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 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.