RIDING WITH PURPOSE There are always positive stories to illuminate the world during bad times. Like the car companies making ventilators for hospitals, a world ‘hack-a-thon’ to solve supply shortages, even famous musicians broadcasting live shows from their living-rooms. Every little helps. Last week, a Whatsapp notification from Kong Fufu, aka Cedrick Dubois, showed up on-screen. His local pharmacist, Thibault, had asked if Cedrick would be willing to be part of a medical delivery service for the elderly, the vulnerable and the isolated patients in the area surrounding L'Escarène, 21km north of Nice. There was only one answer. We join Cedrick outside the pharmacy, waiting for the patient to be served inside to exit. Thibault is obviously a man with a sense of humour, there’s a sign on the door which warns pensioners to stay out and, if possible, send their younger family members – preferably females between the age of 24 and 30…. Entering the pharmacy, you find the visible references for the invisible enemy that we are facing. Thibault is wearing a mask and is behind the counter which sports those high, see-through plastic shields that prevent droplets of breath passing between us. His colleagues are in the backroom, preparing prescriptions. It may not be an apocalyptic hospital scene, but it's part of the front line and the truth is the drugs in this pharmacy, to be delivered to the people that need them will save lives. The pharmacy serves clients spread out in the valleys, crevices and lower peaks of the Alpes-Maritimes, in the small hamlets or out on their own, totally separate from civilisation. Sometimes up gravel roads. That is to say, roads which are deemed too risky to drive on at the current time. Thibault, like Cedrick, is a trail runner and a cyclist and so has an acute awareness of the topography of the region. Being aware of Cedrick's in-depth knowledge of all the available routes, and his ability to cover ground so fast, Thibault knew he could help. This is riding with purpose. Today there is only one delivery to a patient in Peille who suffers from a respiratory disease and therefore is a very high-risk profile. Compared to yesterday, this is an easy task : "In a single session of three hours I was able to go to seven people, making a tour of 70 km with an elevation gain of 2000m”, says Cedrick. The biggest surprise was a delivery to the castle on Col de Braus (yes indeed, there is castle on the Col de Braus, just to the left after the steep pitch that follows the famous switchbacks). Cedrick picks a low-profile road that connects L’Escarène to Peille. The Route de Très that leads the the Route du Col des Banquettes is a lesser-known local favourite that runs in between the peaks at the back (north-side) of the Col de la Madone. From L’Esacarène the road climbs from the valley via switchbacks under a pine tree canopy, plateaus through an olive grove before repeating itself up more switchbacks and then eventually descends on a cliff-hanger that could be mistaken for the Madone itself. In total it’s around a 45 minute ride that spits itself out on the last two hairpins of the Côte de Peille. Peille is a quiet town at the best of times, today you could hear a pin drop. We arrive, traverse the upper limits and exit via a super steep lane out the back of the town. These are the cul-de-sacs that serve the satellite houses of the village. At the top, the concrete with horizontal bands in the concrete surface means only one thing – gradients in excess of 10, but often at 15 per cent. The end of the chemin is our destination and it’s like the pharmacy at the beginning - the human interaction drives home the predicament we are in. Cedrick discards a 7,000€ gravel bike in the hedgerow at the side of the road as if it’s a worthless commuter and takes off his back-pack. He’s focussed. Thibault had been very clear about the delivery process. Take the package, place it at the front of the property, and go no further. Then step back at least five metres before anyone appears, otherwise we may be hindering rather than helping. A husband and wife emerge from their mid-altitude, Alpes-Maritimes retreat. They are friendly but cautious and, of course, masked. He asks if the bike is electric, because the road up is crazy-steep. He doesn’t know Kong Fufu. She stands behind, nervous and also masked, she’s had a lung-infection recently. The main concern is how to pay for the prescription. Cedrick says that is not a concern, Thibault has it worked out. And, comme ça, the job is done. It’s an interaction which, because of its required brevity, seems inconsequential. Cedrick won’t know the before and after of this delivery. Instead, he’ll ride home and tomorrow he’ll go back to the pharmacy and collect more packages. That’s what needs to be done. His bike has returned to what its predecessors once were - a tool of ultimate function - and one that is helping in its own small way.

A COASTAL CLASSICO Cross-border traffic to possibly the best cycling path in Europe that delivers you to the climbs of the Milan – San Remo. A spring classic.

RIDE OF THE MONTH : MARCH Did you know you can ride to the Poggio from Nice? It might seem like a relatively long ride to climb a relatively short hill, a bit like the Milan- San Remo itself. No-one ever said cycling had to be logical or sensible, did they? March : Poggio Pilgrimage La Primavera. La Classicissima. The Milan San-Remo. One of the five monuments of professional racing. The longest one day race in the pro-racing calendar, with a long history and global following it’s one that our Italian neighbours are rightly proud of. And it’s grande finale, the Poggio, is within riding distance from Nice. Italy doesn’t seem that far away when you can see it with your own eyes as you round the Cap de Nice. In fact, it’s 30km to the border and just over 50km to the start of one of Europe’s best bike paths at Ospedaletti. Admission no. 1 : it’s a frequently asked question as to whether the coast road is too busy to be enjoyable. The honest answer is that it can be busy but if you learn to embrace it, it’s a real experience ; a veritable feast of coastal riding and human life in many different forms across three different countries. Before the border, the French Riviera delivers some fantastic sights and sounds not least as you pass through Monaco, the country where carbon bikes can go faster than supercars when the tight streets that play home to the Grand Prix are open to everyone. After Monaco a quick up and over to Menton delivers an impressive view of the bay overlooked by the high mountains that include the Col de la Madone and Col de Castillon. Next stop, Italy. We’ve said it before that there is a tangible change in ambiance immediatley on crossing the border. Everything is just, well, faster. Jacked up on espresso is the obvious assumption. Ventimiglia is maybe the epitome of this, being a town that is literally buzzing. There may be a touristic side to the very front seaside road but cycling through the main street shows it to be a real Italian town. Independent shops dominate with hardly a global retailer to be found, cafés serve short espressos to standing clientele and vespas ‘vesp’ in every direction. Look up and admire the architecture if you get a free millisecond. It’s stunning. Apart from the traverse across the railway bridge beside the site of the old roman ruins, there is no real separation between Ventimiglia and Bordighera, which is a continuation of the theme and only after this is there chance to breathe before hitting Ospedaletti. It’s here that you can join the Italian cycle path, constructed on the old railway line, that runs the whole way through San Remo, past the Poggio to San Lorenzo al Mare and the bottom of the Cipressa climb. Not only is it known as one of the best cycle paths in Europe, entering the first tunnel a mere kilometre after Ospedaletti, below and above you are snippets of Milan- San Remo history. Past winners are immortalized above with photos and short texts about their victories and quotes on the path below show the local pride for the Primavera. Even the most casual of race fans can’t help get excited about the prospect what lies ahead : maybe two of the smallest but most famous climbs in professional cycling. Admission no. 2 : the Cipressa is a more interesting climb than the Poggio. Starting in San Lorenzo al Mare there is a steep beginning but that soon relaxes into a gentle climb through olive groves. The hairpin right halfway up points you back towards San Remo and then up toward the village with the church tower a good marker on the summit. And that summit is special. The road narrows into one lane between the church and the traditional houses above it. Don’t run the light just for the sake of a Strava time. There’s a new café on the Piazza Mazzini where good espresso and cheap paninis are guaranteed. The transfer from the Cipressa to the Poggio is one of anticipation. Kelly’s famous descent in 1992, Erik Zabel sitting up too early, Cav winning on his first go, Nibali’s roll of the dice that confused the race favourites. Everyone has memories of this race. The Poggio always has an effect on the result, whether its some of the fast legs being dropped on the 3.6km climb, or a puncheur splitting or completely escaping the peloton. On the coast road before you hit the climb look up, like the pros apparently do, to spot the lighthouse that indicates the junction is approaching. With form or fresh legs amateurs can ride it in the big ring. If you have been riding the classic cols of the Alpes-Maritimes it’s refreshing to be climbing at a faster pace. The hairpins take concentration and the writing on the road provides atmosphere. Through the green houses, up one of the steeper ramps, you reach the Poggio town sign, which wills you towards the summit. At the top, on the apex of the junction is perhaps the most famous public phone box in the cycling world, where the downhill starts. Poggio is nearly as famous for its descent as it is for the climb. As Sean Kelly showed, you need to be able to harness gravity and corner speed as well as watts to be able to win San-Remo. Enjoy the descent but remember the road isn’t closed. Admission #3 : you don’t have to ride all of this ride. There are train stations in San-Remo, Ventimiglia and Menton if, like us, you spend too much time enjoying espresso and pizza and find yourself running out of daylight. Komoot Route : https://www.komoot.com/ Coffee stop : Café Vergano Via Ernesto Chiappori, 6, 18039 Ventimiglia IM, Italy Lunch stop : Ristorante Antica Piazzetta in San Lorenzo Al Mare for any seafood dish. Fritture Mixta or Spahgetti Vognloé perhaps. If you want to fly and make the Poggio pilgrimage on a top of the range bike, you can rent one of Café du Cycliste fleet of Cervélo R5s HERE. Read about other Rides of the Month and find the perfect route by season. Or discover more details about cycling on the Cote d'Azur with our Riding Guide to Nice.

