only uphill I encountered was the ride over the Rickenbacker causeway. The roads are well maintained and there is usually a cycle path for you to ride in.
Itinerary
Getting to Heathrow, within London, it’s best to shop around for Taxi prices or get a Taxi to the nearest station to access the Heathrow express.
Flying British Airways from London Heathrow T5 to Miami International Airport.
BA offer to take your bike box on as your hold luggage as well as a carry on case and laptop bag. The bike box must be max 190cm and 23 kg (51lbs) Find more info here. They ask not to pack extra items in the box but I always add my helmet, shoes and tools with no problem yet. They ask on the info page to call ahead but I have never done this and I just add the bike whilst booking online.
It’s easy to get a large Taxi the other side but always make sure it’s from a Taxi rank.
I stayed at a friend’s place on Collins Avenue, next to the beach, but there are plenty of Airbnb’s in Miami.
There are also plenty of bike shops for your needs. Hire, pick up spares or get your’s fixed here.
If you like sushi I recommend Blue Ribbon on Park Ave and 21st.
To see and download the route you will need an account with Komoot or follow me on Strava.
Mont Ventoux
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CHALLENGE: MONT VENTOUX 3 ASCENTS
DATE: 25 AUGUST 2018
DISTANCE: 84.54m
MOVING TIME: 7:43:10
ELAPSED TIME: 9:44:05
ELEVATION: 14,629ft
AVERAGE SPEED: 11mi/hr
I had ridden Mont Ventoux a few times before I found out about the Club de Cingles. This involves ascending 3 times in one day. It is a long slog to the top and the weather can change pretty quick but I thought I could do it. On long distance challenges like this I prefer riding on my own for pace and not having to wait for people to pee. I read a few articles on the challenge, a good one in the now defucnt Cycling Active magazine. September Issue 2016. share advice
You can ascend from 3 sides. Bedoin being the most famous and arguably the hardest. 8% over 20 km. Then Malaucene being the second hardest 7% over 21 km. Finally the assent from Salut. A steady 5% for the first half until you join the last 6 km of the Bedoin side. An early breakfast of a croissant, of course! to start the climb. Collecting my stamp from the Tabac next door. It was colder than I anticipated and wish the I had brought my toe thingy's but I pushed on through he lush green forest that sits at the bottom of the climb until you reach the lunar landscape near the tip and get your first glimpse of the summit tower. This never seems to get any closer as you twist up the mountain. The gradient seems to be slightly less in this part as through the forest 6% seemd like a rest period to the near 11% stretches.
There is a left hand bend at the top befor the last stretch will remind you why they called it the windy mountain. This and the very last and very steep right hand corner to the summit. It is windy and instantly cold at the the top as I pose for my first photograph. Straight on with the gillet and a descend to Malaucéne. The view from this side is also stunning. Not so luna but just as impressive.
The first few km were pretty sketchy and I descended with caution as the wind was catching my wheels. It was approaching mid morning and the road was getting busier with cyclists grimacing on their way up to the summit. You can get up to some pretty good speeds with some long stretches and sweeping bends. Arriving in Malaucéne I stopped at the nearest cafe to refuel and collect my second stamp. I had 2 coffee's and 3 pastries. In hindsight I eat too much too quickly and on my ascent was feeling rather bloated and uncomfortable. I didn't take my own advice which is to always eat and drink little and often!!
The ascent is well protected by the winds and has some tough sections at 12%. But there is also some respite after the cafe nearing the top where I even shifted into the big ring for a little while. It is now getting very windy at the top as I had my second photograph taken by a fellow climber. Straight on with the gillett wishing I had brought a jacket! (I recommend this whatever the forecast!) Again caution on the decent with the wind gusting quite high now. Onto Salut! I was cold, my teeth were chattering i could barely feel my fingers and toes. The decent was fast and flowing eventually opening out to lavender fields i passed only to find a little kicker of a climb into Salut. I was a bit behind on my timing so a quick stop with a coke and a Mars bar before the last climb.
The lower part to the final ascent is a nice low gradient passing through the open fields up into the woods again. My legs were feeling good and i was making good progress. I passed Chalet Reynard I could see the clouds closing in and feel the wind starting to pick up. It started to rain the head wind was strong with powerful gusts. I was so close but yet very far from the top. I pushed through to the top quickly found someone willing to take my last photograph put on my gilet and descended for the last time. My whole bike shaking from my shivering body as the winds wiped my face. Half way down i could not feel my hands or feet which made this very unenjoyable last descent. I finally reached the bottom and began to feel warm again. A well deserved beer and a long look at my fully stamped card made it all worth while!
I had done it and it was hard. Would I do it again> probably.!
I highly recommend you do this challenge!
Itinerary
Accommodation
I stayed close by in Paradou (great place for groups to stay and some good rides from here that I have featured on the site) then drove to Bedoine and stayed at an airbnb here. If you do stay in this Airbnb, which was fine for the night, the place is on the right as you approach Bedoine, opposite the large carpark. The GPS will take you into town on narrow lanes to a dead end!
Travel
I flew EasyJet to Marseilles. I take my own bike using a Bike Box Alan. It cost £35 each way when booked online. Info here. BA offer you to take the BikeBox as normal hold luggage which for a short trip you can your add some other items in. I hired a car from Europe car. Hire in advance as much as possible. Going for the cheaper companies always works out more expensive!! Do not use Goldcar!!
DO’S AND DONT’S
.
Start early
Take a jacket
Use sunscreen
Eat little and often
Do some long hill climbing training
Apply early for your stamp card from