“Heureux qui comme Ulysse a fait un beau voyage”
Truly one of our best trips so far. We got to know this route via the rally that takes place annually around this time of the year. There is not a n official route, but most cyclists would take old military roads, and cols that zig zag between Italy and France via the Alps. It has been in our back minds for a while, but it always felt too much for us, then we thought we may as well give it a go and test ourselves. I'm so glad we went for it!
While La Route de Grandes Alpes was unique in its own way, this one had the additional touch of taking us out of the beaten track. On top of that we were blessed with good weather and we always felt physically well (no trip to the pharmacy for random ailment this time!). We haven't met many foreigners, but we met unique characters and just chatting to locals who looked intrigued by our presence added to the charm of this route.
Turin
Sunday
21 August
The start didn't
exactly go too well, but thankfully it didn't disrupt our plans too
badly either. We were supposed to arrive in Turin Saturday at 10pm,
but our flight got delayed more than 7 hours so we got to our hotel in
time for breakfast instead. While waiting in the airport was not fun
(apart from Paul who can surprisingly sleep over anything - cold wood
benches, crying children, church bells in full swing...), everyone
was glad the flight was not cancelled as this would have meant a
looooong additional journey. We were also travelling with 2 big bike
boxes which always add a bit of excitement. Getting to the airport
and the check in went smoothly, but when landed in Turin there were
no buses as it was too early, and the queue to the taxi was endless.
Still, when our time came a huge taxi arrived and he managed to fit
in both boxes and the 2 of us, THANK YOU!! As we were driving towards
town dawn broke, and we could see the far away mountains. Although
sleep deprived I couldn't help putting on a big smile in front of
such a unique moment. Apparently Ryan Air owe us €500 for the delay
(1 month later I haven't seen anything yet...) and we considered
every treat in this trip as their courtesy.
We woke up at 12.30pm, someone having slept more than the other...the sun was strong so we went straight to build the bikes in the garage which was cool and nice. It took us less than 1 hour and we then had to face going out in 30 degrees heath, in a half empty town. We first wanted to check where we would cycle the next day out of town and from the Porta Nuova station we headed towards the Po river. It seemed pretty much straight away so we then headed up towards the centre and stopped in a restaurant in Piazza Vittorio Veneto for lunch. It was so good to eat outside, a simple but delicious plate of penne and tomato sauce was all we needed, followed by an espresso of course!
We kept wandering around the streets of the centre, which looked so old and historic. I really liked Turin and imagined it must be a great place to study at the university. We stopped for a very good granita which we were sipping while strolling around , and I heard at least 3 people saying "we should get e granita". Weird, we don't usually set trends... Most shops were closed but we enjoyed the chilled out atmosphere. We then ended up in Piazza San Carlo, where the rally officially starts. We had no bikes with us but still it counted as the start line. We then stopped at a Carrefour to get 1l sport drink each for the day after, which I'm glad we did as we would sweat a lot. We stopped at Decathlon as it turned out Paul only had 2 t-shirts, both black...I suggested he may get a new one which turned out he would be wearing every single day, plus, it was a beautiful souvenir of the trip.
We inaugurated the trip with the first pizza for dinner, which was not the best but a beer washed it down very well. That night I finally slept sound, bells or no bells!
 |
| Starting line in Piazza San Carlo |
Day 1 - Turin to
Susa
Monday 22 August
|
Start Finish Distance Positive elevation Average speed Cols Accommodation |
Torino, 239 m Susa, 503 m 80 km 526 m 18.7 km/h None B&B La Casa di Alice (highly recommended) |
This was a gentle
introduction to the route. We woke up at 6.45am exited at the idea of
starting a new adventure. We had a quick breakfast and then spent
some time in the garage fitting the bags bikepacking style (me I
prefer panniers...). And off we went!
I don't know which cycling path we were following, possibly the euro velo 8, there were not many signs, but an occasional red tribal mark to point the way, where to I have no idea. We followed it up to Benasco, then we got lost and ended up chatting to a couple of Eastern Europeans who were working in their allotment. We were told it was a bit rough but to keep going and eventually we would end up in Orbassano, which it did. When we said we were going to Susa they looked impressed and said we are brave...good stuff we didn't tell them we were on our way to Nice!
