Monti Muri Notre toute nouvelle collection de vélos à louer vient d'arriver au Café de Nice. Officine Mattio Lemmas. Le meilleur du carbone italien. Jantes légères. Dérailleurs électroniques SRAM RED eTap. Il a bien fallu les mettre à l'épreuve. Heureusement pour nous, un maître en la matière à bien voulu se prêter au jeu : le champion français Kong Fùfù, bien sûr. Ne restait plus qu'à trouver le lieu.Notre terrain de jeux préféré regorge de longues montées et de magnifiques ascensions. Mais nous recherchions quelque chose de plus sérieux. Alors nous avons décidé de renvoyer l'exemplaire Officine Mattio chez lui, en Italie.Les Italiens ne construisent pas les routes comme nous. Les détours ne les intéressent pas : des routes droites et bien pentues. Bref, des murs. Ou dans la langue de Dante : muri.Nous avons pu en dénicher quelques-uns juste après la frontière, à seulement 50 km du Café. Des routes étroites où tiennent à peine des panneaux pointant vers des villages aux noms totalement inconnus. Et des montées à plus de 10 % pendant 15 minutes. Des pentes à 30%. Des Muri.Nous avons appelé notre champion, lui avons remis le vélo Officine Mattio entre les mains et lui avons indiqué le chemin.La bataille a pu commencer : d'un côté la gravité, de l'autre la force physique et la volonté. Foncer, tête dans le guidon, sans s'arrêter. Pas une seule seconde pour admirer le paysage. Les oliveraies, les serres ni même la Méditerranée dans le lointain. Rien que la vue qui se brouille, l'acide lactique qui se forme, le goût du sang dans la bouche. Finalement, en danseuse, c'est presque plus du marathon que du cyclisme. Vélo et homme, les deux ne font plus qu'un. C'est impressionnant à voir. Autant reprendre une petite gelato.Liste complète des ascensions:Ventimiglia - strava Ciaixe - strava Brundetti - strava Airole - strava Strada Ciappe Climb - strava

Les Courses Disparues #1 : Nice Mont-Agel Tout à commencer avec un repère indiquant « 500 m ». Une trace un peu effacée, comme gommée, mais qui résistait encore, Dieu sait depuis quand. Puis nous avons trouvé un second indice un peu plus haut dans la montée du mont des Mules, entre Beausoleil et La Turbie. Une ligne cette fois, une ligne d'arrivée et une confirmation que ce morceau de route à présent calme et presque désert avait été noyé autrefois sous le tumulte d'une foule en liesse.Ce bout de route que nous parcourons aujourd'hui est un haut lieu de l'entraînement, la Mecque des cyclistes pour ainsi dire - tout du moins un rêve pour ceux qui habitent la région. Mais avant cela, il a vu défiler nombre de courses professionnelles. Ces nombreuses rencontres connurent leur heure de gloire grâce aux conditions idéales de ce site d'envergure européenne. Elles se sont aujourd'hui évaporées, un peu à l'image des brumes éphémères qui couvrent ces pics avant de disparaître. Ce sont les « courses oubliées » de la côte d'Azur.Son tracé fut imaginé, comme tant d'autres, par un journal sportif. On l'appelait parfois la « Monaco-Mont Agel », son point de départ ayant énormément varié au fil de ses cinquante ans d'existence. Plus haut que le col de la Madonne et avec des lacets numérotés « à la Alpe d’Huez » (aujourd'hui devenus inaccessibles malheureusement), le mont Agel reste pourtant lui-même. L'idée de départ était certainement de générer quelques profits avec une course de début de saison dans un endroit plutôt glamour, afin d'attirer toutes les stars montantes de ce sport en plein essor, mais le projet n'aboutit finalement qu'à un contre-la-montre en groupe. Nous pourrions résumer cette course à une guerre d'usure : du confort relatif des premières pentes douces aux sommets rocailleux du mont Agel, en passant par les fameux lacets du mont des Mules qui s'étirent dans l'ombre de leur fameuse voisine, la Tête de Chien. On ne refait pas l'histoire, mais il est des vieux sentiers qu'il est bon de réemprunter. C'est ce que nous avons fait avec un coup de pouce de Michael, qui participa à la dernière version amateur de la course en 1984, et de Kong Fùfù qui pourrait tenir longtemps un public en haleine avec les anecdotes de ses sessions d'entraînement sur les pentes du mont Agel en compagnie de pros tels qu'Alexander Blain (URL).La basse corniche, avec ses plages et ses villas, ne porte plus beaucoup de traces des anciennes courses cyclistes, à l'exception du magasin de cycles de la famille Camellini à Beaulieu-sur-Mer. Il fut fondé par le vainqueur de l'édition 1947 de la course, Firmo Camellini. Elle reste néanmoins une magnifique route côtière qui enchaîne les baies, un tracé idéal pour les coureurs qui partaient de Nice et s'y faisaient les jambes avant de monter. À Monaco, la seule option était et reste de monter. Seize kilomètres pour rejoindre le sommet, et comme Henri Pélissier le disait : « Il faut essouffler tous les autres, n'en laisser aucun se reposer ni récupérer… ». Et il en savait quelque chose. Avec ses frères, Henri fut l'un des pionniers de cette course, dont il remporta les trois premières éditions (de même que le Milan San-Remo, un Paris-Roubaix et le Tour de France de 1923). 1923 fut également une année charnière pour cette course oubliée : la neige et la glace recouvraient les derniers lacets avant le fort et obligèrent tous les coureurs, à l'exception d'un seul, à monter à pied. Une scène atypique que peu associeraient avec une course sur la côte d'Azur ! Ce n'est qu'une fois les pentes supérieures atteintes, après un bref petit flirt avec La Turbie, que le mont Agel sort véritablement les crocs, avec une moyenne à 8 % entre la route de Peille et le Monte-Carlo Golf Club. C'est une route moins connue des amateurs du coin ou de passage, mais un excellent test pour les pros de la région qui parsèment le haut des classements Strava. Les vues de ces lacets taillés dans la roche, au-dessus du cap Martin et de Monaco, sont tout simplement époustouflantes.C'est sans surprise que les super-grimpeurs prennent alors le relais pour écrire le reste de l'histoire. C'est ici que « l'aigle de Tolède », Federico Bahamontes, remporta sa première victoire professionnelle en 1954. En 2013, il a obtenu le titre de meilleur grimpeur de toute l'histoire du Tour de France. Kong Fùfù ne tutoie peut-être pas autant les sommets, mais il respire le même air. Sur les fameux 4,2 km à 6% du mont des Mules, il a obtenu le deuxième meilleur temps avec 10:33, à seulement 36 secondes du professionnel Lieuwe Westra. Pas un héros... mais presque. Les vrais héros de l'Agel se sont forgés sur les mêmes tronçons de bitume. Ils n'étaient pas Français, mais Italien et Espagnol, respectivement : Luigi Barral et José Gil. Ils ont tous les deux remporté six fois la course et devraient avoir leur nom gravé dans le marbre, au lieu d'être pratiquement tombés dans l'oubli. Comme cette course. La faute au développement, à l'explosion démographique de la région, et aux difficultés à réaliser et suivre un tracé dans ce chaos. Leur nom, comme la course, ont aujourd'hui été emportés. Ils sont les oubliés de cette course oubliée.Tout ce qu'il en reste, ce sont quelques souvenirs qui s'effacent ; pour d'autres, rien que des photos trop contrastées, maigres témoins d'un sens aigu de la pureté du sport, de l'émotion de lutter contre l'implacable gravité et de ce qu'était l'éthique de l'époque - ça passe ou ça casse. Heureusement les routes sont encore là. Plus isolées peut-être qu'à la grande époque, mais elles lancent toujours le même défi. Ce défi, il reste là, dressé devant nous. À nous de le relever. Pour en savoir plus sur les courses qui n’existent plus mais qui n'ont pas été oubliées, consultez notre série des Courses Disparues.