SPRING COLOURS WINTER Like a fireworks display on the ground, the mimosas of the Grand Duc forest offer an immersive experience and a primary colour reason to ride. Cycling on the Riviera when spring invades winter.

RIDE OF THE MONTH: FEBRUARY Introducing the Café du Cycliste Ride Of The Month. Each calendar month presents a new route, another reason to ride and a snapshot of some of the best locations to see by bike on the Côte d’Azur. February : The Mimosas & ‘Le Grand Duc’ Mark Rothko’s painting, Untitled (Yellow & blue), sold at auction for a jaw-dropping $46.5m. Look it up and you’ll find images of a canvas with the expressionist’s big and bold abstract combination of blue on yellow. Blurry lines and two striking primary colours. Much like the Côte d’Azur in February. On the hills behind the western Riviera, forests of mimosa trees deliver an explosion of yellow and provide the motivation for February’s ride of the month. The Route des Mimosas stretches far along the Côte d’Azur, starting in the aptly-named town of Bormes-les-Mimosas and ending in the famous perfume city of Grasse. Those searching for a cycling connection can quickly find it in Bormes-les-Mimosas. It was from here that Jean Bobet once experienced and so eloquently described “La Volupté”: that moment when everything just simply clicks on the bike and delivers a sense of complete souplesse and ease of effort. In late January and early February, the form to find La Volupté might not be there, but the mimosas provide impetus for later in the year by giving an early glimpse of what Spring will look like. From Nice, an aller-retour to Bormes-les-Mimosas is a bit of a stretch. Instead, niçois riders make the annual pilgrimage to the hills above Mandelieu. Here lies the famous climb to Tanneron. It is known by local cyclists as ‘La Montée du Grand Duc’. The Grand Duc is the forest that surrounds the upper half of the climb and which was infected with yellow after mimosa trees were first imported and planted here in the late 19th century. Today it’s referred to as the largest of its kind in Europe. Each year, around late January and early February the yellow flowered display takes over. To get there is simple. Leave the Café, ride west and keep the Mediterranean on your left. You can count the bays before turning north. Bay 1 is the Promenade des Anglais. Bay number 2 crosses Cagnes-sur-Mer to Antibes. There is the option to cut-straight through the town of Antibes but the diversion around the small peninsula, Cap d’Antibes, is worth it. Make sure to look left as you leave the ramparts of the old-town to get a view back across the bay to Nice which, from this angle, is set against the backdrop of the snow-capped peaks of the Alpes-Maritimes. It’s a perfect picture showing the diversity of cycling options in the region. Once Cap d’Antibes is navigated, bay number 3 takes you to Cannes and along to the Croisette. Look right at the haute couture shops before looking left to see the modernist shapes of the Palais des Festivals. After Cannes is the final bay number 4 to Mandelieu-la-Napoule. At the river bridge, take a right up the side of the Riviera’s oldest golf club and head directly north, following signs for the village of Tanneron. The mimosa trees dotted between the town’s buildings give a hint of things to come and eventually the importance of the plant to this area becomes increasingly apparent. The flower is celebrated here because it has helped boost the economy since its introduction, not least as a vital part of the perfume industry in Grasse. It has been referred to as the French perfume maker’s secret ingredient. You join the climb on a small back street that runs parallel to the main street. There is a recently erected cycling sign displaying the statistics of the climb and evidencing its importance to the local riding scene. It’s a good notification not to disrespect what, on paper, might appear to be a simple coastal climb. There is a reason why it’s used by local clubs to stage an uphill time trial : two kilometres in and the gradient stays at a constant 8-10% for another 4km. Testing. There are no hairpins on this southern side, just a sinuous series of lefts and rights between the trees. You pass junctions where the Grand Duc forest roads branch off into the undergrowth, ripe for exploration on a gravel bike. Next time…. The forest at the top almost feels Australian. It offers an faux-plat reprieve before the final uphill section to the summit. It’s an unremarkable finish but after passing through you immediately plunge into the northern side of the forest towards the village of Tanneron. The Fête de Mimosas here takes place on the first weekend in February. It’s a tiny village but has all the essentials : fountain and a coffee stop. There’s a borne decorated with the towns that form the chain along the Route des Mimosas and views north to Grasse and, above it, the mountain range known as the Préalpes d’Azur. Time to concentrate after the break in Tanneron for the sinous descent to Pégomas. This time of year it's in the shade, so whilst the climb may bask in the winter sun, a long sleeve jersey and gilet are a good idea for the darker side of the mountain. The surface is good but the corners are tight so caution is advised, especially as the flowers and pollen of the mimosa fall on the ground. Find your flow, but stay safe. The rest of the ride connects the natural source with the industry it helped create. Uphill to Grasse, known globally as the centre of the French perfume world. That industry previously required infrastructure, including rail links. The old railway line is now signposted as a cycle route, pleasantly named as the Route des Balcons d’Azur. It links Grasse to Tourettes-sur-Loup and eventually Vence and delivers exactly what the name suggests – a road perched on the side of the mountain, crossing viaducts in the shadows of the villages and offering views down to the sea. At Vence, all that’s left is to plunge back to the coast and have the warmth of the evening sun on your back for the return to Nice. THE ROUTE Coffee stop : Boulangerie & Patisserie Aux Délices Sucrés, 2 mins on the right after you leave Cannes Port. Lunch stop : Café des Voyageurs in Tanneron If you want to fly and ride the Grand duc loop on a top of the range bike, you can rent one of Café du Cycliste fleet of Cervélo R5s HERE. Read about other Rides of the Month and find the perfect route by season. Or discover more details about cycling on the Cote d'Azur with our Riding Guide to Nice.