Getting out of Avignana got a bit messy but eventually we made it and we found ourselves following the Via Francigena for a while. It was a beautiful cycling path, away from the main road and shadowed by the trees. It took us to small hamlets which were dead quiet. We stopped at a bench by a fountain to eat an apple, it was lunch time but we couldn't find much around. In the next village, St Antonio di Susa, we stopped at the only open place, a kebab shop. Despite the fact that nobody was around that was the loudest place ever. There were women with shouting children, a man watching videos with the speaker, bin collection, dogs barking...not exactly a peaceful break but at least we had a huge focaccia, whose leftovers would come up useful for the next day morning snack.
It was very hot and my stomach was a bit funny, it took a few days to settle, instead I drank and sweated litres of water.
From there we were mostly on the main road which was scary at bits (Paul being overtaken by a car which was also bring overtaken by another car..). Paul also managed to find the only bit of muddy path in a region where it has not been raining for months...the bikes got so filthy that they kept throwing up mud for km...grrr At least there was a fountain nearby where I managed to wash my legs, decency restored!
We were 5 km to destination but when we saw a tree we had to stop in its shade as the heath was becoming intolerable, we were definitely not used to that and were dreaming of the fresh air in the high mountains already!
We reached Susa at 3.30pm and went for a granita to wait for the check in at 4pm. I thought that was the centre, and only when we went out later did I realise how pretty and historic this town is. I only knew Susa for the anti TAV protests, but I never realised that it is so historic and has so much to see and offer. It turns out Susa was the capital of the province of Alpes Cottiae and was the oldest of Alpine towns. In the Middle and Modern ages, Susa remained important as a hub of roads connecting southern France to Italy.
We were staying at the Casa di Alice B&B, the best one we have ever been. The room was massively large and with a balcony in the sun (=wash and dry stinky clothes, the water was still brown after 3 rinses...), and we were given fresh orange juice on our arrival, sweet!
After the usual chores we went to the old town. We crossed the river and got to see all the Roman and medieval sites, there was even a Roman amphitheatre, but despite the beauty of the place there was hardly anybody around. We then went to a restaurant in a square to carbo-load, and while sitting there we saw a guy in full bike-packing style heading up the mountain. We thought he must be doing the Turin Nice and bivac up in the cool air, but were glad to have our bed and shower!
We went for another stroll after dinner and thought we would sleep like logs with the sound of the river, but we both struggled to fall asleep and had a bit of a restless night, heath of nerves for the climbs to come?
Day 2 - Susa to Sestriere
Tuesday 23 August
|
Start Finish Distance Positive elevation Average speed Cols
Accommodation |
Susa, 503 m Sestriere 2,035m 57 km 2500 m 8.7 km/h Colle della Finestra, 2176 m Colle dell'Assietta, 2472 m Colle Lauson, 2490 m Colle Costapiana, 2313 m Col Bourget, 2299 m Col Basset, 2424 m Chalet Edelweiss |
 |
| Colle delle Finestre profile |
What an epic day, one of those that you live to the full! We both woke up with a funny stomach, and despite having a beautiful and gnammy breakfast laid out in front of us we did not manage to feast on it as eagerly as usual. There was a couple of guys having breakfast with us and we exchanged the plans of the day. They were going hiking up to some mountain and wished us luck for our trip, which is always nice.
 |
| Good morning sunshine! |
We then went for the ritual of the bags on the bikes while chatting to our host, who said Pantani would go up the Colle della Finestra in the Giro d'Italia at an average speed of 17km/h. Me I thought I would walk most of it instead...
At 8am sharp we were on the move with a clean and blue sky and it was hot already. We got out of town and as soon as the road started to go up and I changed gear, the dérailleur started making a funny noise...From Dr Bike, Paul soon graduated to Mr Bike, expert surgeon, and performed a delicate operation of cutting off a piece of the mudguard that was touching the cable. It worked and I could now use the lowest front ring.
The first 11km were on a narrow and steep paved road. The trees were offering shelter from the sun and we were gaining elevation quickly, so that the range of mountains on the other side of the valley were revealing themselves in their morning glory. At km 7 we met the guy who we saw the night before when eating and had a good chat with him. It's amazing how much faster time goes on a climb when you are speaking to someone. He was Alfredo from Vitoria in the Basque Countries. When I asked him if he was doing the Turin Nice he looked at me like What's that? It turns out he started on 20 July from Trieste, mostly off road...respect!
