5 Best Cols to Climb in France

It’s certainly no secret that the country of France boasts some of the most beautiful and captivating landscapes on earth. It also happens to be home to some of the world’s most incredible bike adventures, perhaps the most famous being the Tour de France. Fortunately, you don’t have to be a professional cyclist to experience the noteworthy climbs of this grueling race. For those seeking a climb that will test your legs and mind until the sweet reward of reaching the top, France is the place to ride with a variety of cols certain to please any cycling enthusiast.

There are five cols in particular that top the list, all of which are featured in our King of the Mountains Tour.

Mont Ventoux – the last Alpine mountain ridge before the Rhône plain, this climb is particularly challenging because of its height and the elements cyclers face here. Nicknamed the “Giant of Provence”, it’s sometimes referred to as the “windy mountain” and is considered one of the toughest in the region. It can be climbed by 3 routes and has appeared in the TDF 14 times, 8 of which were stage finishes at the summit. Cyclers can conquer this challenge either by guided or self guided tour.

Alpe d’Huez – one of the Tour de France’s most famous mountain climbs, this is actually one of the least difficult. It certainly has its challenges, however, as this climb features 21 switchbacks and can also be tackled via self-guided and guided tours. Watch for both the TDF and the Etape du Tour to visit this mountain. For those interested, Discover France Adventures offers VIP tours and entry to the Etape.

Col du Galibier – this pass is considered one of the toughest Alpe cols in cycling history mainly because it can only be reached after the Col du Télégraphe or the Col du Lautaret and has an ascent of 34.9 km long over which some 1,924 height meters are climbed. The Col du Galibier is one of the features in our King of the Mountains Tour.

Col du Tourmalet – situated in Midi-Pyrenees, this mountain is one of the most famous climbs in the Tour de France. Bikers who make it to the summit will see a statue of famous cyclist Octave Lapize sitting atop his bike. The Etape du Tour rode this mountain in 2010, for which we offered a tour.

Hautacam – also situated in Midi-Pyrenees, this ascent starts from Argelès Gazost. Because it is unusual in its varying ascents and descents, this climb poses quite a challenge to those who take it on, though certainly a worthwhile one. It is one of the harder climbs we feature in our King of the Mountains tour.

If a cycling adventure is on your itinerary, France is the place to go to experience the very best. Most of these cols are offered in guided and self-guided tours and all have been climbed numerous times by the pros in the TDF. Additionally, all five have been rated “Top 20 Most Climbed Cols” by Climbbybike.com. So, what are you waiting for? The mountains are beckoning.

Dawn to Dusk Mountain Bike Race

Did you know that Cycling Classics has mountain biking tours? Of course, riding the roads of the famous cols in France is everyone's dream, but what about the dirt trails not many people get to experience. We have tours in the Alpes and Provence regions.

Mountain biking offers an experience like nothing anyone has experienced. This past weekend, Loren (owner of Discover France), reconnected with the trails in Arizona at mountain bike race Dawn to Dusk. The Discover France corporate team clenched 1st place!! Check out the highlights of the race...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wB7o1EUWr8

Cycling Mont Ventoux

The Giant of Provence - Mont Ventoux - is a legendary cycling destination. As I prepare to visit France I started reminiscing about that great climbs I've gotten to do there, especially the Mont Ventoux.

Mont Ventoux stands out above Provence and is a point of reference for all around. ON clear days you can see the Mediterranean and way off into the Pre-Alps of Haute Provence. Because it rises up from the plain, it is famous as a difficult climb. From Carpentras you can slowly cross the plain gently rising up to the town of Bedoin where the real climbing starts. Bedoin is one of 3 access points to the summit of Ventoux, and this route is considered the hardest.

On Monday mornings Bedoin has its village market, and it is a good one! Bedoin is also one of those very charming provencale villages that you would picture in all the travel guides to Provence. Stone houses, village square with Plane trees, little cafes and restaurants, and nearby an surprisingly good number of excellent wines! So, I arrive on Monday morning, park in a municipal lot and unload the bike. I mount, and after crossing the village, follow the detour around the market and I'm climbing. 22 kilometers to the summit. I make a mental note of the distance and basically think about nothing else as I continue; constantly calculating how many more kilometers to go!

