Cycling in Haute Provence
Cycling, for those that don’t know, is the national sport in France, and the Haute Provence region provides some of the most stunning roads, tracks and backdrops for cyclists of all abilities. It is also not only an incredibly popular cycling location for the French, but also many other Europeans who travel to the area on holiday to cycle.
But before you pack your bags, oil your chain and head for the Alps, it is essential that you fully research the area and know your roads and routes. Not all the roads in the area are suitable for everyone. For example, there are many cols to tackle in the area, and these involve cycling on steep narrow inclines that are most definitely for the hard-core cyclists. Also anyone with a fear of heights should be aware that on some of these roads up to the cols there can be sheer vertical drops on the side down the mountain, so they are not for the faint-hearted.
The Ubaye Valley is one of the most popular locations for cycling in the region and the ‘Seven Cols cycle’ will challenge the very best of cyclists. It is also worth pointing out that some roads are purely cycle routes at certain times on certain days, and for example, the Col D’Allos to Barcelonnette road is closed to vehicles on Fridays between 08:30 and 11:00 from the end of June to mid-September, so that cyclists can enjoy the route entirely. This road is definitely not for the casual cyclist and offers some very stunning and hair-raising views of the Ubaye Valley below and vertigo sufferers should stay well clear!
For those wanting a more leisurely cycle route, then the flat 20km road up the Issole Valley from St Andre-les-Alpes to Thorame Basse may be more up your street. Bikes can be hired at a couple of locations in St Andre-les-Alpes: the Total petrol station on the road to Nice or at the hotel-restaurant just after the garage (both just outside of St Andre-les-Alpes). Alternatively, bikes can be hired in Beauvezer , just north of Thorame-Haute for those wishing to cycle down to St Andre-les-Alpes.
Alternatively, you may choose to attempt some of the ski slopes (which become cycle tracks in summer) on which you can test your downhill skills as pictured above. There are a number of places in the region such as the Seignus Station above Allos where VTT (mountain-biking) can be done, and the ski slopes are perfect as the lifts are used to take you up the mountain side before you begin your descent – a far better idea than cycling up!
This entry was posted on Tuesday July 22nd, 2008 at 1:51 PM and is filed under Places to Cycle. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response.
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