Riviera Gravel #6 – Mont Férion There's a horse ranch at the bottom, wide open stretches with views to the coast, switchbacks, forests, rocky cut-throughs, shepherds and their flocks, a chapel and a lookout station at the peak. Added to this is the fact that there are three sides to climb. It's why Kong Fùfù refers to it as our gravel Mont Ventoux and chooses to do his winter training there. Mont Férion offers a magical off-road escape within riding distance from Nice. The DFCI forest roads have been laid over the mountain to connect the western town of Levens with its eastern counterpart, Coaraze, and at the Baisse de la Minière it connects to Duranus in the north. The 10.46km long western side really is like climbing a classic col but on gravel. The start from Levens could not be better - it's beside a boulangerie. So you can fuel up or pack your pastries before you climb. The route begins across the road on the lane that serves the town's outer limits before forking left on the DFCI forest track just before the equestrian centre. The double-tracks point north and through the fir trees you briefly glimpse the peak of La Madone d’Utelle before turning east to begin tackling the real meat of this mountain. For this region the gravel is relatively well compacted and smooth to roll on. The forest road points straight up the side of the mountain for a few kilometres, offering views back down to the town you left some 15 minutes ago, showing the typical patchwork of adobe tiles that form the rooftops of the villages all around this region. On a clear day you can see the sea and the Baie des Anges. These are the gifts of Riviera Gravel. Ask the discerning rough stuff cyclist what is better than the switchbacks of the classic cols and they'll give you one simple answer : gravel switchbacks. Same road-engineering, same objective, different surface. And different feeling. It is hugely satisfying to traverse a set of hairpins on a loose surface and get the different views that the 180 degree turns offer. It also, of course, makes progress less steep which is important when you hit the first slightly sandy section of Mont Férion that saps your energy. Climbing the western side there is a hairpin left that cuts through the mountain. After this, you enter the forest for a bit of false-flat relief whilst briefly going around the northern side of the massif, before traversing the Col du Dragon. The pass of the dragon..... This is not a Playstation game, it's adventure cycling. If you are new to Mont Férion you'd be forgiven for thinking that the Col du Dragon is the end of your effort. A short but fast descent into a basin means you have to climb back out of it. Through more sand and, ironically at this stage, heading south towards the Med. The big open switchback left is the last turn before the final stretch to the summit. Stop on this corner and climb on the helicopter-pad-cum-water-reserve for the panoramic view over the peaks and down to the sea. If you've ridden the region on road before, see if you can pick out Col St Roch, Col de Braus, Col de la Madone, Col d’Eze, to name a few. After that brief pause, one kilometre remains to the Chapelle Saint Michel des Cédres. It's literally 20 metres before the junction where you can choose to keep climbing to the absolute peak of the mountain or descend towards Coaraze. But you MUST turn off the road and visit the Chapel which nestles amongst centuries-old cedar and pine trees. With your back to the front of the building, look down what appears to be a man-made boulevard of majestic trees that lead to this religious place and try not to be impressed. There's a yearly pilgrimage here. Each summer, we try to make it at least a montly one. If the religious experience is not what you are looking for you can choose to climb another 200m of elevation to the lookout tower at the top of the mountain. It is used as a weather station and to monitor for forest fires during the hot summer months, ergo it has nearly 360 degree views of the area. After that remains the descent of the western side with its views over the mountains that lead to the Italian border. You will reach the Baisse de la Minière where you will find the confluence of Mont Férion's three pistes. Go down left and you will probably find the shepherds or their cows and sheep, not far above the ancient mine. Towering over the switchback at Col St-Michel that are the ruins of the ancient village of Roca Sparviera which over the centuries played host to a bloody family feud , an invasion of locusts, a series of plague epidemics and a few shattering earthquakes. So maybe only go there if you are feeling lucky. The safer option is to descend to the perched village of Coaraze. The road descent from here is called the 'Route de Soleil'. After climbing Mont Férion it's a welcome respite of smooth tarmac and sweeping bends back to the valley for the return to Nice. Read more about the unbeaten tracks that surround Nice in our Riviera Gravel series. THE ROUTE

Col de la Colmiane : Nos Montagnes à la Carte #13 The name Colmiane originates from the alpine occitan dialect version - la Cuòla miana - and translates into ‘medium mountain’. This road is a classic connecting mountain pass that links the Tinée and Vésubie valleys. But the label of medium should not make the exploring cyclist underestimate either the physical challenge or the alpine beauty that it delivers. There is a ski station at the top, high peaks all around and the western side measures 16.3km in length. It is a proper mountain. It’s mostly the professional racing scene which refers to the pass as ‘La Colmiane’. Locals know it better as Col St-Martin. The ‘Martin’ is connected to the town that lies at the base of the eastern side of the climb, Saint-Martin-Vésubie. Nicknamed the ‘Suisse Niçoise’ it is famous locally and internationally as a mountaineering hub. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was from here that one of the local pioneers, Count Victor de Cessole, dedicated his life to exploring and documenting the peaks of the Alpes-Maritimes, building trails, refuges and photographing the change in the mountains as they become a more and more popular playground for humankind. It’s hard not to think that had Victor been born some 100 years later, he might well have also been an avid cyclist. And the Col de la Colmiane would have been one of the Count’s regular climbs. The climb of the eastern side starting from Saint-Martin-Vésubie is the shorter, steeper version at 7.3km and an average gradient of 7%. Unless of course you ride up the Vésubie valley in which case your legs will tell you it’s a much longer climb. From Lantosque it’s 23km with a 4.5% average slope. It’s a long loop from Nice, with Saint-Martin-Vésubie being some 60km away from the coast. The real beauty however comes in those final 7km after the town. The views from the hairpins on the climb to the high peaks of Argentera and Gélas are stunning and the roadside fir trees convince you that the air you are breathing is a pretty pure source of oxygen. The other, western side of the climb is similarly testing, at 16.3km long. Here you will find a valley that is almost entirely untouched by modern development. Just like the description of Count de Cessole’s early work : “villages frozen in a kind of eternity, lands of labor, places of worship”. This is the side that the Tour de France will climb in June 2020 (more on that later). Each of the four villages that dot the ascent proudly display the typical pastel mountain colours of their numerous counterparts of the Arrière-Pays. Le Planet, La Bolline, La Roche, and finally Saint Dalmas all sprout church spires amongst the groups of terraced village houses, finished with adobe features including aged wooden facades and slate tiles. Above the climb, up a branch road near the Tinée valley is the small hamlet of Rimplas where evidence of the effect of World War II can be seen. There is a large bunker that forms part of the Tinée valley network of forts and which now boasts a tennis court outside it. During the war the Alpes-Maritimes were occupied by the Italian Fourth Army from 11 November 1942 onwards. The sympathy of the Italian authorities caused the area to become a safe haven for thousands of Jewish refugees, who were relocated to Saint-Martin-Vésubie. After the Italian Armistice in September 1943, and under direct threat from the German authorities, a thousand of Saint-Martin's Jews made the climb up the Old Salt Road mountain trails, over the high passes towards the safety of Italy. If you hike north east to the Col de la Fenestre you will find a stone shelter built into the mountain side where Jews hid for months on end. All the remaining Jews in Saint-Martin were arrested and transported to Auschwitz. It's a haunting past not immediately evident in such the picturesque location, and a good reminder to enjoy the freedom to be able to ride for leisure in such beautiful places. And whilst the hikers seek the high peaks, visiting tourists go to visit the Wolf Park at Le Boréon, the adventuring cyclist can find space and tranquility on the Col de la Colmiane. Read more about where we ride and our local climbs in our Montagnes à la Carte series. Or visit us in Nice and experience them for yourself. VIA STRAVA

Mont Chauve: Nos montagnes à la carte #12 Mont Chauve is Nice’s hidden mountain. It is hiding in plain sight, sitting there just to the north, right above the city, but nevertheless, it is hidden. Who comes up here? Local mountain bikers know the trails, and at weekends the people of Nice take to the paths to walk their dogs, but most road cyclists give it a miss. They do not even know there’s a road up, which leaves it deliciously free for the locals. ‘Mont Chauve’ means the 'bald mountain' – it is the miniature Niçois version of the much better known ‘Mont Chauve’, Mont Ventoux, in Provence. It may be considerably inferior in height to the Giant of Provence, but Nice’s Mont Chauve is superior in numbers. There are actually two peaks: the Mont Chauve de Tourette (785m) and the Mont Chauve d’Aspremont (853m). It is near this latter that the road leads. While many would judge the real climb to be about 5km long, starting just outside the village of Falicon, perched high between the Var and the Paillon rivers, one of the main attractions for local bike riders is that it can be accessed from any one of myriad roads leading from central Nice. Take the Cimiez road up from Café du Cycliste on the Port, past Queen Victoria’s favourite hotel, Roman ruins and the Chagall and Matisse museums. Thread your way past the tower blocks of Las Planas, or even tackle the incredibly steep Vieux Chemin de Gairaut. Then take a short descent past Au Rendez-Vous des Amis, one of our favourite restaurants, turn right and you’re there. The rest of the road is narrow, its surface is degraded and the elegant military engineering of its switchbacks is slowly decaying into the vegetation. But what you get up here is solitude, within 10 kilometres of the centre of the bustling metropolis. Sometimes the foliage hides the views over the coast, the better to surprise you when you reach the top. At a certain point a barrier will bar the way, but keep going. Quickly you will be climbing the tight set of switchbacks that continues for longer than seems possible and finishes under a collection of commercial telecoms masts. Then there is one final turn to reach the huge fort perched on Mont Chauve's peak. Built on this eagle’s vantage point to protect Nice and all the coast from the Italian border to the Esterel hills behind Cannes, it can be explored by foot via the paths that encircle it. The best time to come, perhaps, is early in the morning, to watch the sun rise over Italy; on clear days, from the fort, Corsica can be seen on the horizon. And walk around the back and the mountainous landscape of the Mercantour National Park opens up before you. Read more about where we ride and our local climbs in our Montagnes à la Carte series. Or visit us in Nice and experience them for yourself. Photography : Greg Annandale Words : Max Leonard NOS MONTAGNES À LA CARTE Madone d’Utelle Madone d’Utelle, sitting on a bluff that dominates the Var valley at the confluence of the Esteron and the Tinée, is a fixed point of navigation. VIEW MORE Col de la Bonette Claimed to be the highest paved road in Europe, true or not it is perhaps the least of its attractions. VIEW MORE Col de Tende If you like getting off the beaten track, you will like the Col de Tende. VIEW MORE Col de la Madone It’s a dramatic start to arrive in Menton and climb immediately from sea level, Col de la Madone is famed as a training hill for the pros. VIEW MORE Mont Ventoux When Napoleon wanted to construct the best naval fleet, he went for the toughest wood, coming from Mont Ventoux. VIEW MORE Col de Turini The thick forests of the Col de Turini are testament to the unpredictable weather the highest of the coastal climbs near our home town of Nice. VIEW MORE Col de Braus Find the point on Col de Braus where René Vietto, one of cycling’s greatest ever climbers, broke away to win his first professional race. VIEW MORE Col de Vence The Col de Vence lies at 962m, above the bustling town of Vence and if you can tear your eyes off your stem, you’ll enjoy the stunning view. VIEW MORE Mont Vial Mont Vial, standing at the confluence of the Tinée, Esteron and Var valleys, where the three rivers combine. VIEW MORE Col de Brouis For the people of Breil-sur-Roya before the Second World War, the Col de Brouis was a lifeline. It was the only route for them to the rest of France. VIEW MORE