At km11 we reached a fountain where all cyclists stopped to refuel (nobody could really be bothered to keep going ...) There was a nice atmosphere and we were all chatting, but we definitely spent more time than needed there and didn't realise how long the day would be...
 |
| End of the paved road |
We left the tarmac behind and started on the gravel. The gradient was a bit less steep than before, but there were quite a few cars and motorbikes passing us and lifting load of dust, which is always a bit stressful. I was not in the zone and definitely not mentally ready for that kind of climbing, plus I still couldn't face eating anything, so I ended up pushing way more that I should have had to. Looking back I'm quite pissed off at myself about this as I could have cycled it no problem had I been in the right mind set, oh well, next time it will be! At around k17 Paul forced me to eat the leftover focaccia, and it actually went down very well. It was weird as it was like if I was disconnected from my body and couldn't understand it any longer.
We kept going and at 12.30pm we finally reached the pass (19km in 4h30min, oh dear...) There was a fort to explore, and the views were stunning, and Alfredo was having his lunch there, but I was panicking a bit as I was conscious that we still had many km of gravel and climb in front of us and with that average we would have missed the check in at 8pm... We just took a few pictures and headed to the Refugio down the road to get a sandwich, which I still think was the best of all the trip, cheese and grilled vegetables! I got a Coke too hoping it would make a miracle and turn me into the incredible Ulk, you need to believe in something!
After that it was km after km of heaven. We were surrounded by mountains everywhere, could even see glaciers at a distance, and it was going on forever, what a treat! From there it was all kind of flat, and 2 more shorter climbs, but all scenic and beautiful, apart from the number of Jeeps which was gradually increasing to peak at 5pm when we really had to stop and let them all go as it was becoming impossible to continue. At 5.30pm we finally reached the last col and stopped to contemplate the day, we knew we would make it and could finally relax. A guy who was cycling the same route but up to Cuneo only reached us there. All the cars had now gone and we were the only people left there, all for us. The descent was on bad gravel, like steep and very rocky, but we wanted to get out of it so badly that I sucked it up and just kept going down. We finally reached our accommodation in Sestriere at 6pm, after 10 long hours. We were dirty beyond smell but had to go to the store to get food and feasted on a huge plate of spaghetti and tomato sauce. Sestriere is at 2000m and it was definitely chillier than in Susa, but still remarkable hot for that altitude. We went to sleep knowing that we made it past the hardest day on the route, what a relief!
 |
| How long is left?? |
 |
| Heading down to Sestriere finally! |
Day 3 - Sestriere
to Briançon
Wednesday
24 August
|
Start Finish Distance Positive elevation Average speed Cols Accommodation |
Sestriere 2,035m Briançon , 1,326m 33 km 600m 20.2 km/h Col de Montgenévre, 1,860 m Hôtel Mont-Brison |
After the ordeal of
the day before, it was now an easy /recovery day in front of us. We
had a leisurely start and breakfast in our apart, with toasted bread
and tomato, and 4 coffee each. There was also a spare mini baguette
which was used to prepare a cheese and tomato sandwich for lunch. The
only good thing of the bike packing style is that you can strap any
kind of brad and pastries on the back straps.
Before we left, Paul finished the operation on the mudguard and cut off all the lower bit as it was still interfering with the gear cables. Dharma was now free to go!
We were trying to waste time aware of the short day, so we sat at a café for another coffee and croissant in the sunshine. It was so cool just to sit there sipping a delicious coffee and see the world pass by, we love cycle touring!
Then 1/2 way through we left the big road and got on what was the previous road, on a long and deserted tunnel with many windows. I was happy to be there mostly because it was cool and breezy...
After that we entered the quiet village of Claviere where we stopped to finish the grissini bought in Susa, really taking it easy.
From there it was only 3 km to the col, and we entered France, which surprisingly seemed more chaotic than Italy... We wasted some time there too and then went down a 13km road to Briancon, which was fast and scenic, I absolutely loved it.
We checked in and went for a stroll to the old town which is always a beautiful place to visit, but trying not to waste too many energies as the big climbs were approaching fast.