Du sable à la neige Yvonne, la vénérable propriétaire du bar de la station de ski de Camp d'Argent, s'étonne de voir arriver deux cyclistes dans son établissement alors que le soleil décline déjà et que les enfants en vacances achèvent leur leçon. « D'où venez-vous comme ça ? » demande-t-elle. LA question que Kieran attendait qu'on lui pose : « De la plage de Menton, quelle question ! » « Vous êtes fous ! » fut la seule réaction d'Yvonne. Mais la folie n'est qu'une question de point de vue : pour un cycliste, pédaler le long d'une plage de sable blanc au lever du soleil pour parcourir des chemins forestiers enneigés l'après-midi n'a rien d'extravagant. Cette sortie est un concentré d'excellence. Le parcours, qui mérite bien qu'on s'y attarde. Les tenues que nous avons choisies aussi : des maillots en laine polaire mérinos qui laissent la peau respirer tout en protégeant du froid lorsque l'air se rafraîchit. Un coup de pub seulement ? Eh bien, nous y voilà, le pied à l'étrier, prêts à en découdre. Et prêts à mettre nos mollets à rude épreuve s'il le faut ! L'idée de cette sortie nous est venue il y a un an environ. Nous voulions voir les voitures du Rallye Monte-Carlo zigzaguer sur les routes du col de Turini. Alors que nous cherchions au travers des arbres l'endroit idéal pour les observer, nous nous sommes retrouvés sur une piste de ski de fond. Nous avons immédiatement regretté de ne pas avoir nos vélos avec nous.Réunis quelque temps plus tard autour d'un expresso au Café, nous bavardions avec un vététiste du coin. Nous lui expliquions notre envie de faire cette piste de ski en vélo et notre imagination nous a menés plus loin que nous pensions : pourquoi ne pas faire un parcours sable-neige ?! Bavarder avec un vététiste n'est jamais anodin... Ils ne sont pas comme nous ! Il y a certes des points communs entre le vélo de route et le VTT, entre la balade et la course, mais existe-t-il une sortie qui puisse satisfaire tout le monde ? Un parcours hors norme — au-delà du clivage route/VTT du moins — sur lequel chacun se ferait plaisir. Une sortie qui se résumerait à ce qui nous unit : le plaisir d'enfourcher un vélo.Deux semaines plus tard, assis sur le muret du front de mer à Menton, nous observions les sommets qui transperçaient les nuages qui se forment lorsque l'air marin rencontre l'air de la montagne. Nos esprits étaient déjà sur ces routes et chemins qui nous mèneraient du sable du vieux Menton à la neige des cimes. Sable, macadam, graviers, macadam, graviers, macadam, gravies, neige, graviers, macadam, neige. Dans cet ordre précis. La seule constante de cette sortie serait la montée. Plus haut, toujours plus haut vers les sommets. Ce fut précisément la 16ème étape du Tour de France de 1950, un temps où la Grande boucle visitait bien plus fréquemment ces belles montagnes. Elle avait débuté à Menton pour ensuite franchir le col de Castillon et le col de Turini.Mais l'approche n'était pas du tout la même : la tête dans le guidon jusqu'à la ligne d'arrivée sans prendre le temps d'observer le paysage. Bien évidemment, nous avons conscience de cet héritage, de ces grands coureurs mythiques qui ont transpiré à grosses gouttes sur le même macadam que nous foulons. Mais pour notre part, nous désirons aussi faire plaisir aux vététistes qui nous accompagnent et qui souhaitent profiter du paysage. Au niveau de Monti (environ à un tiers de la montée du col de Castillon), nous bifurquons donc à droite pour attaquer le premier tronçon gravillonné. Les routiers n'ont pas l'habitude de faire des montées sur du gravier. Il faut se concentrer pour choisir le tracé le plus direct et le moins accidenté pour avaler la pente. Pour les vététistes, c'est un pur bonheur (à l'exception peut-être de ceux qui ne jurent que par la descente). C'est au moins l'occasion pour chacun de s'enfoncer dans les terres les plus silencieuses de cette partie prémontagneuse. Et n'est-ce pas justement ce que tout cycliste recherche ?Entre Monti et le col de Braus, nous nous retrouvons véritablement en pleine nature. Graviers, macadam, graviers. Et cols. Le col des Banquettes, le col de Ségra, le col du Farguet et enfin le col de Braus, le tout en 35 km. C'est une sensation étrange que d'arriver en haut d'un col par une piste plutôt que par la route. On a l'impression que la victoire est encore plus belle, comme si ces mille mètres de dénivelé étaient plus hauts par le chemin que par la route ! Nous sommes le 16 février, la chaleur du soleil est agréable. Nous prenons notre repas dans l'herbe avec, à nos pieds, la stèle en hommage à René Vietto. René était réputé pour sa discipline et la rudesse de ses entraînements. Nous nous demandons si cette discipline draconienne l'aura poussé un jour à sortir des sentiers battus.Le vélo doit-il toujours être synonyme de difficultés et de souffrance ? Pourquoi n'en serait-il pas comme pour la musique : notre humeur nous pousse parfois à choisir un album acoustique alors que la veille nous ne jurions que par l'électrique. En vélo il peut en être de même : la sortie détente, la sortie endurance, la sortie entraînement, la sortie à plusieurs, etc. Mais si nous cherchons la sortie « à tout faire » (autant pour la liberté que pour la tranquillité d'esprit), alors il nous faut certainement un tracé suffisamment long, avec suffisamment de dénivelé, suffisamment rude, suffisamment aventurier et beau pour satisfaire chacun. Sommes-nous sur le point de dénicher cette perle rare ?On ne peut pas encore en juger. Il nous faut d'abord faire la descente jusqu'à Sospel, monté le col de Turini et goûté la neige. Turini est notre rempart. C'est un col comme on en trouve beaucoup en France, une montée hors norme pour une sortie hors norme. Nous suivons une route en lacets classique dans les gorges du Piaon avant de tourner à angle droit sur un chemin en graviers au hameau du Moulinet. Enfin la neige. Tout d'abord quelques paquets épars, entre les arbres, du côté ombragé de la montagne, dans les recoins les plus secrets de cette montagne qui semble à cette saison comme endormie, froide et sans « charme » d'aucuns diront. Les pneus crantés qui nous faisaient souffrir sur le macadam expriment à présent tout leur potentiel.En sortant de la forêt au village de Piëra-Cava, nous sommes accueillis par un boulevard aux bordures enneigées qui va nous mener jusqu'au col. La lumière décline et perce par intermittence entre les branches des arbres sur notre gauche, nous faisant de l'œil. Ce moment magique, où la lumière transforme tout ce qu'elle touche en or, nous encourage à atteindre le sommet avant que le soleil ne plonge derrière les sommets à l'ouest. Monter, toujours monter.Encore monter. Car l'objectif est d'atteindre les pistes de ski de la station de Camp d’Argent, deux kilomètres et demi après le franchissement du col. Mais finalement, après trois épingles à cheveux, tout cela n'a plus eu aucune importance : le panorama une fois le col passé, la lumière du soleil couchant, l'air froid chargé de brume et le macadam immaculé... Ça y est. Nous l'avons trouvé. C'est pour cela que nous pédalons tous. (Nous avons quand même poussé jusque chez Yvonne pour prendre une part de gâteau accompagné d'une bonne bière !)

Dans La Nuit « Rage, enrage contre la lumière qui se meurt. » Saviez-vous que le col d'Èze ne se trouve qu'à 2 km de notre camp de base, sur le vieux port de Nice ? Did we tell you that already? Nul besoin de dire que nous en connaissons chacune des pentes, chacun des virages et tout le panorama de la Grande Corniche. On ne s'ennuie jamais en faisant l'ascension de King Kelly. Mais à toutes les pauses déjeuner, cela peut s'avérer un peu lassant à la longue. Essayons de corser l'affaire. Peu sont ceux qui, comme les professionnels, peuvent se permettre le luxe de dormir jusqu'à ce que leur corps soit reposé et de profiter des quelques heures de soleil en hiver pour rouler. Le commun des mortels doit choisir entre une séance d'entraînement en intérieur ou rouler lumières allumées. Si l'on veut pédaler aussi longtemps qu'en été, en hiver il faut se rapprocher du cœur de la nuit. Pourtant, rien de nouveau sous le soleil. Les étapes de la première édition du Tour de France étaient tellement longues qu'elles se disputaient pour partie de nuit. Ils étaient endurants à cette époque, surtout lorsque l'on songe que la toute première étape du Tour ne faisait pas moins de 467 km de long... Aïe ! Le départ de la dernière étape de ce Tour de France mémorable fut donné à 21 h afin que les coureurs puissent finir l'étape près de Paris avant la tombée du jour suivant. Rien d'étonnant à ce que les concurrents recherchent un peu d'aide en s'appuyant sur une moto ou en s'accrochant à un camion pour essayer d'arriver coûte que coûte. Il fallait posséder un mental d'acier pour supporter l'obscurité et les distances interminables. D'ailleurs, nombreux sont ceux qui ont abandonné.Cette approche « ultra-endurance » des premiers Tours se retrouve aujourd'hui dans des épreuves comme la Transcontinental Race. Cet événement, qui fait chaque année plus d'émules, commence à la nuit tombée, à 22 h, comme pour confirmer que si vous voulez jusqu'au bout, il n'y a pas une minute à perdre. « Je n'ai gardé qu'une image floue et obscure de la première nuit et de la Belgique », nous rapporte un témoin. Les super-randonneurs - qui savent ce qu'endurance signifie - affirment que rouler de nuit est une expérience magnifique. Même les hallucinations que peut parfois susciter la fatigue sont les bienvenues. C'est du moins ce que nous en dit Michel Icard qui a terminé deux Paris-Brest-Paris et plusieurs Mille du Sud. « On a l'impression de pédaler dans un film de Walt Disney », assure-t-il.Oui, le silence de la nuit peut être à la fois anxiogène et plaisant. Le col d'Èze est une pure merveille en été. Mais en hiver, la Grande Corniche semble frappée d'hibernation. Sans les distractions que causent le bruit et la vue, vous vivez la route un peu comme un coureur des 24 h du Mans. Derrière l'Observatoire, vous déroulez votre effort dans un long et étroit tunnel lumineux.Une fois le fameux croisement des Quatre chemins atteint, la montée peut commencer, accompagnée de froid, d'un silence que rien ne vient troubler et des lumières lointaines qui tapissent la côte et dont les collines se parent comme s'il s'agissait de colliers de diamants. La solitude devient alors votre compagne au fur et à mesure où le monde nocturne vous envahit. Il n'y a plus que vos pédales et votre respiration. C'est grisant.Pour nos missions nocturnes, nous portons le gilet Jacqueline Audax, le maillot à manches longues Arlette Audax et le gilet Lucette qui comportent tous des empiècements réfléchissants de grande qualité pour ne prendre aucun risque.