Return Of The Kong He's a crime fighter by day, father by night, cyclist and runner at any and every other time possible. He’s a local amateur rider who happens to be as fast as the pros on the slopes of the Alpes-Maritimes. He’s last year’s winner of L’Étape du Tour and Gravel Roc d’Azur. Most of all, he’s addicted to the outdoors, to all the training, adventure and escapism the Alpes-Maritimes have to offer. He is Cedrick Dubois...aka...Kong Fùfù. His emergence from Strava ghost to the top step of the Étape podium started in the summer of 2015, shortly after the opening of the Café du Cycliste HQ in Nice's Old Port. A chance visit chez nous led to the Man, The Myth and The Unmasking. Fast forward to the start of 2020 and the surprising yet refreshing announcement that both the Grand Départ of the Tour de France and L'Étape du Tour are coming to Nice. It was obvious that the winner of last year's Étape should be the guide to what for many will be the ride of the year. We find the man with perhaps the greatest knowledge of the Alpes-Maritimes, appropriately, doing his winter training on the gravel chemins of Mont Férion. Last year was a good year for you, tell us about your season highlights? It was a good season, especially because I’ve been targeting L’Étape for three years and, for sure, finally winning it was the highlight. During last year's winter training , I regularly thought about that finish line at Val Thorens. I became aware of this event quite late on, and didn't realise how popular and competitive it was! It was one trophy that was missing from my collection. How did you manage to win it? The competition is high. In France, L’Étape is considered the biggest event of the year for amateur cyclists. Each year, there is a lot of waiting and speculation about the route which is unveiled in October, and those who want to win go and learn the course very early. And the 16,000 entries are sold out in less than half a day! Last year, what I tried to do was to be present in the leading group at the foot of the 35km final climb, up to Val Thorens. I found myself alone with 25km to go and I somehow held on to take victory. How excited were you to learn that this year’s event is in your own backyard? To see a stage of the Tour take place here is almost surprising. The parcours covers the more mythical passes of the region, which are part of the Tour's history, but that was some 45 years ago. For me, to have the Tour and L'Étape here is a source of pride. During the last four or five years you could sense a real attraction for foreign cyclists to the Nice and its hinterland, on top of the professionals who regularly come to train here. To have the cycling world's eyes on our region makes me proud and two stages of the Tour here will attract even more cyclists from around the globe to visit. What do you think about the parcours for L’Étape? I think it will really open the riders’ eyes. And this year’s edition of L’Étape offers a sacred finish. After the Col de Turini : 40km of downhill to Nice including the breathtaking descent from the Baisse de la Cabanette with its chain of hairpins stacked on top of each other above the ravine, then to climb and descend Col d'Eze on the Grande and Moynne Corniches before finishing on the Promenade des Anglais is sublime. But there are even more beautiful landscapes on offer outside of the parcours. Hopefully people will take the opportunity to stay a few extra days and discover all the region has to offer; places like the Gorges du Cians, Gorges du Daluis, Col de la Cayolle or Col des Champs. At 44 years old what is your motivation to keep going at this level? Aren’t you tempted to sit back and relax once in a while? I feel that I still have form, but I work more on endurance and I find pleasure in riding for five or six hours, usually towards San Remo at this time of year. Because I know I still have a certain level of performance, it allows me to continue to enter these events. I can't see myself stopping but rather moving on to something else, like trail running or gravel riding. I'll only stop when my body and mind tell me to or when I don't have the time anymore. I think this comes from the world we live in today; outdoor sport is a big window to escape out of, to spend time in the mountains or on the bike is a luxury and a way to get away from it all. Road-cycling isn’t everything to you – gravel and trail running seem to be as preferable as the classic cols of our region? I started cycling via the mountain bike in the 1990s and I came to the road after that to improve my fitness. But if I'm honest, my preference is to go by the gravel roads and trails, it's in my genes. I don't rely every time on the road bike, or sometimes I just need to leave the road for the views from the tracks. That's why I add gravel. Trail running goes in the same direction, there are areas where the mountain bike and gravel bike can't take me. Trail running is for the challenge, to push my limits, to reach the summits of the Mercantour National Park. Honestly, I manage to find pleasure in any discipline and it means I don't get bored. I jump from one sport to another according to my motivation, the seasons and the weather. Why did you choose the gravel roads of Mont Férion for your winter training? Because Férion commands respect, it is a dominant part of the land mass visible from the port of Nice and it is a bit like our Mont Ventoux (only on gravel). The climbs are long and frankly demanding. Effort is required, for durations of 25 minutes and more, which is not bad in winter. Its western slope is exposed to the sun and the tracks are not too rocky, not billiard table smooth, but for this region they are really quite regular. From the port of Nice it's an 80km loop. And the view…. is just magnificent at the top. How would you compare gravel riding to road riding? For me it's simple. If I can ride for six hours I'll go on the road bike, then between three to four and a half hours I'll choose my gravel bike, under three hours and I'll opt for my mountain bike. Where I live, there are no flat roads. That means after four to five hours riding, you're washed out. Each climb is steep so you never recover. It's the same scenario when mountain biking, after three hours you're physically empty. You won Gravel Roc last year – a nice win given your early career in MTB and your long history with Roc d’Azur – tell us about that race. I raced my first Roc d'Azur in 1992 in a juniors team! As the race became the last round of France’s mountain biking national cup, I competed around 15 times up until 2004. More recently I did two Roc Marathons in 2016 and 2017 and can admit, I missed it! The tracks aren’t technically demanding but they are fast and you ride intensely for the whole 80km. The gravel version offers a 65 kilometres course including some classic tracks from Roc d'Azur yet avoiding the most difficult parts. I’m thankful for the organisation to put in place such an event, set during the Indian summer it gathers 300 racers and with the adjoining bike show presenting next season's bikes, it's an enjoyable race! Do you think this gravel trend will last? It’s at an early age, like mountain biking in the 1980s. The main difference is, gravel riding has already some variants such as commuters, bike-packing, cyclo-cross and ultra-distance. There aren’t any strict rules, you can come across cyclists with saddlebags and panniers, others with a much more urban style. It’s kind of underground, people like the fact there aren’t any codes, everyone has their own identity in their practice and their own definition of what gravel is. I’m convinced some of them ride on the road with a gravel bike only because they like the look and the spirit of it: a versatile bike made for all kinds of adventures. I like looking at what’s being made in the U.S. as there are plenty of small independent builders making interesting bikes. But you'll still focus on the road until at least until the 5th July 2020? For sure I will. Even though I know every climb with my eyes closed, I haven't yet ridden the full parcours of L'Étape in one loop. I'll have plenty of opportunity as I'm guiding cyclists from abroad who are coming to familiarise themselves with the route. An exciting season lies ahead! Despite his love for the rough stuff, Kong Fùfù will be back on the road shortly to show us the first climb of L'Étape : the Col de la Colmiane as part of the guide to the mountains that will be the stage of many stories for both professionals and amateurs alike this summer.