Day 4 - Briançon to Ville Vielle - 40km and 1200m up
Thursday 25 August
|
Start Finish Distance Positive elevation Average speed Cols Accommodation |
Briançon, 1,326m Ville Vieille, 1,350m 40 km 1,200 m 13.7 km/h Col d'Izoard, 2,361 m Le Guilazur |
We left early as we knew it would be a hard climb and thought the fresh morning air would help. It turns out that the climb was actually a pleasure, a bit steep at times but with the morning shade, the segregated cycling lane to the top, the light traffic and morning energies we covered the 19km in 2h 15", and we were not even that tired when we reached the top.
The top was a total mess as they were working with heavy lorries everywhere so not exactly e great finish, but we managed to find a spot to ourselves and stopped a good while to absorb the scenery. Still no clouds around and perfect visibility. The climb also restored some of my confidence and must have awaken the muscles memory, I can climb again!
We went up this col from the other side 3 years before when on the Route de grand Alpes, and it was nice to see all the places I stopped then to grasp for air. This time it was all a long descent and the traffic was not so bad either. We stopped at the same village of Arvieux, at the same small shop to get a baguette, grissini and grapes, and stopped at a bench for our snack/lunch. The stomach was getting better but not quite there either...not losing weight anyway!
As Paul described it, "the shower is ancient but functional, just like me" I couldn't have described it better! Our post chores foraging mission was very successful, we got 2 huge and ripe peaches, yogurt and even couscous!
We were a bit early for dinner and got entertained by a cute Collie who went to get a stick (honest no clue where he found it), gave to us so we could throw it, fetched it, destroyed it and gave back a bit so we could repeat. Collies, you figure them out! Dinner was surprisingly very nice, I had tagliatelle with tomato sauce and Paul an omelette. It was much colder and we both slept sound, after watching the documentary of 2 Norwegian guys who built a hut on a beach in the Arctic with stuff found on the beach, and spent the winter there surfing and collecting 13 tons of rubbish, respect!
Day 5 - Ville Vielle to Sampeyre
Friday 26 August
|
Start Finish Distance Positive elevation Average speed Cols Accommodation |
Ville Vieille, 1,350m Sampeyre, 998m 52 km 1323 m 15.2 km/h Colle dell'Agnello, 2764 m Hotel Monte Nebin |
The 20 km Colle dell'Agnello climb, up to 2744m from 1350m, was intimidating. The forecasts said there would be a thunderstorm at 1pm and we really wanted to be at the top and down by then. We got the bikes ready at 7am, our breakfast at 7.30am sharp and by 8am we were already on the climb.
It started steep until we reached the first village, and went up much steeper there until it levelled off a bit along the valley. We were above the low grounds and the views opened, there were a few clouds gathering around but the visibility was perfect. Marmots were popping up from every corner, while there was little traffic of cars and no motorbikes at all. The air was chilly but we were sweating a lot and in t-shirt it was perfect cycling temperature. Me I was living on coke and I must have finished ½ l by km 15. It was a beautiful climb and with the clouds the landscape reminded us of Scotland. We stopped for a little break at km 12 and we were making good progress, but after that it steepened up a lot, merciless, it was granny gear forever and a few stops to catch breath.
We were gaining elevation quickly and my head started to feel light with the altitude, I'm definitely not used to 2000+ any more. Slowly slowly, and without getting off the bike, we saw the top approaching and it's always a beautiful feeling of achievement and relief when you make it there. The views were stunning, we could see the Monviso, the Pan de Azucar and numerous more all around, so worth all the sweat.
We took lots of pictures and started to put on layers, arm and leg warmers, fleece and jacket. It was not too cold but the descent into the Italian side was steep and fast, and I'm glad I did dress up. The descent was sublime, no traffic, beautiful views, perfectly paved road, I finally remembered why I love cycling in the Alps.
The hotel was massive, and I have no idea why since the village itself was not that big, nor a sky resort. It was perfect for us as it was in the centre. We got a cold shower, went through the usual chores and then we started working on the next few days. It rained heavily on and off all afternoon, but we managed to sneak out to the bakery for a treat of focaccia, and then to the shop, which was a but weird but we found all we wanted. Dinner was a pizza, for a change, but at least the Napolitan style pizza didn't make it to the mountains and I quite enjoyed eating an old fashion one.