Café racers Day in and day out in the Café, our eyes receive a treatment of the latest, the greatest, the stylish, the vintage, the ugly and the odd from the world of the bicycle. It's a matter of taste, sure, but let's be honest; we all love judging (should we say analysing) another cyclist's machine. And actually, as a way of connecting with other cyclists it's a great conversation starter. Frame weight, componentry, gearing, motor in the bottom bracket? All these are important questions that have to be asked of any discerning cyclist and usually, behind every bike there is a story. So here is a selection of some of the many vélos that have rolled into Nice Port and crossed our door this summer, for your critical and ever so unforgiving eyesPETER'S TRAINING BIKEThis bike belongs to Peter. Peter prefers to ride mountain bikes and not shave his legs but someone (we think the owners of this bike brand) pays him a lot of money to ride this particular bike (and others the same as it). We were very nervous about handling it but at least we got the valve stems at the bottom and the chain in the big ring. Strict rule-adherents might dislike the saddle bag, but it's a pro's prerogative. The story of this bike? The following week it's rider won the European Road Racing Championships. Will he successfully defend his title at the Worlds in Qatar next month?BADEN'S FACTOR ONEFactor Bikes made a splash when their first ultra-aero race bike offended the UCI's rule book. We asked the rider of this particular bike if we could photograph it, only to realise it was none other than Baden Cooke himself, Tour de France green jersey winner and co-owner of Factor itself. Baden spends half of each year in Monaco and with members of their sponsored One Pro Cycling team living or training on the Côte d'Azur, these bikes are a regular sight on the basse corniche. Black-Inc carbon wheels from Factor's sister company, Dura-Ace Di2 (recharged in the café during Baden's noisette and croissant) and an eye-catching all in one stem-handlebar piece mean this bike looks fast standing still. The following week we met Baden on the road and we can confirm that it looks just as fast disappearing over the hill between Beaulieu and Villefranche. MAX'S STINNER CUSTOMTested in earnest on our recent Bunker Research Tour, this whole set-up was emphatically declared 'fit for purpose'. Once we get past Max's eye-catching 650b Compass tyres adorning the Jones wheels, we start to notice the beautiful custom Columbus steel frame and Enve CX forks, the Brooks saddle and, of course, the go-to SRAM Force CX1 gearing. The TRP HY/RD cable actuated hydraulic braking system was new to us. We suspect that Revelate luggage is actually full of obscure books about either French mountain goat shepherds, 50's Russian bus-stops, or both but what is for sure is that, with this bike, Max can go deeper into his beloved mountain obsession.REMI'S VICTOIRE CUSTOM VERSUSYou've maybe seen this bike somewhere before (like here) - it's our co-founder Rémi's adventure - flying fish bike. It went head to head with Max's Stinner as the best looking adventure bike on the Bunker Research Tour, with minimalist luggage. And it proved to be one of the best equipped machines for the job - 42x42 gearing for steep bits, 40mm WTB tyres for the rough bits, custom rack for the fishing bits. It's such a nice bike we couldn't not include it. And yes, that is a fishing rod poking out of the bag on the rack. Once a river man, always a river man. CYCLE CAMELLINI'S ROLOThis bike tipped the scales in our atelier at 5.8kgs with pedals. We worked out that overall this build cost just under 2,500€ per kilogram, or thereabouts. Almost as expensive as class-A drugs, but better for your health. No paint means less weight, carbon in-house Rolo cranks, stem and bars also save the grams meaning you the bike will off-set the calories in your post-ride beer. We did manage to set a PR on the Saint-Laurent d'Eze climb between the basse and moyene corniches on this machine despite what can only be described as two weeks of intensive de-training. We want to say #YOLO Rolo but we probably shouldn't (we'll pass that gem to their marketing team).PETER'S TRAINING BIKEThis bike belongs to Peter. Peter prefers to ride mountain bikes and not shave his legs but someone (we think the owners of this bike brand) pays him a lot of money to ride this particular bike (and others the same as it). We were very nervous about handling it but at least we got the valve stems at the bottom and the chain in the big ring. Strict rule-adherents might dislike the saddle bag, but it's a pro's prerogative. The story of this bike? The following week it's rider won the European Road Racing Championships. Will he successfully defend his title at the Worlds in Qatar next month?

