Start location – Caen
End Location – Nice
Our North to South tour is truly an epic challenge, spanning approximately 1550 km and taking in around 19000m of elevation. This adventure is something a little bit special, comparable in distance to the famous LEJOG route (Land’s End to John o’ Groats) but with the added benefit of predominantly nicer weather. Let me guide you through the scenic journey:
The route crosses the most beautiful and idyllic scenery, initially we head south before we cross into the rolling landscape and natural beauty of the Dordogne Valley which is nothing short of spectacular. The route then turns eastwards, and the terrain becomes more mountainous as we head across to the stunning Rhone Valley where it intersects with the iconic giant Mont Ventoux framed by the beautiful rolling lavender fields. This is a challenge to take on so why not tick it off at the same time. After taking in some of the most wonderful gorges and balcony roads, we wave goodbye to the Provence region and push on in an easterly direction.
The route then meanders down to a beautiful end to the adventure and the vibrant capital of the French riviera Nice nestled in the Mediterranean coastline a fitting end to an epic challenge. Now is the time to Stroll along the famous Promenade des Anglais, explore the historic Old Town, and take in impressive views from Castle Hill and bask in your achievements over the last 2 weeks.
So, what are you waiting for; gear up for this unforgettable cycling adventure—from northern France’s rolling hills the beautiful vistas and vineyards of the Dordogne valley to Mont Ventoux’s and the iconic lavender fields, savour every moment as you roll into a beautiful finale Nice tucked away on the azure coast.
Cycle Retreats will take care of everything for you from perfectly located lunch stops to a support car waiting at the top of a climb to ensure you have everything you need for your day in the saddle. A qualified guide will be back marker so you don’t even have to navigate if you don’t wish and can ride with them. Two vehicles will be on the road with you, one moving forward with luggage and one that will carry your rider’s day bag and be available to you at points throughout the day. This vehicle will also have a plentiful stock of cyclists treats as well as on bike nutrition from our partner Tailwind. As always hot and cold drinks will be available from this vehicle (known to his friends as Bernard)
For tours of this nature, we recommend you use your own bike, but we will also have a qualified mechanic on hand should the need arise and carry spares. You can also choose to hire from us, see extras costs below.
Arrive on Saturday the 21st of June and get prepared to start the following day. Collection will be mid afternoon from the Port of Caen. After a welcome meeting with snacks and a drink, then a bike check relaxes and get to know fellow riders. Once you have arrived into Nice on Friday the 4th of July, we celebrate this epic achievement with a gala dinner before saying our goodbyes on Saturday the 5th. The following morning we will transfer you to Nice airport for 10am for your onward journey.
We start The Great French tour in the historic town of Caen. After leaving Caen we head of on some quite roads including some dedicated cycle paths giving you time to enjoy the beautifully peaceful surroundings as we follow the winding L’orne river down to a charming town of Ferte Mace with a welcoming ambiance, a perfect stop after your first day’s riding.
Today’s riding continues in a southerly direction heading off through the quite rolling tree lined roads of the Regional Nature Park Normandy-Maine. We pass through the charming medieval village of Sille-le-Guillaume with its cobblestone streets and a prominent 13th Century castle. The last 50km of the ride is predominantly flat and wonderful way to tick of the km’s and spin the legs while taking in the wonderful scenery.
Today is another reasonable rolling day in the saddle as we ride through another stunning Regional Park Loire-Anjou-Touraine where you can really escape and simply enjoy the bike. Today is about finding those cycling legs as we get some distance under our belt with minimal elevation. Once we exit the national parc we then pick up the course of The River La Vienne and follow the winding paths the river has carved over millennia down to wonderful village for our overnight stop.
We continue in a similar vein as yesterday and we follow the path of the river La Vienne for the entire day, the terrain does start to get a little more rugged with some shorter sharper climbs to test the legs and its noticeable more open as we leave the forested roads behind us. An enjoyable day to take in some wonderful views across the valleys.
Today is a shorter day and more rolling as we continue in a southerly direction into the Nouvelle – Aquitaine region of the Dordogne. The route today takes in breathtakingly beautiful countryside, Medieval castes and some beautiful villages nestled in the rolling countryside before finishing in a charming village of Thiviers located within the Perigord Vert Region. The town is celebrated for its culinary heritage, and a great spot to refuel for the riding ahead.
The route begins to head in a more easterly direction as we pass through what’s affectionately called “the gateway to the south,” Brive-la-Gaillarde a vibrant picturesque town famed for its medieval and renaissance architecture. The route is fairly rolling but save something in the tank as there is a beautiful 7km climb towards the end of the ride before descending down to our stop for the evening.
Immediately after leaving the wonderful town of Argentat, we begin to climb straight away with only 2km to warm up you are straight onto a wonderful 6km climb to get the blood pumping, this is the longest of the climbs for the day so once on the top take the time to enjoy the beautiful views. As we head southeast you can see the scenery transform into a more rugged landscape as we enter the highland region of France named The Massif Central region which is characterised by rolling hills lush valleys and dramatic mountain peaks. For the last 20km we hug the river Lot and follow its path down to our destination for the evening a perfect way to end the days riding.
Today on paper is a big day of riding with 5 climbs to take in the largest being 11km and the 4 remaining climbs ranging between 4-6km. That said a lot of the elevation gained today is over a gentle gradient outside of the 5 climbs. We again follow the river Lot through some beautiful quite traditional villages and towns and the scenery is quite simply breathtaking before arriving at our destination for the evening the Medieval town of Mende.
The route today doesn’t waste any time with a 2km short sharp climb our of the town before you can settle into a rolling day on the bike with 6 climbs in total but fairly civilised with the longest climb being 10km with an average gradient of 4%.the route heads east taking in some beautiful scenery including lakes forested woodlands and not to mention a beautiful 14km descent to finish of the day .
The route today is truly a highlight of the trip as we pass through the Gorges de l’Ardeche often known as the European Grand Canyon, with cliffs reaching 300m in height it really is a remarkable sight and what a way to see it! Take your time and soak up the beauty as we travel though the gorges to our destination of Malaucene at the foot of Mont Ventoux.
The route today is all about one thing and one thing only the giant of Provence, Mont Ventoux. This is an epic day in the saddle where we support you to achieve that bucket list climb. After summitting the climb, we descend down towards sault stopping at the Tom Simpson memorial before heading off in what is a spectacular descent through the lavender fields to our destination for the evening. Should severe weather hit, and it isn’t safe to climb Ventoux, we have an alternative route to bypass the climb.
We leave the Giant of Provence behind us as we take in some rolling beautifully scenic roads surrounded by lavender fields as we continue our adventure to the southwest as we get ever closer to our final destination of Nice.
The final day of this epic tour is another beautiful day in the saddle, as we climb out of Castellane before rolling along the tops of a beautiful valley with mountain views. We have a 30km descent to enjoy before we turn left and ride along the stunning Cote d’Azur coastline and soak up the vibrant atmosphere of our final destination Nice.
Feel free to bring your own bike, but if you don’t want the stress of transporting your pride and joy, we have it covered.
Our hire bikes are all fully carbon with Shimano 105 or Ultegra Di2 group set.
The bikes are not included in the price of the trip.
Extras
A transfers from the airport is included in your holiday at a designated time. If you can’t make this transfer time and need a private transfer we can help to arrange this for you, please see the costing below
The Great French Tour | |
Arrival Airport | Ouistreham Caen |
Arrival Time | 4pm |
Departure Airport | Nice |
Time Departing Retreat | 10:00 AM |
Private transfer Cost | 50,00 € |
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