L'ANNÉE 2019 Another twelve months, a few thousand kilometres, new friends, old friends, many bikes and the same love of cycling. From opening the doors to a huge network of gravel roads on our doorstep, to heading Due South in this year's shop-to-shop Audax, and heading north for a wheels to waves bike-surf adventure. This is, or should we say, that was 2019. #1 SHOT OF THE YEAR Getting outdoors, out there, as far or as high or as remote as possible has long been the aim of the game. However, escape within the city can be as much fun. During the heatwave in the middle of summer, Paris still delivered its famous light as we toured the city in the limited edition Bastille jersey. Let’s see if other cities can provide the same, shall we? #2 RIDE OF THE YEAR In less than twelve months Michael Angelo Covino and Kyle Marvin went from shooting the first scene of their film, The Climb, on the Col de Vence to winning the Coup de Coeur prize at Cannes Film Festival. Having supplied the riding kit and the peloton for the first scene, there was only one thing left to do - organise the first edition of the Tour de Cannes on the Corniche d'Or before the party began… And the film is due to hit screens around the world in early 2020. Watch this space…and the screen.     #3 ADVENTURE OF THE YEAR Biking to the beach in Asturias. First it was a winter adventure from pedals-to-piste with Audrey and Manon up in Auron. Then in Spring it was time to go from wheels-to-waves. Two passions, one adventure. Swapping the blues of the Côte d'Azur for the greens of Spain's northern coast, camping beside the sea to catch the best breaks. 2018 was fly fishing, 2019 was skiing and surfing. Answers on a postcard for 2020, please. #4 PRODUCT OF THE YEAR The Lisette Gilet. The Atelier Collection has been a joy to develop. The Fleurette sunrise summer jersey and accompanying raspberry Marinette bib shorts were a summer standout. The Solange winter jersey for the rough stuff was literally a sell-out. Lisette, from the Arrière Pays collection, is in part a celebration of the environment we cycle through. That it proved a popular product goes to show the inspiration is mutual. #5 AUDAX OF THE YEAR The North Cape 4000. Due South was the second in the ‘Due’ series, aka our reason to invent the next DIY Audax. The other compass points are on the ‘to do’ list. Due South’s stagiaire, Sophie Gateau went on to tackle her biggest challenge to date – the NorthCape 4000. She says it was just to avoid the mad dogs (literally) of the TCR. A bit extreme, or just audacious? #6 EVENT OF THE YEAR Further. An eventful year of events….The early season saw James Hayden chase down the race leader of Italy Divide only for the two riders to decide enough was enough and finish together. The second edition of Fête des Zinzins delivered crashes, climbs and a pizza party. But Further lived up to its name. Hike-a-bike across the Pyrenees via roads, tracks and smugglers’ trails. Next year though, it has to be a return to the traditional for L’Étape du Tour, but surely there is a twist in there. #7 RIVIERA GRAVEL OF THE YEAR La Turbie to Fort de la Revère. Via del Sale is one of the most dramatic gravel routes within riding distance of Nice, and is a 'must-do' for lovers of the loose stuff. But as part of the Riviera Gravel series, the climb from La Turbie to Fort de la Revère epitomises the flexibility of the cycling in Nice. Off the beaten track yet with a finale that delivers a baclony view over the great big blue and a quick descent back to Nice afterwards. With new gravel rental bikes arriving in the Café as we type, it's your turn to discover Riviera Gravel. #8 SWIMHOLE OF THE YEAR Rochetta Nervina. What's better than being able to ride into two different countries (don't forget Monaco stands in the way of the Italian border) via the Riviera coastline on a standard day in the saddle? Answer : being able to ride up a valley through ancient villages and olive groves to a crystal clear river pool to dive into for a mid-ride refresh in the middle of Mediterranean summer.     #9 MOUNTAIN OF THE YEAR Mount Fuji. Joining the Montagnes du Monde Series, Japan's tallest mountain made a big impact, helped by a local explanation of its hold over those that live in its shadow. Clouded in history and heritage, it’s definitely one to add to your badges for cols checklist. #10 ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE YEAR Le Tour de France & L’Étape du Tour in Nice. Unless you’ve been hiding in a bunker, you’ll know that 2020 sees the biggest sporting event in the world starting on Café du Cycliste’s front door. Two stages with a surprisingly mountainous second day could shake up the GC from the off. And with L’Étape du Tour taking place the following week it’s time to ride the Riviera. Dates for your diary: Tour de France Stages 1 & 2 : 27-28 June 2020 L’Étape du Tour : 5 July 2020. See you there.

Col de Brouis: Nos montagnes à la carte #11 For the people of Breil-sur-Roya before the Second World War, the Col de Brouis was a lifeline. It was the only route for them to the rest of France. To the north of them was Tenda, an Italian town surrounded by lush forests that were the Italian king’s favourite hunting grounds. To the south, along the fast-flowing Roya river, were two small French settlements and another border post with Italy beyond. They were stranded, with only high rock walls and enemy territory on all sides. No wonder there are so many barracks on the Col de Brouis. The soldiers sheltered here at this strategic point, ready to fire down at the armies advancing upon Breil or to mobilise and defend the pass. Up, right above, on the many hiking trails of these mountains underneath the Authion plateau, is another huge barracks. It stares down at you as you climb the road from Sospel with large empty eyes, for the building was never finished or inhabited. From Sospel the climb starts in the pleasant and open meadows in the valley of the small river Bevera. It ascends through deep gorges, though never too tight, and ends in open meadows again. It is as if the pass is higher than its 879m, and you have passed into the northern Alps. Actually, these fields used to sustain a sizeable number of people that lived on and around the col. It is still open year round: you will see serious local cyclists training here through the winter, and the auberge at the top serves the best brownie in all of France – if not the world – as a reward. The side into the Roya is more closed in, but the road is pleasant, wide and well surfaced, with an even gradient over its 8 kilometres. On the mountains above here, the locals collect mushrooms, herbs and wildflowers. Some of this is transformed, by an artisan who lives in Breil, into Baume de la Terre, ‘Earth Balm’, an ointment that soothes sore muscles better than anything else we at Café du Cycliste know, and which is compulsory after a long day riding in the hills. Read more about where we ride and our local climbs in our Montagnes à la Carte series. Or visit us in Nice and experience them for yourself. Photography : Greg Annandale Words : Max Leonard NOS MONTAGNES À LA CARTE Madone d’Utelle Madone d’Utelle, sitting on a bluff that dominates the Var valley at the confluence of the Esteron and the Tinée, is a fixed point of navigation. VIEW MORE Col de la Bonette Claimed to be the highest paved road in Europe, true or not it is perhaps the least of its attractions. VIEW MORE Col de Tende If you like getting off the beaten track, you will like the Col de Tende. VIEW MORE Col de la Madone It’s a dramatic start to arrive in Menton and climb immediately from sea level, Col de la Madone is famed as a training hill for the pros. VIEW MORE Mont Ventoux When Napoleon wanted to construct the best naval fleet, he went for the toughest wood, coming from Mont Ventoux. VIEW MORE Col de Turini The thick forests of the Col de Turini are testament to the unpredictable weather the highest of the coastal climbs near our home town of Nice. VIEW MORE Col de Braus Find the point on Col de Braus where René Vietto, one of cycling’s greatest ever climbers, broke away to win his first professional race. VIEW MORE Col de Vence The Col de Vence lies at 962m, above the bustling town of Vence and if you can tear your eyes off your stem, you’ll enjoy the stunning view. VIEW MORE Mont Vial Mont Vial, standing at the confluence of the Tinée, Esteron and Var valleys, where the three rivers combine. VIEW MORE Mont Chauve Mont Chauve is Nice’s hidden mountain. It is hiding in plain sight, sitting there just to the north, right above the city, but nevertheless it is hidden VIEW MORE