Bunker Research Tour “Unlike the mountains, which speak of an eternity, the bunkers speak of a moment – the instant of a terrible and decisive impact – a moment, moreover, that never arrived ” (Bunker Research) Bunker Research, released earlier this year, is a book by two influential names in cycling : writer, Max Leonard, and photographer, Camille McMillan. It’s a work analysing the hidden history of modernism in the mountains. Those particular mountains happen to be where we ride , which might explain why a few months after publication we’re joining the bunker tour squad (consisting of author Max and touring specialist Stefan from Pannier.cc) in assembling and loading a fine gravel bike fleet with luggage to carry enough essentials for three days of extensive field research. “Once you realise the sheer number of installations crowding the hills, it occurs to you that the road or track you are on which at first seemed innocent, was originally built by the military, that it too has played a part in the drama” (Bunker Research) Those roads and tracks are known in France as Routes Stratégiques - roads built for military purposes to allow the passage of men, armoury, vehicles and all other military supplies required to defend the frontiére. And of course, those required to build the bunkers. For this trip they are our auto-routes, our quickest and our only options to get to the bunkers by bike. And they are mostly gravel. Within 30 minutes of leaving the Café we are on the first route stratégique which climbs the backside of Mont Leuze and Mont Fourche to Col d’Eze. And from there we climb further to Fort de la Revère which pre-dates the bunkers by 50 years - so as historical tours go, we’ve managed (by design, of course….) to start at the beginning of the timeline. But the Fort is big, commanding and obvious. What we’re hunting is an altogether different concrete beast.“Closer to the coast, the remains have been assimilated into the sprawl. They….nestle between the expensive villas of Cap Martin…You might pass them everyday and not give them a second glance” (Bunker Research) We would guess 99.9% of tourists never notice the Gros ouvrage du Cap Martin. Yet it housed 7 officers and 353 men. Looking over the cloche at the sun-bathers packing the beaches along the bay that leads to the Italian border around the next headland is a strange and contrasting experience. It’s ironic that this coastal cloche is one that saw a lot of action during the Battle of Pont Saint-Louis in 1940.“The Secteur Fortifé des Alpes-Maritimes became the most heavily guarded sector of all the Alps. It was also the most varied, reaching almost to the Col de la Bonette….Its architects and engineers had to be more inventive than in the flatlands of the north, where construction was more standardised, and they produced some extravagant forms in response to the challenges of the terrain” (Bunker Research) That engineering involved converting many of the mountain peaks into underground batcave-esque labyrinths. The rounded weathered shapes visible on the surface are but the tips of, for want of a better phrase, a concrete iceberg. The Gros Ouvrage Sainte-Agnés (half-way up our beloved Col de la Madone) with it’s southern and northern facing cloches is a prime example of an installation inside an entire peak. We see it from a distance as we skirt behind Sainte-Agnés to join our next route stratégique across to the Col de Castillon. That particular military route is a great roller-coaster secteur of gravel that starts with a dive down and climb up two opposing sets of lacets traversing the valley between Cime de Bausson and Col de Verroux and then follows the contours of the mountain across to Col de Castillon.“The basin around Sospel, one hump away from the sea, was especially heavily guarded. Here, gun turrets encircle the town, bunkers hide in crannies of rock and cloches stand guard in olive groves” (Bunker Research) The Gros Ouvrage de Castillon looks directly eastwards across the valley, right into the eyes of the Italian fascist threat as it was (or was perceived to be) in the 1920s when the construction of the bunkers commenced. We don’t hang about too long in case the Italians attack (or maybe just in case we don’t get down to Sospel before the super-marche closes.) Sospel has long been a trading town, situated on the Bevéra river with a bridge which was used to levy taxes on those wishing to cross. And it’s where we needed to stock up for the night’s camp on Monte Grosso above. Bread, cheese and, of course, wine. Always wine.“Gradually, you sense the vast empty networks of tunnels below your feet and begin to imagine those deserted places busy with men, humming with life.” (Bunker Research) Our next route stratégique is a cul de sac with one obvious purpose. To serve the huge installation on Monte Grosso which is our accommodation for the night. Kind of. Sleeping on top of a bunker - that was one of the main objectives of this trip. The retractable, rotating, shell-firing turret (that strangely has been raised since Bunker Research last visited the site) provided the ideal sideboard. Sleeping on top is a bit of a cheat when you think of the long days, weeks, months that the soldiers spent underground waiting for the onslaught. The terra firma version of a sub-marine. We breathe the fresh air and only fear the attack of insects borne from the foliage that gradually wraps itself round the concrete. But the atmosphere is filled with the presence of the huge matrix of officers mess, soldiers’ barracks, artillery rooms, lifts and mini-railways for transporting ammunitions that lies beneath.“When you cycle a mountain road it winds like a ribbon, wrapping itself across the contours as it climbs. Bunker research meant approaching the terrain more laterally: finding the sightlines across the hardest points to reach - understanding the Alpes-Maritimes as a military conundrum as well as a sporting playground.” (Bunker Research) And so it was that we hiked our well-packed ‘lightweight touring’ bikes for 3 hours. Up 800m of vertical. The bikes didn’t feel so lightweight by the end. Through forests first, then out onto open peaks, then up through more trees which eventually reveal a vertical wall of long bush grass filled with the entire world’s population of grass hoppers. Antton the photographer eventually confesses his craving for a bucket full of blueberries from his native Finland. But smartly he does so only after we’ve scaled the highest peak. Will we make the Italian refuge on the other side of Col de Tende after this?“Today, the whole of the Roya valley has the air of a no-man’s-land. It is neither France nor Italy, but rather just what it is” (Bunker Research) A bucket full of Finnish blueberries wasn’t on offer in Breil-sur-Roya, so instead immersion in the river was the cure before the drag up the valley before the left turn up towards Casterino. Casterino? Which side of the border are we? Who cares when the climb to the town is so beautiful. It gives a sensation of the high-alps with its trees, silky smooth tarmac, switchbacks and the cascading river which is too much of a temptation to the tenkara fly-fisherman in our midst. He unwraps his rod from his seatpack, picks his spot on the appropriate boulder, and hunts his prey like a sniper in a bunker…. only much much different. We definitely aren’t going to make that Italian refuge. “De Gaulle…used (t)his final assault on the Authion to make a play for the strategic Tende pass and, three days before victory in Europe, he achieved it. Tende became French for the first time in a hundred years only upon the signing of the Paris peace treaties in 1947.” (Bunker Research) Our strategic play for Tende before nightfall was obviously going to fail due to aforesaid hiking and fishing activities. Shelter in Casterino? Not on this busy bank holiday weekend. Instead we find ourselves being greeted by the lovely people at the converted mining village of Vallauria, who insist that we sit down and eat before finding our rooms. Every accommodation should be like this. It’s ironic that for our second night we find ourselves at what was another sub-terranean station, albeit fighting the rocks to mine lead. And it allows us to attack Tende early the next morning via possibly the best gravel road in the world.The loop above Casterino is take your breath away stunning (and unbelievably is still used for cars when the Tende Tunnel is closed). Leaving civilisation, it’s as steep as it is scenic. The cascade is dry which dissapoints our fisherman. As we approach the top of the Casterino valley on the ridge at the Baisse de Peyrefique are Italian bunkers, built by Mussolini’s forces and noticeably different in appearnce from their French counterparts. These are more obviously out in the open, surrounded on this particular day by farmers chasing huge herds of cattle and grass tracks begging us to put our wheels on them. Pourquoi pas. Beyond the ridge, the road flattens and curls itself round the mountain, with the final left turns revealing an epic side profile of Col de Tende as it winds it’s 65 hairpins up the mountain to the huge Fort Central and its surrounding protective bunkers.“Whether you are driving, riding a bicycle or hiking along a marked path, you realise that you are under surveillance. The dead eyes above are tracking your progress, ready to fire down upon you.” (Bunker Research) We arrive at the Col to find hordes of bank holiday tourists, with their cars and their sun visors crowded around the Chalet de Marmotte. People are actually sun-bathing on deck-chairs. At a 1,800m high ski chalet. But we have been places where they have not been and seen things that they have not seen. We are more than aware of the dead eyes above. And the Fort Central is so big, we go riding in and through it. The hugh matrix of empty rooms amplifies the atmosphere created by these abandoned buildings. Their silence, as they say, is deafening.“There are now no longer any soldiers who manned them still alive, so this bunker research captures them poised between memory and oblivion.” (Bunker Research) After descending from the Fort Central, past its protective bunkers below we roll ever so smoothly on the valley floor towards Tende. On this central route between leading to Piedmont we spy an almost Route 66-esque machine gun post turned mini-visitor centre, with garish signs and manequins covered in army uniforms. We share a wry smile as we realise someone else noticed them too, and thought they’d make a few cents. Footnotes: Photography - Antton Miettinen. Text - Max Leonard

What about Joe ? We’d been told there would be no helicopters. That the Mercan’Tour National Park didn’t care if it was the second biggest Grand Tour in the world, that this beautiful landscape only stays that way by not giving in to commercial pressures. We were told wrong. The sudden thump of rotor blades announces the aerial armada from the southern side of the mountain and heads turn upwards to see the single dot in the sky circle the Cime de la Bonette. It's not alone for long. Another appears and then another. The race is close. There may be whirly birds but there is definitely NO caravan on this mountain and with only one bar of 3G, every 15 minutes or so getting information is like pulling teeth. Eventually Twitter tells us that Nieve is 9 minutes up the road with a chasing group between him and the peloton. But what about Joe? The motos arrive first at the deserted military camp below. Then the cars. Will we see that bright green jersey that we're waiting for? A sole rider, obviously Nieve, appears as if from nowhere, inching towards us. We’ve got almost a 10 minute view of the approach to our vantage point 1.5kms before the GPM. That’s good spectating for us and a painful slog for the riders who’ve already climbed 19.5kms from Jausiers. Standing on the 80cms strip of gravel between the remaining snow banks and the road, we still expect a gendarme to tell us to stand back. But this is the Col de la Bonette, and the road has been closed for 3 hours so the crowds are limited. We have our toes on the tarmac as the peloton approaches. What about Joe? It’s the very same tarmac that we rode yesterday with some friends and partners. A bit of local knowledge and forethought had us staying in the Gite de Bousieyas; located on the southern side of the climb, 12kms down from the Col on what will be the penultimate descent of the stage. The objective was to remind ourselves of why we are all in this industry, to use the great leveler of riding mountains together for a shared experience away from daily business life. (It also happened to be good preparation for La Mercan'Tour Café du Cycliste). From London, Copenhagen, Vienna and the Ariege (Pyrenees) the Café du Cycliste Giro team arrived in Nice on Thursday afternoon and were sharing a beer that evening outside the gite whilst Claude, our host, had his binoculars out to observe the deer on the slopes across the valley, as if to make the point that this is no ordinary corporate jolly. Claude and his wife, Laurence, choose to live and operate their business in a commune that is only served by a clear road for 6 months of the year, such is its height halfway up the climb. They serve us a dinner cooked from hand-picked produce, with local wine and washed down by their specialty aperitif - thé de hysope - from the slopes we are here to climb, which hopefully has performance benefits similar to Vincenzo Nibali’s acupuncture treatments….. But what about Joe? Everyone’s legs are tired after yesterday’s efforts. Starting with 8% gradients on a 12kms climb with less oxygen than normal was no easy introduction. The joke from last night’s dinner conversation about your Garmin telling you you’re at 105% of your max heart rate is becoming reality. Fast forward to the other side of Jausiers and the 'smaller' ascent of the Col de Vars. Wise men in the group realize the easy start means the latter half of the climb may have a kick to it. And indeed it did. Was this justification for the 4 course meal including a cheese board in Jausiers prior to the ascent of the northern side of Bonette? Possibly not. Some of us push on the final climb, some enjoy the view – you get what you want from cycling, there is no right or wrong way to ride. And Joe? Joe? More dots appear below us, interspersed with motos and cars. No bright green jersey yet though. A pair of riders, one from IAM Cycling and one from Etixx Quickstep seem to be riding without conviction - a chasse patate perhaps. And then the main breakaway appears with our man on the front. Don’t do too much work Joe! Local knowledge means he’s doing his turn before the wind hits on the final 2km approach to the Col (we hope). We wait anxiously as the group climbs towards us. Max takes another swig of brandy from his hip flask to calm his nerves. He is the most personally invested in Joe’s performance today. The group approaches us at a good consistent pace, working well together at this stage to stay away. And Joe. He looks like he’s on a Sunday ride. So smooth, so relaxed, he pops a two-fingered peace sign to Max with a huge smile on his face as he rides past us. We are immediately convinced he will win the stage. We have to wait for the peloton and pretend we care about them before being able to ride back up past the GPM signs and descend down to the gite to get plugged into the WIFI and live stage coverage. The question still on everyone's mind; ‘What about Joe?’ On the descent we also wonder if Camille got the shots he hiked one hour and many meters up to the fort above the gite for. The life of a photographer is sometimes unenviable - choosing the ideal location, gambling with the weather, adapting to the light - it seemingly has as many variables and chance as it takes to do what Joe was attempting - to win a grand tour stage. Some of the team depart early to make flights home but three of us remain huddled around an iPad on the floor in the dormitory, with the door wedged open to ensure a strong WIFI connection as Joe attacks on the Col de la Lombarde. Now what about Joe? Two days after the finish of the race Joe is in the Café buying his mum birthday presents and sharing thoughts on which Niçois restaurant to take her to. His parents have been in Europe for a week not only cheering on their boy but riding the climbs of the race before him. That’s passion. Of course, he’s disappointed not to have won the stage - he wanted that win badly. But he tells us he had fun on his ‘home’ roads and that it was great that friends and family cheered him on the Bonette and Lombarde climbs. Much like we did with our friends and partners. Same mountains, same sport, same enjoyment, different viewpoints. The beauty of cycling in two days; objective achieved.