The post dinner walk around town was pretty indeed and we even got a double rainbow. For the fist time Paul was cold and got himself a blanket, he is human!! The unbearable hot weather gave way to the unstable one, and from then on there would always be afternoon thunderstorms in the mountains, but luckily we always managed to avoid them.
Day 6 - Sampeyre to Dronero
Saturday 27 August
|
Start Finish Distance Positive elevation Average speed Cols Accommodation |
Sampeyre, 998m Dronero, 622m 53 km 1357 m 11.1 km/h Colle di Sampeyre, 2,284m B&B Al Pasché |
The forecasts said there would be more thunderstorms at 1pm, but even then we couldn't be bothered to speed up for an early start. We had a slow breakfast at the hotel and then started the packing ritual. By now it took considerably less time to get the bikes ready, about 5 min compared to the 20 min of the first day. Everyone there was on their way home after the summer holidays, one more reason to go up the mountains and avoid the main roads. At 8.15am we set off with a blue sky, fresh air and not many people around, ideal.
We started by going down to cross the river Varaita, and there was a sign saying “Colle de Sampeyre 18 km”. This was described as one of the most challenging in the western Alps as the gradient is regularly steep with an average of 8%, with a max of 13% and rare bits at 6%. As usual the hardest was to get started, once on the climb it was actually a pleasure to ride as it was all in the shade of trees and the traffic was inexistent. It felt more of a continuation of the climb of the day before, and once the pace was set it was just a matter to keep pedalling, one revolution at a time.
We didn't want to waste too much time stopping, and my main regret of the trip has been seeing tons of huge and ripe raspberries by the side of the road and not being able to stuff my face in them, I'm still gutted at such a waste. Instead I was living on Coke again, and we stopped for quick drinks at km 4,6,8,11 and 13.
At km 15 a cyclist coming down congratulated us on reaching the top, and I was like “the top? But it's not at km 18??”, that was the best surprise of the day! We reached it at 10.45am, not bad. The views on the other side were open and stunning as usual. There were a couple of road cyclists up there who take us a picture, and then we had a chat. It turns out that in the thunderstorm of the day before, 2 mountain bikers lost their life due to lightening in the Strada d'Assietta, where we were 2 days before. It felt so unreal and sad, and it definitely made us more aware of avoiding high altitudes in bad weather...
The first few km were great, it was gently climbing but basically flat, perfect gravel and stunning views. Then things started to deteriorate and it became hell...it turned into a road that can only be cycled on a 4 suspensions mountain bike, and even then I'm not sure I would manage... After 5km we met a guy on a xc bike coming up the other side and screaming “stop!! turn back!!! this road is shit!!” by then we were committed and there was no turning back, but I'm glad he warned us. Next characters were a middle aged couple on MTB coming up the other side. The man asked me about the weather and I said about the possible afternoon thunderstorms, and they started a loud argument with him wanted to turn back and her keep going...that was quite entertaining and very Italian!
It kept going for 10k or more, then finally we saw the sign pointing down to San Damiano Macra and it felt like the end of a nightmare. Pity that also the first 5 km of that descent were bad gravel, but we managed to stay on the bikes and then it turned into a bad tarmac road, and then on a nice and smooth and beautiful descent to the village. That was the treat for coping with so much shit.
 |
| No pictures taken for the next 10km... |
In San Damiano we stopped at the only restaurant which was open, but unfortunately they already stopped serving food. I managed to negotiate a sandwich of bread, cheese and tomato, she said they were small so we got 4, and then realised they were not so small afterall but oh well, just adding to the bread and cheese diet!
After we checked in we went for a walk in town, got a granita and some goodies and then had dinner in a local restaurant below a porch in front of the Church were people were coming out of the mass in their best dresses. I loved this snapshots of local life in off the beaten track places. All food was ridiculously cheap and good there too. I had a simple penne with tomato sauce but they really tasted delicious, all for €6!
The B&B was a bit weird (the hosts admitting they were fed up and wanted to quit), but the location was great as it was on the other side of the river, overlooking the old town, the Bridge of the Devil, and with the sound of the river, I finally slept sound there!