Mont Vial: Nos montagnes à la carte #10 Mont Vial is one of the few peaks of the backcountry behind Nice that is recognisable from the sea, and cyclists riding towards the Var valley can orient themselves by it, too: it will float in and out of view as the roads dip and turn. Do not get confused, however, with the Madone d’Utelle, which lies a few kilometres to the east and which also has a man-made construction on the top. Whereas Utelle seems to be a flat plateau above a sheer wall of rock, Mont Vial is more traditionally mountain-like and points narrowly to the sky. And whereas Utelle is home to a chapel, Mont Vial is the location for a TV aerial. At 1549m, Mont Vial is also higher by some 400m. What that says about the relative priorities the modern world places on television and heavenly salvation, make of it what you will. Mont Vial stands at the confluence of the Tinée, Esteron and Var valleys, where the three rivers combine. After so many steep kilometres of deep gorges and imposing cliffs, they combine forces and head along a straight, flat parcours to the sea. There is a cycle path the length of this valley, which is crowded with motels, auto shops and large roads, but the winds in the Var can be cruel and we would recommend, if you’re heading to Mont Vial, taking a more serendipitous route, and climbing along the valley sides. For the villages here – classic medieval villages perchés – are a sign that people have long been sheltering under Mont Vial’s peak. Le Broc, with its galleried square, is a natural coffee stop, as is Gilette, which affords a foretaste of the view you’ll get when you reach the peak. In Revest-les-Roches, where one of the walking trails to Mont Vial starts, there is a massive oak tree, 800 years old, that has stood impassively as generations have passed on their climb to the top. What it must think of the newest fashion – running the 15.5km, 1,000m trail to the summit – can only be imagined. Although Mont Vial can seem ubiquitous, cyclists have to travel far into the backcountry to find the turning, which is tucked away somewhere between Toudon and Tourette-du-Chateau. Those who search will be rewarded, however, with a deserted, small, irregularly surfaced scrawl of switchbacks up the rocky mountain face. (The slopes of Vial contain many rare species of plants in their wildflower meadows, but you wouldn’t realise from the road.) Perfection, in our eyes at least. As you near the top, there are views into the Var’s tight defile, with its huge, striated rock walls, and into the wooded depths of the Esteron. Nice, Monaco and Cannes on the coast are all visible, and if you ascend the day after a Mistral, when the icy wind has scoured all the moisture out of the air, you may be blessed with Corsica’s dark profile on the horizon. Dismount at the antenna and climb to the cairn at the summit, and the Mercantour National Park opens out, a panorama of jagged and often snowy peaks. One of our other favourites, Turini, can be seen under her deep green cloak of forests, waiting for your bold advance. Read more about where we ride and our local climbs in our Montagnes à la Carte series. Or visit us in Nice and experience them for yourself. Photography : Greg Annandale Words : Max Leonard Nos montagnes à la carte Madone d’Utelle Madone d’Utelle, sitting on a bluff that dominates the Var valley at the confluence of the Esteron and the Tinée, is a fixed point of navigation. VIEW MORE Col de la Bonette Claimed to be the highest paved road in Europe, true or not it is perhaps the least of its attractions. VIEW MORE Col de Tende If you like getting off the beaten track, you will like the Col de Tende. VIEW MORE Col de la Madone It’s a dramatic start to arrive in Menton and climb immediately from sea level, Col de la Madone is famed as a training hill for the pros. VIEW MORE Mont Ventoux When Napoleon wanted to construct the best naval fleet, he went for the toughest wood, coming from Mont Ventoux. VIEW MORE Col de Turini The thick forests of the Col de Turini are testament to the unpredictable weather the highest of the coastal climbs near our home town of Nice. VIEW MORE Col de Braus Find the point on Col de Braus where René Vietto, one of cycling’s greatest ever climbers, broke away to win his first professional race. VIEW MORE Col de Vence The Col de Vence lies at 962m, above the bustling town of Vence and if you can tear your eyes off your stem, you’ll enjoy the stunning view. VIEW MORE Col de Brouis For the people of Breil-sur-Roya before the Second World War, the Col de Brouis was a lifeline. It was the only route for them to the rest of France. VIEW MORE Mont Chauve Mont Chauve is Nice’s hidden mountain. It is hiding in plain sight, sitting there just to the north, right above the city, but nevertheless it is hidden VIEW MORE

NISSA LIGHT BELLA "When I realised that every morning I would see this light again", wrote Henri Matisse, “I couldn’t believe how lucky I was.” Paris may be the city of light, but Nissa La Bella in winter is the capital of soft low light.

Col de Vence: Nos montagnes à la carte #9 There is a ranch near the top of the Col de Vence: this fact will tell you a lot. Yes, it may only be a venue for horse-trekking, but there are cattle that roam across this mountain, and of all the cols we ride from Nice, Vence is the driest and dustiest and most open. It is the furthest west, and therefore the furthest of our favourite climbs from the great spine of the Alps, divider of peoples, trapper of clouds that lifts itself between France and Italy. The Col de Vence lies at 962m, above the bustling town of Vence and if you can tear your eyes off your stem in the final kilometres, you’ll have a great view of the Mediterranean from Italy to Cannes and beyond. Riders appreciate this openness in winter, since it allows you to climb (and, more importantly, descend) almost all the way in the sun. In the summer the heat can become blinding and oppressive; do not forget to fill up with water at the fountain that marks the proper start of the climb on the outskirts of Vence. It is said that Alberto Contador rode this 9.6km stretch, which rises 630m and averages 6%, in less 24 minutes. Strava times for local pros including the Café’s friend, Ian Boswell, suggest this is highly possible. Mere mortals who do it in less than 35 should count themselves lucky. It may be the baking heat, or the exhaustion of the climb, but strange things are reputed to go on at the top of the Col de Vence. It is, according to devotees of the disputed science of ufology. Strange anomalies, objects flying at high speed, unexplained lights, all have been witnessed from the Col, or on the plateau, though one of the most recent – the so called ‘Jellyfish of the Colle de Pouis’ – was proven to be a fake. Behind the Col de Vence is the Plateau de Saint Barnabé. For those on the Ironman Nice Triathlon this means the end is almost in sight. After one more short climb, a stunning road dips down towards the Esteron valley and back towards the Var and the Promenade finish line in Nice. For cyclotourists of a more contemplative nature, it is the entrance to a high plateau of farms and perched villages basking in the sun, many offering cafés to tempt you to stop to enjoy the scenery. You may also tempted to stay on the lower slopes, which were a famous hotspot for artists during the 20th century. La Colombe d’Or restaurant in nearby Saint Paul de Vence used to exchange its cuisine for artworks from those in the area. Now, its dining room is a gallery containing priceless Picassos, Matisses and Calders; a Braque, a Miró and a Chagall. Dining in Lycra – even Café du Cycliste Lycra – is not encouraged. Read more about where we ride and our local climbs in our Montagnes à la Carte series. Or visit us in Nice and experience them for yourself. Photography : Greg Annandale Words : Max Leonard Nos montagnes à la carte Madone d’Utelle Madone d’Utelle, sitting on a bluff that dominates the Var valley at the confluence of the Esteron and the Tinée, is a fixed point of navigation. VIEW MORE Col de la Bonette Claimed to be the highest paved road in Europe, true or not it is perhaps the least of its attractions. VIEW MORE Col de Tende If you like getting off the beaten track, you will like the Col de Tende. VIEW MORE Col de la Madone It’s a dramatic start to arrive in Menton and climb immediately from sea level, Col de la Madone is famed as a training hill for the pros. VIEW MORE Mont Ventoux When Napoleon wanted to construct the best naval fleet, he went for the toughest wood, coming from Mont Ventoux. VIEW MORE Col de Turini The thick forests of the Col de Turini are testament to the unpredictable weather the highest of the coastal climbs near our home town of Nice. VIEW MORE Col de Braus Find the point on Col de Braus where René Vietto, one of cycling’s greatest ever climbers, broke away to win his first professional race. VIEW MORE Mont Vial Mont Vial, standing at the confluence of the Tinée, Esteron and Var valleys, where the three rivers combine. VIEW MORE Col de Brouis For the people of Breil-sur-Roya before the Second World War, the Col de Brouis was a lifeline. It was the only route for them to the rest of France. VIEW MORE Mont Chauve Mont Chauve is Nice’s hidden mountain. It is hiding in plain sight, sitting there just to the north, right above the city, but nevertheless it is hidden VIEW MORE

