RIDE OF THE MONTH : MAY
This is a ride we’ve used before to introduce people to everything that our region has to offer in one hit, and which became known as the ‘Secret Weapon’ ride. Our well-traveled friend from NYC, Donalrey Nieva shared the gravel section with CyclingTips editor, Caley Fretz, who promptly marked it 9/10. Parisian punks, PCR Gravier, unsurprisingly couldn’t get enough of it.
The Deconfinement All-Road Ride
After more than eight weeks of lockdown, when the rules were relaxed and riding within a 100km radius was allowed, it was the obvious choice to appreciate all that we’d been missing : classic Cols, mountain views, gravel segments, hidden backroads, and big descents.
In the world of global cycling, the Col de Braus is a forgotten classic. It featured in the Tour de France in the 1930s but, like the entire region itself, fell out of favour mostly for logistical reasons. So, whilst it’s not a ‘celebrity col’ it’s one of those ‘once ridden, never forgotten’ roads. Having a perfectly laid set of switchbacks followed by a balcony view back down over their full glory helps the appreciation factor. Then there’s view through the mountains the whole way back to the sea, and the René Vietto memorial on the summit. Apologies, we could wax lyrical about Braus all day.
The auberge at the top serves the cyclists, moto riders and sports car drivers alike – it’s like an informal road engineering appreciation club. A few winters ago, the proprietor told us his 90-year old granny was a downhill MTB champion and that he drinks one litre of olive oil direct from the bottle each week. One of those statements is true.
Channel that eccentric energy as you turn right off the road and onto the gravel. The double-track road starts with a bit of a climb from the Col de Braus and after that it rolls its way along the ridgeline towards the Col du Farguet. It doesn’t take long to feel lost in the middle of the mountains. We meet a shepherd driving his flock back up to the higher pastures – this is the transhumance of summer, the return to the mountains. The symbolism is not lost on us.
At the Col du Farguet stop and look backwards towards the higher peaks of Turini and Tende before continuing south on the gravel where, eventually, you can just sneak a peak of Sainte-Agnès in between the mountains. The gravel ends before the Col de Ségra but the fun doesn’t. This hidden road is almost totally deserted all year round. The most traffic we experience is during the hunting season, when the orange camouflaged vests dot the landscape, looking for the sanglier (wild boar) in between the trees.
The road descends a series of switchbacks to traverse the Col des Banquettes – in case you weren’t counting, that’s four cols so far – before the arrival at Sainte-Agnès. It's one of France’s ‘beaux villages’ and apparently the highest coastal village in Europe. For road cyclists, it’s better known as the halfway point of the climb of the Col de la Madone from Menton.
Leaving the junction below Sainte-Agnès, the second half of the climb is the most picturesque. Just 1km up the road, a steep ramp through the trees leads to a right-hand bend that delivers a panoramic view of the entire bay of Menton and beyond to Italy.
If you’re riding during the day there’s a high chance you’ll meet a pro. Rumour has it that, no matter where he has been riding on any particular day, Ritchie Porte regards the Madone as his commute home to Monaco once his main work is done. Just don’t get sucked into trying to follow wheels on the false flats before the tunnels, because after that the gradient does not relent until the summit.
Like many climbs, the summit of the Madone is slightly underwhelming – it’s about the journey to get there. The views improve as the descent begins and what a descent it is - 40 minutes back to the sea via the town of La Turbie. After two classic cols, 15km of riding through the wilderness and 1,600m of climbing, that’s almost as welcome as the drink on the Port at the end.
Coffee stop : Pain d’Aqui, the boulangerie beside the bridge in L’Ecarène for coffee, pastries and lunch, if you want to take it up and stop on the gravel section. Or, if you prefer stop on Col de Braus at the Buvette de Col de Braus but check the opening hours before you leave.
Lunch stop : Le Righi restaurant at Sainte-Agnès. It’s an extra climb through the village but it’s beside a WW2 bunker and has a terrace with spectacular views over Menton
If you want to fly and ride the Secret Weapon all road ride, the all-carbon Cervélo Aspero is in equal parts rigid enough for the climbs and rugged enough for the rough stuff. Rent one 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.