Day 8 - Dronero to Limone
Sunday 28 August
|
Start Finish Distance Positive elevation Average speed Cols Accommodation |
Dronero, 622m Limone, 1,009m 29 km 150 m 21.5 km/h None Sweet Dream Limone Apart, really not recommended |
We were not in a rush
at all as this was a super easy and short day. We had a slow and very
good breakfast with home made cake and fig jam and chatted with the
host at leisure and took our time packing. It was good to take it
easy for a change!
It was sunny but not too hot and we enjoyed strolling from one village to the next by fields. It was a quick 29km to Cuneo, which we planned to visit but once at the train station it didn't feel too inspiring so we got on the first train to Limone. The train was surprisingly empty and modern, even with proper bike space, but it was so slow that we could have cycled there faster. That said, having had a quick look at the road I'm glad we didn't as it was really narrow with no shoulder.
We arrived in Limone at 12.30am and were welcomed by the local band! I'm not sure what was going on there but it felt like the village was having a party, plenty of people, locals dancing, church bells ringing, sunshine and hot, we had a great first impression of that place!
We stopped for lunch at a pizzeria in the main square. Paul had his best pizza ever and me finally a huge salad. We then went to check in to our apart and were hugely disappointed as it was tiny, dirty and the kitchen was really poor, one more reason to go our and explore town! We put the bikes on the balcony and had a nice afternoon wondering around. My legs were grateful for a bit of a rest.
Day off in Limone - walk to Mt Vecchio
Having had a rest day before, we thought we should do some trekking up some mountain. The day before we went to speak to a girl at the tourism info office and she recommended the circular walk up to Mt Vecchio at 1900m. I don't think she has ever been there!
It started right out of town following the signs for the T11. The start was steep but nice in the shade of the forest, then I had no clue what happened but we lost the path, it was not really a path so we improvised it by climbing vertical on the grassy slopes to the top. It was a bit of a messy businesses, and I even saw a viper! Once we reached the top the views were pretty indeed, and we finally saw the path we were supposed to take. We went down that way and we are still unsure which sign we missed. That said, for a rich place like Limone that lives on tourism, they could really do with better sign posting...
We also heard from Alfredo who asked for our gps routes as he was thinking of following a bit of the Turin Nice, everything going well we would meet him in Nice. We were glad to hear he was fine as we were a bit worried at the idea of him camping high up with all the thunders we heard at night.
We were back by noon and had our huge sandwich in the flat. Bread and croissants were a but weird in that village, and we had very noisy neighbours, like a bunch of monkeys from the jungle would have been more educated... we started dreaming of going back to France!
Day 8 - Limone to Breil-sur-Roya
Monday 30 August
|
Start Finish Distance Positive elevation Average speed Cols Accommodation |
Limone, 1,009m Breil-sur-Roya, 284m 52 km 850 m 16.4 km/h Colle di Tenda, 1870m Appartement au cœur, highly recommended |
Batteries recharged we were eager to get back on the saddle for a good climb, and that's what we had! There were still rumours of afternoon thunderstorms so we were packed and gone by 8.10 am, happy to leave that awful apartment.
We cycled past a sleepy village and got on the main road to France, which was surprisingly quiet. After 4km we left it and got on a smaller road up to Colle di Tende. This is 14km long wit 895 vertical meters with an average gradient of 6.4%. The top of the ascent is located at 1871 meters above sea level.
The gradient was steady but not as demanding as the previous climbs, I didn't even need Coke today! We were covering km fast and didn't need as many stops as in the other climbs, but we were still gaining elevation quickly and with that better views. The sky was cloudy and we had a few drops but it kind of cleared up a bit as we climbed which was very reassuring. We also got to see Mt Vecchio and the path we were supposed to follow...great!
At km 12 we stopped at
Rifugio delle Marmotte and since we got there in 1h 20min we thought
we may as well stop for a coffee. We wanted to have a chat with them
about the gravel road on the other side as we knew that valley had
been badly flooded with the Storm Alex in 2020 and were not sure if
it still existed. The Rifugio was really nice and welcoming and we
had a great stop there, the cappuccino was delicious too. The girl
advised us to take the road as the gravel one was broken in bits, and
this is all we needed to hear.
The col was a short way from the Rifugio, and surprisingly there was little or no traffic on it. From there we went up the road to the Central Fort, a former Italian military installation intended for the defense of the Col de Tende, located on the Franco-Italian border. We spent a good hour wondering around the derelicts and admiring the views all around, it felt like a step back in time.