September Sessions Admittedly, it's already October. But this ride took place in September and therefore can merit the title ‘September Sessions’. For those unfamiliar with it, September Sessions is a surfing documentary filmed by singer - songwriter Jack Johnson. It captures a moment in surfing history when international superstar Kelly Slater escapes the professional scene and swaps competition and sponsor obligations for soul surfing on new breaks to rekindle his spirit. September in the Alpes-Maritimes offers a similar kind of escapism. Beside the sea, the mercury rests somewhere in the mid-20s. In the mountains temperatures are pretty much pitch-perfect for riding. Roads are quieter, the sun is lower, the light is softer. And the big cols are still open. Legs are still in shape after the high summer season of long days and hard riding. The racing season is coming to a close and riding agendas are beginning adapted for the crossover to winter mode. It’s the perfect time for some free riding, up high. Ask any Azuréen cyclist worth the salt on their sweaty summer jersey about the Trois Cols and they will go all misty-eyed. Three cols - Allos, Champs and Cayolle. Each one more than 2,000m high, each one with its own charm, every one with its own challenges. It's a 100km loop of pure ups and downs - any flats along the way are false ones. In the cycling world, it is a relatively unknown option, maybe because it’s neither race, sportive or brevet. It just is. There are no rules. Go clockwise or anti-clockwise, either way will not disappoint and each col will leave its own imprint on your cycling brain. In September the roads are empty, the sky is a deep blue and the slopes are still vibrant green. Allos has its signs for fly fishing beside the valley’s grand river on the early 4% gradients, the ski village, deserted at this time of year, and newly laid tarmac that winds its way under the lifts to the 2250m summit. A col that cuts through the ridge with high banks either side, it really does go through the lowest part of this particular mountain. The refuge at the top overlooks the Ubaye valley. It’s the only one with remnants of the Tour de France still remaining in white paint on the first set of switchbacks on the north side. Zip up your windbreaker, let the the brakes go, tip it in and find your flow. Cayolle is a 29km-long story of gorges, open pastures and above-the-tree-line Alpine ruggedness. Locals will know that you can take a cut-through road directly off the descent from Allos and on to the climb without having to go the whole way into Barcelonette. Winding through the gorge, the numerous bridges take dramatic turns over the Bachelard river that gets noisier each week with the over-night rain that often falls up above. Out of the gorge, into the forest at Bayasse surrounded by magic trees providing that alpine fresh fragrance that every car driver seeks to emulate. Above the tree line, another mountain refuge offers comfort on the entrance to the amphitheater created by the peaks that tower over the west side of the Col. The Cayolle sits on the border between the Haute-Alpes-de-Provence and the Alpes-Maritimes. Like the Var River whose source is 5km down below, this is where the high mountains start their dive into the Med. Eyes front, heads down, through the tunnels towards Saint-Martin d’Entraunes. But it’s no competition, so stop in the switchbacks to take in the perfect mountain vista below. The Col des Champs offers the final part of mountain drama to finish off the trilogy. In 1975 it was part of the Tour de France when Merckx was the first to the top before he had his famous grand defaillance on the final climb to Pra-Loup. A team Bianchi car crashed on the descent to Colmars and French rider Bernard Thévenet went on to win the stage as The Cannibal showed that he was in fact human. But Tour de France history, whilst nice, is not what is special about this road and this route. The Col des Champs maybe sums it up best. It's a mountain pass like no other, it has roaming sheep and cattle, a plateau of open pastures, gravel roads branching off towards dramatic grey rock formations and a near 360 view offering a kaleidoscope of all that is great about the high mountains. It's been said before that cycling life above 2,000m is the best life. And September is perhaps the best time to be there. The Komoot Route

Riviera Gravel #5 – Via del Sale The Via del Sale or Route de Sel, depending on which side of the border you live, is maybe the pinnacle of Riviera Gravel. It's one of the highest unpaved roads within reach of Nice and quite possibly the most impressive. Reaching the route requires either an out-and-back day trip by car or on the touristic Train des Merveilles, or a multi-day ride from the Café. Whatever your chosen method, to go there is to pass from one azur coastal world to another, higher, alpine place of beauty. Arriving in Tende, looking up reveals an almost 360 degree surround of peaks, in which hides the network of historic gravel roads. These are not simple forest fire roads, but donkey paths the evolved into the double-tracks that gravel riders know and love. What remains of the engineering and construction of the Via del Sale is evidence of its purpose - this was an important trade route for a valuable commodity. From Tende many will prefer to take the switchback packed old border road that snakes its way up the mountainside to the old cross roads and abandoned military barracks that find themselves surrounded by the skiers of the Limone Piemonte resort during winter months. Alternatively, you can choose to add extra distance by starting your ride beside Mussolini's grand abandoned train station in Saint-Dalmas-de-Tende and climb to Casterino. It's a beautiful 13km alpine road to the hamlet where you then continue upwards towards the loose stuff. The east side of the Casterino valley tops out above the tree line at the Baisse de Peïrefique from where you follow the mountain's curve, enjoying a relatively flat and fully panoramic ride with impressive views of the Col de Tende. From Col de Tende following the track east is where the real ambiance of the old salt road kicks in. It's a roller coaster ride along the ridge line, up and over peaks, in and out of the contours of the mountains. Physically demanding and visually rewarding. That Instagram-winning moment comes as the road decides to follow a cliff edge pointing north east towards Turin before turning abruptly back on itself in the direction of the Mediterranean. Those who have ridden the Torino-Nice Rally will remember this section only too well. Many will have been aiming for a hearty Italian dinner and a good night of sheltered sleep at the Rifugio Don Barbera, a 20km ride from the Col de Tende itself. Here you can find refuge in a place where you feel completely removed from modern life. If it wasn't planned, the temptation to take an alpine overnighter will be strong. From the Refuge, the road climbs out to the dramatic views of the Cime de Pertégue before some welcomed descending into pine forests, in which some of the best mountain cabins this side of a hipster-coffee table book are hiding. The final climb of the ride is religious. Or at least it might feel that way if you are riding the whole route in one go. Up to the Passo di Tanarello with its viewpoint over the layers of peaks that line themselves up like accordion back down towards the coast, the last climb is a steep one. From here, the descent to La Brigue is long and rough, taking good bike-handling skills and strong forearms to cover the ground as efficiently as possible. Sometimes that is gravel riding. It's why they say maybe four hours on the rough stuff is worth six on the smooth. But the Via del Sale is not about statistics. It is an experience that will last a lifetime. Read more about the unbeaten tracks that surround Nice in our Riviera Gravel series. THE ROUTE - https://www.strava.com/routes/21790163

Col de Braus: Nos montagnes à la carte #8 About two kilometres from the top of the Col de Braus there is a section of 15% gradient. As this passes, the road takes a little turn to the right and, if you’ve been concentrating solely on what’s ahead, the climb now invites you to look back over the valley. There is a nice low wall to sit on and you can tell yourself, no, it’s not because you’re out of breath, you need to stop to take a picture of the road panorama below. We do at Café du Cycliste without fail, and we label it #everytimeipass. We like to think that this is where René Vietto, one of cycling’s greatest ever climbers, broke away to win his first professional race. René was born in Cannes, and as a boy worked at the Casinos while his mother picked jasmine flowers for the perfume makers in Grasse. René bought a bike with his tips and trained, and in 1931 won the Boucle de Sospel, launching an attack on Braus that would not get brought back. He did the same thing three years later, except that time it was during the Tour de France (which has passed over Braus 27 times, the last time being in 1961). He soloed from Braus to win on the Croisette in Cannes, where the crowd went wild, and where one of his supporters, spying someone trying to interfere with the hometown hero, punched the suspicious guy and knocked him out. That man was Jacques Goddet, the Tour’s assistant director. People have been stopping to marvel at this view forever; or, at least, since the col’s famous switchbacks were constructed in the early 20th century. It speaks to something in everyone – drivers and cyclists – who has ever laboured up a road to enjoy a view. However, this is not somewhere to pause if you’re a rally driver – the Monte Carlo Rally sometimes passes through, leaving black rubber marks on the hairpins which never quite fully fade away. Usually, though, the road is quiet, and the weather in this valley seems always to be gentler and sunnier than others inland. Locals come here to hunt in the valleys, and there is a secret swimming spot below, and if you’re here in the winter on a clear day you might even see all the way to the sea. Take your time up the ascent and you will admire the olive groves, and maybe spy the remnants of the old Route Royale, the salt road that linked Nice and the coast to Piedmont and the Dukes of Savoy in Turin. Read more about where we ride and our local climbs in our Montagnes à la Carte series. Or visit us in Nice and experience them for yourself. Photography : Greg Annandale Words : Max Leonard Nos montagnes à la carte Madone d’Utelle Madone d’Utelle, sitting on a bluff that dominates the Var valley at the confluence of the Esteron and the Tinée, is a fixed point of navigation. VIEW MORE Col de la Bonette Claimed to be the highest paved road in Europe, true or not it is perhaps the least of its attractions. VIEW MORE Col de Tende If you like getting off the beaten track, you will like the Col de Tende. VIEW MORE Col de la Madone It’s a dramatic start to arrive in Menton and climb immediately from sea level, Col de la Madone is famed as a training hill for the pros. VIEW MORE Mont Ventoux When Napoleon wanted to construct the best naval fleet, he went for the toughest wood, coming from Mont Ventoux. VIEW MORE Col de Turini The thick forests of the Col de Turini are testament to the unpredictable weather the highest of the coastal climbs near our home town of Nice. VIEW MORE Col de Vence The Col de Vence lies at 962m, above the bustling town of Vence and if you can tear your eyes off your stem, you’ll enjoy the stunning view. VIEW MORE Mont Vial Mont Vial, standing at the confluence of the Tinée, Esteron and Var valleys, where the three rivers combine. VIEW MORE Col de Brouis For the people of Breil-sur-Roya before the Second World War, the Col de Brouis was a lifeline. It was the only route for them to the rest of France. VIEW MORE Mont Chauve Mont Chauve is Nice’s hidden mountain. It is hiding in plain sight, sitting there just to the north, right above the city, but nevertheless it is hidden VIEW MORE