The thing is, Mont Ventoux is steep. Grades from Bedoin vary from a few percentages at first, to mostly grades of 9% to 11% throughout. Oh, and its not like you go up 500 meters and then cross a flat for 100 meters of relief; nope, its all up. Only 50 meters perhaps of relief about 2 km below Chalet Reynard at the 6 km to go sign.

I started early, and soon found myself alone on the roads. This was May 1, so fairly early in the season, and the morning air was brisk. I rode with pull on sleeves, but in shorts, and was never cold. After passing Chalet Reynard, I did ride along a number of snow drifts alongside the road now up above tree line. The ride from Chalet Reynard is much easier than the previous part; and I managed about 14km/hour on this last stetch. Making it to the summit in 1 hour 40 minutes. A personal best, but 44 very long minutes behind Iban Mayo who set the record at last year's Dauphine Libere Tour.

At the summit, I reached for my camera, against the gale force winds and found my batteries had died. Well, a little extra dead weight never hurt, but I was pissed. Since I was too early in the season to find any of the services open at the summit, I went back down, passing a great number of cyclists coming up, and was at the Bedoin market 25 minutes later. I loaded up my bike, went back to our rented farmhouse, and was on the beach at La Courronne 3 hours later. On the drive back, I could barely make out Ventoux in the way off distance and imagined my little speck self at the top earlier that day. There were probably many specs at the top now!

Want to try it? Go for it! Here are some additional thoughts:

Train - meaning push until it hurts. Ride hills until you are dying for air. Climbing Ventoux won't come to you any other way.

Apart from that; you just need to get to France. Cycling Classics, one of our companies, does offer a tour at Mont Ventoux. We also offer bike rentals for use on our tour, or for your own personal use on something you may book and plan for yourself separately. Some good hotels in the area include the Hotel des Pins at Bedoin and the deluxe Hostellerie du Crillon le Brave about 6 km away from Bedoin. Nearby trains from Carpentras and Avignon or Orange connect to Paris and the TGV. Car rentals are available in both Orange and Avignon. Also, another big attraction around Ventoux is the lavender. Nearby Sault is in the heart of Provence lavender country and offers some beautiful riding, including a trip through the Gorges de la Nesque. Don't forget the wines; appellation of Cotes du Ventoux, and nearby Gigondas, Chateauneuf du Pape, and others.

The restaurant at Chalet Reynard is open year round and a good place to break up the ride, although I probably wouldn't advise it until coming down. There is a place to get water from a well just next to the restaurant as you start up the hill.

Every cyclists should get to experience this climb once in their life. Check out our tours when your time comes.

Life Lessons From the Dirt Trails

What has mountain biking taught you about life? Cycling Classics offers guided mountain biking tours in France. Grab your bike and discover a little something about yourself and life on the trails. www.cyclingclassics.com/mtb_tours

20. Boldness pays.
19. Desperation breeds mistakes.
18. The hardest parts are also the loneliest.
17. There's fresh horse flop in the trail ahead.
16. Balance is first among the virtues; momentum is second.
15. Success requires confidence, but cockiness invites failure.
14. Sometimes, the best way past an obstacle is straight through it.
13. Some people get lucky at parts; nobody gets lucky at everything.
12. It's all about the being and the going, not the having and the arriving.
11. At each intersection, there's the easy way and the hard, rewarding way.
10. It's tempting to focus on the immediate problem to the exclusion of the big picture.
9. The thing that nails you is the one you don't see coming.
8. It's worth stopping for a breather to see where you are.
7. Thousands of tiny decisions shape the trip.
6. The fun starts when you push the limits.
5. You can get hurt, heal and go again.
4. Ups are followed by downs.
3. Practice makes you better.
2. No quitting allowed.
1. Love hurts (but don't let that stop you from falling in love.)

List comes from http://sacredridesmtb.blogspot.com/2010/11/20-things-mountain-biking-teaches-you.html