I am in Alsace, France meeting up with several Americans and a Canadian for some cycling in the Vosges mountains. All very nice guys - ranging from good to VERY strong cyclists.
Sunday – to “warm-up” - we rode in the Col des Vosgiens cyclosportif. The route was 173 kms and well over […]

From a distance, looking at the TV tower a-top Mont du Chat - more than any climb I know - it seems impossible that it is cycleable. I love this climb.
Often I write that “I felt strong” - well today I felt weak as a kitten. Partly because I was […]

After yesterday’s big ride, I was a bit nervous to try Ventoux again. But the weather was perfect and the legs felt OK.
From Bedoin is the classic route, at roughly 21 kms and over 1,600 metres climb, it is a big climb. The first five kms are quite easy, and […]

For the French long weekend, we drove to Provence staying in the beautiful medieval town of Avignon.
Friday I cycled up the legendary volcano Le Mont Ventoux. I have cycled ventoux before but never from the Malaucene side. This route is almost exactly the same difficulty as the more classic Bedoin route (21 […]

Col de la Colombiere is the closest “famous” climb to me - just over 30 minute drive away.

It was in the Tour last year and I will be cycling it again with a couple of friends on July 17th, in this year’s Tour de France.
Strangely, at the bottom it was signed […]

Courchevel is a very posh ski resort (David Beckham stayed here with wife Posh) in the Trois Vallées region of the French Alps. It was the finish line for stage 10 of the 2005 Tour de France, won by Valverde but where Armstrong took back the lead on the way to winning his final […]

I checked the webcam for Manigod ski station and the roads looked clear enough. So I drove to Thones and climbed the Col de la Croix Fry. This was the last climb in stage 17 of the 2004 Tour de France when Armstrong beat Kloden by about an inch. The stats don’t […]

What a trip.  Our most ambitious cycling vacation ever.  Our first visit to the Southern French Alps.  Eight big climbs in 8 days. Every one a legendary Tour de France route.  Hard work but really fun.   it was a  dream of mine to climb Bonette (the highest road in Europe) and Izoard […]

   
The last day of vacation.  Climbing Alpe d’Huez is a great way to end a great trip.  I woke up early and descended to the bottom of mountain.  I tried to ride a few flat kilometres to warm up before the ride but it is the biggest travel day of the year and so I […]

We started our journey back north and arrived last night in Alpe d’Huez.  With its 21 numbered hairpins, one of the most famous cycling climbs in the world.   Dutch riders have won Tour de France stages here more than any other country and the Alpe d’Huez (France)  is jokingly called the highest place in […]