WHERE TO RIDE FROM NICE – VENCE Take the piste cyclable west and then climb the side of the Var valley and over to the pretty artists’ town of Vence. Fill up with water at the fountain before tackling this climb that’s a favourite with locals. On the top of the Col de Vence there are beautiful views over all the coastal towns, but once you drop off the back (and climb ever so slightly higher), you’ve left civilisation behind, and you’re out in the wilderness. Bouyon is a good stop for water, and Le Broc has a boulangerie and café, and then you descend back down the Var. If you want to dial the difficulty down, keep on going on the piste cyclable to the coast; otherwise, take the mapped route up to Aspremont for one more climb and a back-roads descent into Nice. key kit Fleurette Jersey The Col de Vence is south facing and the rocky landscape reflects the heat all year around. From spring through to the end of summer, take a Fleurette to handle the furnace that is the Fournaise. VIEW THE JERSEY RIDE INSIGHTS Vence happens to have not only what is perhaps the most perfectly located fountain, it’s right on the junction where the climb starts, but the town is actually famous for the purity of its water. READ MORE 1 - THE ROUTE DOWNLOAD GPX Please login or create an account to download file. 2 - RENT AND RIDE Travel light and book your bike. We offer a range of rental bikes, the R5 Cervelo road bike and the Aspero Cervelo gravel bike along with titanium road bikes from French marque Leon. Each bike is complete with pedals, tool bag and rear light while, if needed, each rental can also include Specialized shoes and helmet. VIEW OUR RENTAL BIKES 3 - THE CAFÉ Located on the Old Port, our café is the prefect pre and post-ride meeting place. With some routes that begin almost outside, excellent coffee and a full range of our clothing collections for men and women. There are weekly rides as well if you’d like to discover riding on the Cote D’Azur with like minded companions. You can find us at: 16 Quai des Docks 06300 Nice other rides When the ville of Nice decided to use #nicecyclingparadise to promote the grand depart of the 2020 Tour de France, there was definite method in the madness. If Paradise Lost has over ten thousand lines of verse, this cycling paradise found has almost as many routes, roads, stretches, views, climbs, cols, lacets, stops and starting points. Enough at least to satisfy even the most discerning cyclist. NISSA ALL-ROAD Linking two classic Alpes-Maritimes cols via a gravel ridge-line ride on a loop that takes you from portside to the heart of the mountains and back again. VIEW THE RIDE MONT CHAUVE Mont Chauve, known as Nice’s ‘bald mountain’, proves that nature constructed one of the best viewpoints the city has to offer. VIEW THE RIDE BONETTE Join the climb directly from the village and get ready for a day of zero flat riding by climbing and descending both sides of the mountain,. VIEW THE RIDE Braus & Turini Time to get serious. A ride that includes two of the majestic cols from our Montaignes a la Carte series and typical of what makes riding from Nice such an intoxicating mixture of pleasure and pain. VIEW THE RIDE Esterel & Adrets The Esterel national park stretches between Saint Raphaël and Théoule-sur-Mer. Stay close to the coast and, early in the year, watch out for the mimosa flowers on the descent back towards Cannes. VIEW THE RIDE Éze & Madone One of the classic rides of the region, which takes in two legendary climbs and hits you with a 10% slope right at the start. Ride out from our Café in Nice, take on the challenge and return to claim your badges. VIEW THE RIDE Mortola Ride a portion of the famous F1 Grand Prix course in Monte Carlo, and then climb out towards Menton, the last town in France, and over the border. It may be short but it includes two countries and into one principality. VIEW THE RIDE Duranus & Saint Blaise Head up the valley to where three rivers meet, climb higher still and take the time to look around. For those who are looking for some serious up, take in the Madone d’Utelle, from our Montaignes a la Carte series. VIEW THE RIDE GILETTE & BONSON The back country of Nice opens up behind the coast and this ride provides easy access. VIEW THE RIDE OUR BADGES To celebrate the local climbs and the roads we ride, we’ve created a badge for each of our local cols, collected together in our Montagne à la Carte series. The hard part of collecting your badge is climbing the col. CLAIM YOUR BADGE

Cool Spots For Red Hot Rides Hidden deep within the arrière pays Niçois we found some of the freshest pools spawned straight from mountain springs. The perfect antidote for high summer rides.

Take Me To The River #3 : Rocchetta Nervina Crossing the frontier from France to Italy is not only to chase the perfect espresso but also a feeling of having it all. It might seem strange, but the astonishing difference crossing from France into Italy is real. Is it the smell, the light, the Fiat Punto on the wrong side of the road? Andrea Mifsud, although he lives in Mougins, has a heritage that also crosses borders. With a mother from the Lombardia region of Italy and father who is half French and half Maltese, Andrea can claim to be fully Mediterranean. He has a strong bond with Italy, which sees him returning regularly for longer rides into the Ligurian hinterlands. With his 20 years of age he’s on the upward curve in his racing career but that doesn’t mean he doesn’ t like to mix it up when doing the longer steady rides – like exploring the Italian olive groves and ending it with a wild swim. The pastel colors of the old town of Ventimiglia fade into each other, just like Andrea’s jerseys and the roads and city have that Italian hustle and bustle that somehow fades into an almost musical anthem. Andrea adapts to the pace and strikes a vibrant modern flash across and older-looking town, before turning left up the valley towards Dolceaqua and then Rocchetta Nervina situated at the top of the valley amongst olive groves and the foothills of the bigger mountains. The altitude and the steady climate will guarantee a quality production of the olives, just as they do for the professional riders living in Monaco who make a habit of riding to Dolceaqua for a doppio on their recovery days. Andrea continues straight through Dolceaqua, keen to get to the river. His plight is helped by an Ape – those traditional 3-wheeled, vespa-engined, flat-bed utility vehicles that serve rural Italy so well. The also provide a nice bit of motor-pacing on the false flats and steady gradients that lead up the valley. Steady, that is, if you stay in the valley. A left turn right before Hotel Lago Bin on the Strada Provinciale 68 climbs up into the olive groves like only an Italian road can. It’s a short loop but it’s a severe one. Tarmac becomes corrugated concrete, becomes gravel. Secrets only discovered when turning each corner on yet another surface change through the precious Taggiasca olive trees which produce olives with a soft taste of fruit, just like the smell flowing in the air. It is like a kick in the face coming around yet another corner to see one more muro to be climbed on a that a “road” that is only know by the local olive farmers. Surely the Apes can’t make it up here. Descending directly down into Rocchetta Nervina, with a population of only 275 people, it is quiet. Very quiet. Heads turn to greet Andrea as he slowly enters the square of the former Roman village, which during medieval times brought the pilgrims from Piedmont to the Nervia Valley. Andrea turns left that takes him directly to the most beautiful and clean swim hole just behind the square itself – it’s the most accessible swim hole but somehow having the village as a backdrop makes it a special experience. The Savoys brought peace to the village in the 17th century and that feeling has stayed ever since, leaving the place to be a haven of tranquility, even though it is a popular spot. Locals used to go higher up the river to dive in or go canyoning, but recent landslides have put a stop to that. But that doesn’t take anything away from it. The rougher rock face on the left forms a channel with the polished slab of granite on the right, the former providing a place to jump from and the latter a place to dry out and relax on. It is another very chaud summer day of riding and the refreshing mountain water is everything anyone will ever need to cool down. After drying up and getting back on the bike, Andrea decides it is time to stop at Dolce Aqua. The café on the corner, the well-known spot for riders in the area with a specific flair for the perfect espresso (we are proud of our coffee, but we have to give the Italians respect for what they do with their coffee beans). The contrast of Andrea’s full-on race bike fitted with one of the new-wave handlebar bags filled with his swimming kit draws attention. He falls into conversation with a few locals and before we know Andrea’s Italian side is showing with hand gestures and impassioned stories about his dad. It almost feels like home. See the full swim collection here. Or simply check out our series of Take Me To The River swim holes.