The cannibal & the couillole Eddy Merckx, wearing the yellow jersey, rode the Col de la Couillole in 1975 on the way from Nice to Pra-Loup during Stage 15 of that year's Tour. It was a day that went down in Tour history - just as the first edition of La Mercan’Tour Café du Cycliste will take a prominent place in the cycling albums of the 499 lucky riders who tackle the same Col before the finish line in Valberg.The Tour riders had enjoyed a rest day in the sun before they set off, and it was much-needed for Eddy who had been punched in the kidneys by a spectator while chasing an attack on the Puy de Dôme. Meanwhile, Bernard Thévenet, who managed to drop Merckx on the previous stage was obviously condisering another day of courage in the hope of being in yellow for Bastille Day.It’s impossible to say what was going through the mind of the Cannibal as he turned onto the Col de Couillole. Most likely it was his default primary thought – “when will I attack and make them suffer“. But looking in the history books, surely there must have been some doubt - since the Tour had hit the Pyrenees and the climbs of the Massif Central he had been losing time to Thévenet and Zoetemelk. On top of that, during the rest day he’d been forced to consume a concoction of painkillers and, worse, blood thinners as a result of that punch.Riders on La Mercan’Tour may have their own doubts when they exit the Tinée valley to start the 15.9kms climb from Saint-Sauveur-de-Tinée. Look at the profile on Strava and you’ll see one of utter consistency, which after Cols Cayolle and Bonette can only be interpreted as one thing – no breaks. But unlike Merckx and his fellow riders in 1975 who had to face three more major climbs, the Couillole is the final climb of the day on La Mercan’Tour. The experinence of riding it will be defined by the amount of remaining energy reserves of each rider, so like any climb, it’s best to break it down in sections. The first few kilometres are still beside the Tinée valley and can be spent admiring the increasingly higher view of Saint-Sauveur sitting pretty on the elbow of the river below. Track the steep chemins and goat tracks on the other side of the valley and be thankful for the smooth tarmac below you.The second section leaves the Tinée valley behind and winds it’s way up the deep Vionène river valley towards Roubion, which sits tantalisingly on the skyline in the distance. After riding through the rocks and tunnel a few straighter sections might have been where Merckx would have attacked had he been en forme, streaking off in the distance allowing his competitors to see his strength as he left. But not on that day in 1975. Emerging from the gorge-like valley, arrival at Roubion signals that only 5kms of the climb remain. We wonder if Eddy was apprehensive approaching the village, fearing the locals on the roadside might throw another fist. We can imagine him surrounding himself with a wall of domestiques to ensure there was no repeat of the incident. The road hairpins left at the entry of the commune to head into the more open, alpine section of the climb. Meadows, a wider road and signs for the ski slopes signal that the final summit of a big, big day is edging closer. A final effort up through pine trees straightens then kinks before the Col itself. At this stage with the first major climb done maybe Merckx decided he was strong enough to increase the pressure and then attack on the penultimate climb, the Col d’Allos. He would then try and hold on for the uphill finish to Pra-Loup. That attack did, of course, get him a gap and caused chaos behind, with the Bianchi team car crashing off the road and ejecting its mechanic as it tried to keep up. But it also led to the Cannibal's famous défaillance on the final slopes before Pra-Loup. A rare moment of weakness which showed that he was in fact mortal, and is memorable exactly because of his otherwise impenetrable strength. One other lesser known fact from the 1975 Tour – it was the year they introduced the polka dot jersey to increase recognition of the climbers' competition. It took its design from the wrappers of Poulain chocolate, the first sponsors of the jersey. Now there is something every finisher of La Mercan’Tour will deserve – recognition for their climbing heroics. And chocolate. If you need a summer target but prefer to do it away from the maddening crowds of the Marmotte and the Etape du Tour in one of France's most beautiful national parks, within a 1.5 hour drive from the beach, sign up for La Mercan'Tour Café du Cycliste

Giro preparation Every year, we at Café du Cycliste head north, into the backcountry close to Nice, to climb the Col de la Bonette on the first day the road opens. It’s become a tradition that signals the start of summer for us, one which usually happens in mid May. This year we went earlier. The Giro is passing over the Bonette on 28 May, on the penultimate day before its finish in Torino. To get to France it will cross the 2,744m Colle Agnello, the Cima Coppi (the highest point passed by the race this year). At 2,715m, the Bonette col road is scarcely less formidable (there is a little loop that is even higher, that the race is not taking); but, in truth, any pass over 2,000m will be difficult going in May. Think back to infamous Giro stages on the Passo dello Stelvio in 2014 , or the Gavia in 1987, for a picture of what could be to come. So why do it? Glory, for some riders, suffering for others, and beautiful pictures of the Mercantour National Park, where the Bonette is situated, for millions of TV viewers. We travelled in convoy with Didier, Eric, Bernard and Aurelien, the municipal road-clearing crew, driving behind them as they started their day’s work. We stopped while they unlocked the wooden gate barring the road, drove through, stopped again while they locked it again behind us. It was Wednesday 20 April and they had already been working for two weeks. The Friday before, they had reached the col; now, they were going down the other side, and were stuck in deep powder about a kilometre and a half from the top. Just below, marooned in the white sweep of unbroken snow was a large stone barracks, a reminder of why the road existed: until 1860, all of these mountains – and Nice – belonged to Italy. Only then, when Napoleon III took control of the County of Nice, was the Bonette road built, to protect Nice and to hitch the area definitively to France.While Eric and Bernard widened and tidied the work on the south side, Aurelien and Didier’s task was to make progress down towards Jausiers, the first village to the north. First Aurelien, in the fraiseuse à neige – the snowblower – would clear a narrow passage. Where the snow was more than about 1.5m high, that meant rolling up a snow slope made by Didier, who was driving a gigantic digger, to roll on top of unknown depths of snow and make a first pass. After that, Didier would clean up behind, widening the cut and digging down until the black tarmac emerged from underneath its white coat.On a good day, in shallow snow, they could advance a kilometer, Aurelien said. Today, in drifts up to six metres high, they simply couldn’t get going: Aurelien was having difficulty attacking the high wall in front. Finally, after a moment teetering on the edge, the rollers on the front of the snowblower cut into the vertical barrier, and a fine stream of white crystals sprayed high into the blue air, and down the slopes to the left. We were off.What’s the game plan once you get going? “Orient yourself on the snow poles, and aim just above them,” Aurelien said.And hope for the best, he could have added. There was a constant struggle to keep the snow-cutting equipment level as the truck tipped sideways and threatened to fall down the slope. More than once Didier had to take time out from shoveling huge snow boulders to tow the snowblower backwards, out of the crevice in which it had got stuck. Apart from that, accidents are rare, though in case of disaster all the guys wear avalanche beacons.Once the road is clear, the black Tarmac heats in the sun, further melting the snow at the edges – making it safer for riders and spectators at the Giro, as well as the other cyclists, motorcyclists and hikers who use the Route de la Bonette as soon as it is opened. It’s not only important for the Giro: the valleys on either side see a 30% benefit to their economy once they are turned from ‘col de sacs’ into destinations on the tourist route over the highest road in Europe. And after the first big effort, any new snow – even heavy falls – can quickly and easily be cleared by a regular snowplough. The only potential problem for the Giro, predicted Aurelien’s boss, Monsieur Fabron, would be a big storm on the day of the stage itself. By mid afternoon, the newly uncovered road had turned into a slushy stream in the sun, and it was time for the men to stop work. Aurelien left the snowblower at the snow face, headed up to base and drove back down in the snowplough, to refuel his machine.Then we shook hands and they were gone, leaving us on a deserted, silent road above the locked barrier, free to ride our bikes between huge walls of snow as the sun disappeared behind the peaks.