The building was constructed between 1881 and 1885 and it's at 1,920 meters above sea level. The central fort is part of a defense system built around several forts. The purpose of this system, designed as part of the Italian defense plan of 1871, was to secure the Col de Tende and to prevent any advance by French troops.
 |
| The way down |
As advised we then followed the road to the valley, which was first gravel, empty of cars and with 50 turns. By the time we reached the bottom I felt drunk.
We were now in the Roya Valley, and at the bottom of the 50 turns it was a massive work site to reconstruct the road after the big flood in 2020. We stopped at the side for a bite, and realised this was the main road that comes out of the tunnel from Italy. It turns out the tunnel was closed so it was pretty much all for us. We went down fast and it felt surreal and apocalyptic, as occasionally the wide and perfectly paved road would turn into mountainbike tracks where it disappeared. The houses by the river were all abandoned and falling apart, and also the villages along it looked run down and abandoned.
We stopped at Tende for lunch, and got a €7.50 deal each, with sandwich, drink and dessert, which was a huge slice of cake. We couldn't face the cake so that got strapped on the back harness, which by now had carried anything from sandals to baguettes to leftover focaccia to cakes...
We went for a walk around the village and enjoyed getting lost in the narrow allays, it was not such a bad place after all. At night from the baclony I could see many stars, and at the same time a disco of lightenings in the mountains, and I also saw a shooting star!
Day 9 - Breil-sur-Roya to Sospel
Tuesday 31 August
|
Start Finish Distance Positive elevation Average speed Cols
Accommodation |
Breil-sur-Roya, 284m Sospel, 257m 57 km 1700 m 12.6 km/h L'Authion, 2,078 m Col de Turini, 1,607m Au Verger B&B |
We slept very well with the windows opened and drank 6 espresso each to charge up for the longest climb of the trip, a 25km climb was waiting for us. I also prepared a super sandwich with the leftover cheese bought in Limone, tomato and avocado.
At 8.30am we set off, they sky was clear but as we left a man warned us of the afternoon thunderstorms...for a change. We crossed the bridge to avoid the main road and as soon as we were on the other side it climbed like hell, I don't know the gradient but that was definitely more than 10%. After 2km I was already in a pool of sweat. It kept climbing and climbing on a tiny road that was contouring forested hills. The fist 7km were thankfully on tarmac, there we stopped at a fountain to wash off the sweat.
We were gaining elevation quickly, and then it turned into gravel of a cycling standard. I was on the lowest ring and slow but could easily cope with it, there were just a couple of rocky stretches which required pushing but overall they amounted to less than ½ km of pushing. We had a few short stops to drink and a longer one at km 16, at the Baisse de Colla Bassa, 1350m, and stopped for lunch at the Tete de la Secca, 1750m. A sandwich never tasted better! We could see black clouds gathering pretty much everywhere so we kept going and shortly after, at km23, we were back on tarmac on the circuit de Decouverte de l'Authion, with still no traffic around. The last few km to the top were done on granny gear, I was really struggling by then but I could see the end and at a pace slower than walking I made it there! This is not even a Col, but after 25km of sweat I refuse to discard it from the col list.
We realised it was the last time we would be above 2,000m, and felt a bit sad, but also relieved at the idea that the day after we would reach the sea. The clouds now reached us and we started descending slowly on a beautifully paved road. It was fun to get DOWN to Col de Turini, which in itself is a good climb, the first of the Tour de Grand Alpes. We stopped for a picture, even if effectively we haven't climbed it. We actually technically have no cols in the bucket today but who cares, they both count for me!
We sat on a bench by the river waiting for our check in at 5pm, and rejoicing at the idea that all the big climbs were all behind us. The B&B was 1.2km out of town, it was ok but walking to town from there for dinner meant walking on the main street as the foothpath was taken over by cars, what's wrong with French people??
We had dinner in a nice restaurant and sat outside by the river. We ordered 2 big Leffe, 6.6% alcohol, and I was drunk even before my plate of tagliatelle arrived. I honestly don't remember when was the last time I got so drank, but certainly it helped me sleep well!
 |
| Stealing grapes when drunk of beer.. |
Day 10 - Sospel to Nice
Wednesday 01 September
|
Start Finish Distance Positive elevation Average speed Cols Accommodation |
Sospel, 257m Nice, sea level :) 49 km 700m 19.2 km/h Col de Braus, 1,002m Ibis Styles Nice Centre Port |
We went back to Sospel and from there got on the road to Col de Braus, on a deserted road. It was 12 km long with an average gradient is 5.7 %, gaining 639 meters. I felt like I didn't want it to finish and enjoyed every single revolution, and even stopped to get berries here and there. I was still sweating a lot and I looked like I could have come out of the shower, but I knew that would be the last heath and sun for a long time and didn't complaint at all.
We reached the top and took pictures, I was wondering when we would start to see the sea, and as we started the descent, 20 m after the col, there is was, we could get a glipse in between the hills, it was magic! The vegetation was also different and we could now feel that we reached the Mediterranean. We definitely met more cyclists than cars on that road and from there it would be a sweet descent to the sea, what a feeling and what an achievemnt we thought!
At first it went down steeply with many turns, until we reached the village of L'Escarene where we stopped for a coffee in the only bar open. It would be the last time we stopped at a bar in a small village.
We kept going downhill passing through a beautiful gorge, and as we descended it was getting hotter and hotter. We had to stop after 12km for a bite, but we couldn't sit down at the bus stop as the metal was burning our butts! There we finally finished the biscuits bought in Susa and all the bars that we dragged along since the start.
 | ||
| The sea!! |
From there the traffic was gradually increasing, and by the time we reached Drap it was total anarchy. It didn't get much better as we progressed via La Trinité, a suburb of Nice, but we kept going, then in Nice we were following both Paul's gps, alternating with me spotting the Port signs, and voilá we found ourselves outside the Café du Cycliste at the Port. I still have no idea how we got there without getting lost or killed but, we made it, the finish line has been reached!
As usual it was a total anticlimax as the location itself is not that great and the traffic abounded, but at least we could see the sea. Paul went to check out the café which is ridiculously overprised and posh, so we found ourselves another café at the Port where we had our celebration lunch, and then we went to check in at the hotel. The bikes were allowed in the room which was great.
We finally had a dinner which didn't consist of pasta, focaccia or pizza, we had falafels! It was delicious and the pedestrain area we were in was buzzing with life, I loved that place. After dinner we walked to the Old Town and got lost wondering around all the alleys with the hundreds of restaurants and shops. It was getting dark by the time we reached the Promenade des Anglais and I was kept with my mouth opened, I didn't expect Nice would be so beautiful. We walked up and down and couldn't help but discuss future trip ideas...
Getting the bikes back home + Conclusion
Friday morning we packed the bikes for the last time and at 8am we cycled the 11 km to the airport along the promenade. It was absolutely the best way to end this trip, and when we passed the I Love Nice sign we stopped for a picture, that should be the end of the trip, not the Café du Cyclist! Getting to the terminal 2 was a bit messy but we finally made it there, got the boxes, packed the bikes and left them at the left luggage. Relieved we got the tram back to town. We got off at the Garibaldi station so to go up to the Colline du Chateau, which we couldn't do the night before as it closes at 8pm. There was a strong fresh breeze which was much welcomed, and we could see all Nice from one side to the other.
In the afternoon we managed to meet Alfredo who just finished his trip. His cousin joined too as she lives nearby and was picking him up. We had a few beers close to Place Garibaldi and got a bit gutted from what he said...basically his favourite day was the one up from Marmora, the one we missed, and the gravel road from the Col di Tende was not closed at all but perfectly cyclable! Oh well, at least someone found a good use of the track Paul planned! By the time he left we were all drunk so we went to the room to chill out a bit as the day was not over. It turned out that Fabio, a friend of mine who I have not seen nor talked to in 15 years, lives close to Nice so we met in the evening to catch up. It was lovely to meet them both but I definitely drank more beer than I use to! We then said goodbye to Nice with a final walk along the promenade, thinking what a great trip this was!
I can't hardly believe how lucky we have been this time. I can now say that we had no mechanicals, no injuries or sickness, no bad weather and enjoyed all the places we passed through. This is definitely going in the A list of our trips, and the question is, what next?
Final stats
|
Start Finish Distance Positive elevation Number of Cols |
Torino, 239 m Nice, sea level 502 km 11,408 m 14 |
No comments:
Post a Comment