Kong Fùfù: The man, the myth and the unmasking… It was the opening of Café du Cycliste’s new home in the old Port of Nice that drew the mythical Kong Fùfù out of hiding. Or at least we like to think so. But whatever the reason was, when he surfaced for a double espresso recently we couldn’t resist the opportunity to learn more. We were lucky enough to arrange a sortie into his natural habitat and after following him (as best we could) up some lesser known climbs and then taking more than a few moments to draw breath, we sat down and started firing.CdC: It’s hard to believe that an amateur cyclist can beat the pros on the testing cols of the Cóte d’Azur. Surely you must be an ex-pro?No, I’ve never been a pro. I was an elite mountain bike rider between 1998 and 2004 so I rode in teams with riders who went on to become professional road cyclists but I didn’t follow them.CdC: So you were good enough for the pro ranks, you just choose not to take that route?I don’t know if I was good enough, I’ll never know for sure. I have had experience training with pros, racing a few of them on the MTB and obviously the Strava times give an indication, but that’s not the same as actually competing in the pro road racing ranks.CdC: Who did you ride with who went on to go pro? Can you name names?I used to ride a lot with Alexander Blain (who has ridden for Team Cofidis, Endura Racing and Raleigh), we had a lot of fun. I remember riding the Col de la Bonette with him way back in 1999. I had a GT bicycle that weighed about 10kg and the highest gear was a 42x23. We arrived at Bousieyas, and he was very upset. He asked me to go slower but I told him ”I can't, I have a 42 on the front and I'm on the 23 at the back, I can't go slower!”CdC: Now we’re really intrigued, can you drop some more?I entered an endurance MTB race back in 2002 where there were quite a few top riders on the starting line. I remember thinking I had to start fast if I was going to keep up with them and so I followed Jerome Chiotti (ex Festina and 1996 World MTB Champion) and Peter Pouly up the first climb, which went on for about an hour. Eventually after 90 minutes I was caught by Jean-Christophe Peraud! I finished about 15th in that race but remember him coming to congratulate me after the race for the way I rode.CdC: What about road racing, did that ever appeal? Not until about ten years later! By then I was 35 years old but I decided to race in some road races. I finished 4th in the Tour de Corse and during that race placed 2nd behind Antoine Lavieu on the Mont Faron Climb. Antoine was at AVC Aix, and that year he won a stage at the Tour du Val d'Aoste before being signed for the La Pomme Marseille team in 2013, so he was pretty quick. CdC: And so was it after that you decided to go Strava hunting? I didn’t really decide to, in fact it was much more of an accident. A friend of mine told me I should register on Strava but I was riding without any computers and I was not very interested. But he insisted I take his old Garmin and that’s how it started. CdC: Do you remember the first KOM you got? I think the first climb was Côte de Peille (which usually features in the queen stage of Paris-Nice) but actually it was something that happened around the same time that sort of motivated me. It was very hot day in August but I had this crazy thought that I should go and climb Col de la Madone. I must have been crazy that day because I really attacked it from the start and about 3km before St Agnès I saw a guy climbing above me in the distance. I thought he must be as mad as me to climb in this heat but when caught him I saw that he had a Team Sky jersey and a Pinarello. Just as I reached his back wheel I realised that it was Ritchie Porte! I immediately congratulated him for their victory that year in the Tour with Chris Froome. We shared some words but as he seemed to be riding quite slowly and suffering, I wished him a bonne journée, accelerated and continued to climb. CdC: Not every day you leave someone like Porte in your wheel (to say the least), that must have encouraged you to compete with the pros over segments? It gave me a kick for sure. After that I started to share my rides and ride my favourite climbs to see how I would compare. Then about a year later Strava sent me a video of my activities: and I had more than 380 KOMs.CdC: Definite proof you could compete with the pros. Over Strava segments at least! And of course that was another kick and the start of a period when I really raced for KOMs with a few different guys. The two I ‘virtually raced’ regularly with were Ian Boswell and Joe Dombrowski. I knew that some of their followers thought that I was a cheat and were saying that I took the KOMs with a car. But they were great, when we fought for the ‘La Redoute’ segment and I eventually retook it Peter Kenaugh tweeted 'Kong Fufu is going!' CdC: The pros were taking notice but did you ever ride with them? Never. For two years we raced on Strava but I’d never met Joe or Ian. This summer I was at Café du Cycliste when Joe arrived. Of course there was no reason for him to recognise me and he went to speak to Mikael the mechanic. After a few minutes, Mikael asked Joe whether he knew who I was but Joe had no idea. Mikael explained that I was Kong FuFu ad Joe immediately got out his phone to take a photo, as if I was about to disappear! That was really very nice. CdC: But your riding isn’t all about KOMs is it? Not at all, that was just a period. And also I made a decision to run more as well. I love trail running as it really gets you into the wilderness of the mountains and to some very beautiful places. CdC: We’ve seen your Instagram feed, it looks like it shows every nook and cranny of the Alpes—Maritimes and the Mercantour National Park ? Quite a few of them anyway! I love to explore, on my bike and on foot. That’s where the real enjoyment is for me, riding to discover new places and have new adventures. Nowadays I lose more KOMs than I gain, that’s for sure. CdC: Which must bother you a little bit? Not at all. CdC: Just a tiny little bit? No, okay, I admit, I’m curious sometimes. Like when I lost the ‘Mont des Mules’ segment by 20s and then a couple of days later I lost Col de la Madone by 50s to the same guy, his name was Shaky Shake.CdC: Suddenly you knew how other people felt? Exactly. And over the following months I kept getting the Strava emails telling me I’d lost my KOMs to the same guy. Every time I lost another one I wondered who he was and after a while I thought I would have to find out. CdC: And did you manage to? Eventually. I kept checking where he was on his Strava profile, I saw he was in Tenerife during the winter for example, and then I talked to some people I know. Finally I found someone who knew. Shaky Shake is…Lieuwe Westra! CdC: Lieuwe Westra , the new Kong FùFù...there's just one more thing we obviously have to ask, about your name? That's easy, it was my young son mispronouncing a cartoon character, I thought it sounded good so I used it. CdC: We actually meant your real name...your actual name...you must have a real name...where are you going? If you’d like to see how you stack up again the man himself (Kong Fùfù that is), join the Café du Cycliste Strava club.

Lookbook Passoni Titanium steeds in house livery. Now available to rent.

We ride on the moon “Ils on roulé sur la Lune” (‘they rode on the moon’), was journalist Philippe Bouvet’s description of the Grand Boucle’s venture up Col de la Bonette in 1993. In fact, that year the peloton passed over the extension of the Col to the summit, the Cime de la Bonette, which, at 2,802 meters high, is the highest point the Tour has reached in its entire history. While Google encourage employees to spend 20% of their time on personal projects and Amazon apparently still make their desks out of old doors, here at Café du Cycliste we have a few of our own eccentric traditions. One of which, with the village of Saint-Etienne-de-Tinée only 90km away, is to ride the Col de la Bonette as soon as it opens.This year we had to wait what felt like an agonising full five days after the scheduled opening until the snow ploughs were finally able to do their job. We received daily updates from the Valée Ubaye organisation until the Col finally opened on the 13th May and on the 14th, we were there. This is what it looked like.As a result of more snow, the Col closed three days after we rode it so if you plan to go, check with Valée Ubaye before leaving as anything can happen when you are so high above sea level.And don’t forget if you want to come and ride it with us, we are opening our new premises very soon and have some exceedingly special bikes to take you up an equally special road.

First day at the office The 34 switchbacks of the small road squeezed between the French and Italian border have brought us to the top of the Col de Tende. The light’s starting to fade, it’s our fourth col of the day, the elevation clock on my Garmin has just ticked past 3,000, the last 3.5kms were gravel and I’ve got a puncture. From what I can tell as I wrestle with tyre levers, the topic of conversation seems to be whether we now have enough time to hammer the 15kms back to Tende to make our train. A calculation complicated by the fact that no one seems quite sure what time the train actually leaves. It’s the first day of a new job and for a moment there’s only one thought that comes to mind. How the hell did I get here? Cause and effect are never the easiest things to pin down but I suppose it started with a throwaway remark from a close friend. ‘You need to get out of your box’, my particular ‘box’ being an office in a Belfast law firm and the repetitive grind that went with it. Working files, reviewing forests of mind-numbing documents and constantly advising clients on the ‘worst case scenario’. One thing I've learned is that spending too much time advising people on the worst cast scenario probably isn’t good for your psyche and can be equally damaging to your soul. There are, after all, other scenarios available in life. Inspired by regular trips, the best case scenario for my wife and I gradually revealed itself to be making a life on the Cote d’Azur. Menton was our destination of choice, the last stop on the road before Italy and a town of pastel colours set against a sparkling blue sea. ‘La Perle de France’ sometimes seems like the forgotten dot on this part of the coast and, note to all here, I’m perfectly happy if it stays that way. On each visit we relaxed more quickly, picking the finest fresh food from the Belle Epoque style covered market, sipping a noisette between sleeps and swims on the beach before enjoying an Aperol Spritz drenched in the evening sun. Lovely as it all was, in truth a sedentary beach life doesn’t much suit me and I spent much of our first visit staring up at the mountains surrounding the bay and wondering. A year later I brought my bike with us and that, as they say when they can’t think of anything pithy, was quite simply that.For while Menton is certainly enchanting, it’s deep in the Alpes-Maritimes behind the coast that an exploring or aspiring cyclist can find happiness and perhaps even a Zen like serenity. Within 1.5km of my front door I found myself tackling 15% gradients on the infamous Col de la Madone, from the sea to the sky in 13 painful kilometers. In that first week alone I passed a shepherd herding his mountain goats (not the lycra clad ones) on the Madone, an elderly couple harvesting thyme at the side of the road on the Col de Braus and a film crew shooting a yellow Citroen ‘Deux Chevaux’ (2CV) in 3D on the Col du Turini. All mini-dramas in their own way, all memorable extras to sit alongside the epic views and beautiful winding roads that whispered this was where I should be.And now here I am. After first meeting Remi , co-founder of Café du Cycliste, some three years ago when I dropped into the office to buy a jersey and grilling him sporadically for tips and contacts for the move that I’d mentally almost already made, our paths crossed again a couple of months ago. We were already on our way by that stage, bags packed and goodbyes said, but when an opportunity arose at the company it seemed like the last piece of a six year puzzle was finally slotting in to place. So what happens next? I honestly don’t know but first things first. Let’s just see if we can catch that bloody train.

Taking a 2CV HC According to legend, the Tour de France's climbs are categorised by the gear that a Citroën 2CV, the iconically French car, had to use to successfully make it to the top. Category 4, the lowest categorisation for the easiest hills, was possible in fourth gear; Category 3 in third gear, and so on. Hors Categorie, or 'beyond categorisation' was reserved for those climbs which a 2CV could not drive up. While it's true that the Deux Chevaux (the name means 'two horses', as in 2hp) was not made for climbing mountains it's probably not true that it was the source of the classifications. The Tour de France categorisations were created in 1947; at first, the mountains were only divided into first- and second-category climbs, and the HC designation was only introduced in 1975. 2CVs, on the other hand, were not manufactured until 1948 and by 1975 had 602hp at their disposal rather than the 375 they were born with post-war – more of a Trois Chevaux you might say. More likely it was a Hotchkiss, the car used for years by Tour founder Henri Desgrange, that would be struggling up the climbs and needing gear selection advice. And Alpe d’Huez has always been an HC climb, yet the road is purpose built so that the biggest, heaviest vehicles can deliver their goods or their people to the popular ski resort above.These days, the classification of an individual climb can change from year to year depending on where it comes and what else is happening in the stage, and its category depends a lot more on how important the organisers want that climb to be in the King of the Mountains competition.For our Autumn/Winter 2014 photoshoot we took a 2CV Fourgonette van into the high mountains.First, we went to the top of the Cime de la Bonette at dawn, to catch the sunrise on the highest paved road in Europe. It's only an hour's drive from Nice but it's cold and wild and barren up there, and only a day or two after our visit the first snow was settling on the peaks around it. Taking the 2CV up that tiny, deserted road was a struggle, and eventually it had to 'rest' to get over its exertions. It was not the road's fault – more the combined weight of the photographer, passengers and several bikes and models that jumped in and out along the way. Let's call it an Hors Catégorie photoshoot.

Saint Jean Cap Ferrat - Tour du Cap Certainement l’un des parcours de trail les plus faciles que vous pourrez trouver sur la Côte d’Azur, ses 120 mètres de dénivelé permettent d’offrir un terrain de jeu aux débutants comme aux chevronnés, question d’allure… Il est possible de s’y rendre en train au départ de Nice en descendant en gare de Beaulieu sur Mer. Un petit kilomètre reste alors à parcourir pour se rendre au départ, vous êtes dans « la baie des fourmis ». Au début du 19e siècle, le lieu est sauvage, les vagues ramènent du large des algues qui s’entassent, se transformant régulièrement en énormes fourmilières. Paloma Beach, premier point de passage caractéristique en sortie du village offre une vue imprenable sur la baie. En été, y arriver tôt le matin avant que les serviettes de bain ne se touchent est certainement la meilleure idée que l’on puisse avoir. La lumière du matin et le silence environnant magnifient le lieu. L’itinéraire s’impose de lui-même, le sentier suit le littoral offrant tantôt des reliefs escarpés, dévoilant d’autres fois des criques taillées dans le roc. Les escaliers taillés dans le roc au niveau du sémaphore, à la pointe du Cap, présenteront la principale difficulté du parcours. Certains passages en fin de parcours sont un peu vertigineux. S’attaquer à cette course sous le soleil ou en fin de journée est une invitation à la baignade à laquelle il sera difficile de résister. VOIR PLUS MONT BORON Prenant départ au Café du Cycliste, il s'agit de l'itinéraire le plus accessible si vous manquez de temps et devez laisser vos affaires quelque part. VOIR PLUS LA TÊTE DE CHIEN Sentier quelque peu technique avec un vue à 180° incroyable sur Monaco et ses montagnes s'achevant à la Plage de le Mala. VOIR PLUS ÈZE BORD DE MER À NICE Un itinéraire classique entre les splendides villas de la Riviera et le village de pierre d'Èze via le chemin de Nietzsche et retour à Nice. VOIR PLUS GUIDE DE TRAIL NICE Pour les runners de passage à Nice, il existe un grand nombre d'itinéraires que vous pouvez emprunter. VOIR PLUS

Eze bord de Mer – Nice (par chemin Nietzsche) Si vous n’avez rien contre une petite balade en train pour vous rendre sur un parcours aussi vertigineux que champêtre, cet itinéraire est fait pour vous. Vous vous retrouverez en short et chaussure de running au milieu des passagers du Train Express Régional. Ils vous regarderont interrogatifs pour certains, envieux pour d’autres lorsque vous quitterez le wagon à la station « Eze bord de Mer ». En descendant de quelques mètres vous atteindrez une petite plage de galets à l’eau translucide, un petit détour qui vaut le coup d’œil. Pour prendre le départ de l’itinéraire, vous devez remonter sur la route et la traverser. Le chemin Nietzsche, du nom du célèbre philosophe, se faufile entre les murs de pierres des belles villas. Faites quelques aller-retours sur le plat pour faire monter en guise d’échauffement pour ne pas vous laisser surprendre par la côte qui d’emblée vous fait face. Dans la prochaine demi-heure, vous n’allez pas cesser de grimper. Le sentier est agrémenté d’escaliers de pierre. Au fur à mesure de l’effort, vous vous élevez au-dessus de la mer, découvrant un paysage toujours plus grandiose. Après un peu plus de 250 mètres d’élévation, vous entrez dans le village d’Eze. Le rocher d’Eze abrite les populations locales depuis l’Âge du Fer, vers 220 avant Jésus-Christ. Vous reviendrez en touriste, pour l’heure, l’itinéraire emprunte la route assez passante en direction de Nice sur environ un kilomètre avant d’entamer une nouvelle a ascension à flanc de montagne. Le chemin est raide, les moins costauds marcheront sans doute ici, mais le spectacle à venir en vaut la chandelle. Le Col d’Eze pointe bientôt son nez. La descente s’effectue par la route stratégique, curiosité remarquable sur le flanc nord du Mont Leuze pour atteindre Le Col des 4 chemins. Quelques hectomètres plus bas, le Parc du Vinaigrier vous fait changer d’atmosphère entre oliviers et vieux murs de pierre. Fin de la course, vous entrez dans Nice. VOIR PLUS LA TÊTE DE CHIEN Sentier quelque peu technique avec un vue à 180° incroyable sur Monaco et ses montagnes s'achevant à la Plage de le Mala. VOIR PLUS SAINT JEAN CAP FERRAT Un itinéraire relativement facile serpentant autour du cap jusqu'à Paloma Beach. Au menu, vues paradisiaques sur la mer et finish sur la plage. VOIR PLUS MONT BORON Prenant départ au Café du Cycliste, il s'agit de l'itinéraire le plus accessible si vous manquez de temps et devez laisser vos affaires quelque part. VOIR PLUS GUIDE DE TRAIL NICE Pour les runners de passage à Nice, il existe un grand nombre d'itinéraires que vous pouvez emprunter. VOIR PLUS

Cap d'Ail Tête de Chien Vous voilà au Cap d’ail pour un trail qui vous emmènera tout droit vers une des plus belles vues qui soient sur Monaco. Le parking Beaverbrook est idéalement placé pour prendre le départ. Si vous êtes à la fois pingre et ambitieux, profitez des 30 minutes gratuites pour boucler le parcours, sinon, glissez une petite pièce dans la machine et en avant pour une sortie de 1h30. Quelques escaliers en guise d’échauffement vous conduiront vers les premiers chemins, et rapidement, les toits des maisons laisseront place à une vue dégagée sur la presque île du cap Ferrat. Les sentiers sont principalement composés de petites pierres, mais de temps à autre de plus gros rochers mettront à l’épreuve votre agilité. Rien de bien méchant malgré tout. Un dernier effort et le sommet vous tend les bras. Bienvenue à la tête de chien. Selon une étude, 90 % des gens ne peuvent retenir un « Wow » lorsque la vue sur Monaco se révèle à eux. Si vous avez opté pour les 30 minutes gratuites, ne perdez pas de temps et entamez directement la descente, sinon profitez quelques minutes de l’endroit. La descente est plus courte que la montée et donc plus raide. La vue persiste pendant quelques hectomètres, alors ne vous laissez pas distraire et prenez garde aux quelques sections glissantes. De retour au Cap-d’Ail, pourquoi ne pas en profiter pour aller faire quelques brasses à la plage de la Mala à quelques encablures ? Il s’agit d’une crique très bien préservée qui mérite qu’on s’y attarde. VOIR PLUS SAINT JEAN CAP FERRAT Un itinéraire relativement facile serpentant autour du cap jusqu'à Paloma Beach. Au menu, vues paradisiaques sur la mer et finish sur la plage. VOIR PLUS MONT BORON Prenant départ au Café du Cycliste, il s'agit de l'itinéraire le plus accessible si vous manquez de temps et devez laisser vos affaires quelque part. VIEW MORE ÈZE BORD DE MER À NICE Un itinéraire classique entre les splendides villas de la Riviera et le village de pierre d'Èze via le chemin de Nietzsche et retour à Nice. VOIR PLUS GUIDE DE TRAIL NICE Pour les runners de passage à Nice, il existe un grand nombre d'itinéraires que vous pouvez emprunter. VOIR PLUS

Mont Boron Tout commence par un café accoudé au comptoir du Café du Cycliste. Le chemin débute à quelques centaines de mètres d’ici. Vous pouvez réserver un casier au vestiaire du café pour y laisser vos effets personnels vous débuterez la course en franchissant le seuil. Vous longez le port, puis la plage de la réserve, le sentier des douaniers débute ici, magique, à flanc de roche, vue dominante sur la mer. Le meilleur moment de la journée est certainement le matin pour s’élancer sur ce parcours. Après 3 kilomètres, vous arriverez au pied d’un escalier qui ne manquera pas de vous faire grimacer, celui-ci est réservé aux braves, l’objectif est de continuer à courir sans faiblir (bon courage !). Suivez la trace, après une seconde boucle vers la mer s’engage l’ascension du Mont Boron. Rien de bien difficile en termes de dénivelé, tout au plus une bonne suée si le soleil est déjà monté dans le ciel. Sur le Mont Boron et jusqu’au fort, une bonne partie se court à l’ombre des pins. Les points de vue à 180 degrés sur la mer est récompensera vos efforts, de toute évidence un parcours à ne pas manquer aux abords de Nice. Retour au Café où vos affaires vous attendent. Nous recommandons fortement la limonade artisanale servie au bar. VOIR PLUS LA TÊTE DE CHIEN Sentier quelque peu technique avec un vue à 180° incroyable sur Monaco et ses montagnes s'achevant à la Plage de le Mala. VOIR PLUS SAINT JEAN CAP FERRAT Un itinéraire relativement facile serpentant autour du cap jusqu'à Paloma Beach. Au menu, vues paradisiaques sur la mer et finish sur la plage. VOIR PLUS ÈZE BORD DE MER À NICE Un itinéraire classique entre les splendides villas de la Riviera et le village de pierre d'Èze via le chemin de Nietzsche et retour à Nice. VOIR PLUS GUIDE DE TRAIL NICE Pour les runners de passage à Nice, il existe un grand nombre d'itinéraires que vous pouvez emprunter. VOIR PLUS

PARIS POP-UP En 2023, Café du Cycliste ouvre son premier pop-up éphémère à Paris. Café du Cycliste s’installe dans l’un des lieux les plus iconiques de Paris, Les Galeries Lafayette Haussmann. Venez (re)découvrir une sélection de produits performance signature, la nouvelle collection Printemps-Eté 2023 pour toutes vos aventures route ou gravel ainsi qu’une gamme de produits outdoor et lifestyle. Situé au deuxième étage de l’espace Homme des Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann jusqu’au 30 Septembre. LOCALISATION Galeries Lafayette 2ème étage de l'Espace Homme 40, Boulevard Haussmann 75009 PARIS HORAIRES D’OUVERTURE Lundi : Mardi : Mercredi : Jeudi : Vendredi : Samedi : Dimanche : 10h00-20h30 10h00-20h30 10h00-20h30 10h00-20h30 10h00-20h30 10h00-20h30 11h00-20h30 Galeries Lafayette, Haussmann CALENDRIER 2023 Quelques raisons pour venir visiter Paris et notre pop-up. 25 Feb Paris, nous voilà. Café du Cycliste ouvre un pop-up éphémère aux Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann. 05 Mar Paris-Nice Surnommée la « Course au soleil », Paris-Nice est une course cycliste à étapes professionnelle commençant par un prologue dans la région parisienne et se terminant à Nice. 10 Mar Collection Printemps-Été 2023 Notre dernière collection arrive en magasin et en ligne. 02 Apr Marathon de Paris L’un des plus grands marathons européens prenant son départ sur les Champs-Élysées. 09 Apr Paris-Roubaix Surnommée « L’Enfer du Nord », Paris-Roubaix est l’une des plus anciennes et plus difficiles courses cyclistes. 12 May Collection Atelier Printemps-Été 2023 Notre dernière édition limitée arrive en magasin et en ligne. 23 Jul Le Tour de France L’une des compétitions cyclistes les plus connues avec sa traversée de la France et son arrivée sur les Champs-Élysées. SS23 SAVOIR EN PLUS Le Café á Nice Notre magasin phare et le coeur de notre marque. Venez nous rendre visite à Nice et découvrez notre collection de vêtements, nos vélos de location haut de gamme et notre café fraîchement moulu. VOIR PLUS Notre magasin à Majorque : Palma D'un terrain de jeu pour cyclistes à l'autre. Notre magasin situé à Majorque, véritable mecque du cyclisme, abrite toute notre gamme de vêtement pour homme et femme. VOIR PLUS Échappée Paris. Chaque quartier a sa propre énergie, vous pouvez trouver ce que vous aimez en allant d'une rue à l'autre, d'un quartier à l'autre. VOIR PLUS Rouler dans un but précis #2. En parcourant les rues désertes de Paris à vélo pour livrer de la nourriture aux personnes dans le besoin, Sophie Gateau illustre la capitale pendant le confinement. Découvrez la vue de Sophie, depuis sa selle, pendant qu’elle roule dans un but précis, « Pour Eux ». VOIR PLUS