Short description
Welcome to a unique guided cycle holiday sharing a good time out on the
bike in stunning nature near Nice. It is for you whether you are training for a cycling event, sight seeing or just loving to ride!
Your cycle holiday will take in some of the most iconic and stunning routes in the lower mountains of the Alpes-Maritimes along this magnificant coastline and meandering roads to picture postcard hill top villages, so well known and loved in the area.
The itinerary suits experienced road bike cyclists taking in spectacular medium distance hillside routes in the Cote d’Azur and visiting charming villages.
4-8 November 2021
50-75 km & 850-1100 m+/day
Full board
Small group (6 persons)
Individual lux apartment in a beautiful complex near the medieval village of St-Paul de Vence and Nice Côte d'Azur Airport.
The plan for the long weekend is based on 3 days of cycling with plenty of time for relaxation and socialising. Hosted at Le Haut des Espinets on the fabulous French Riviera.
We will be a small group of up to 6 cyclists and go in a moderate pace, ca 18-22 km/h depending on the route. You can bring your own bike or we can help you to find a good rental bike.
There will be time built in for tasting specialities of the Nicois cuisine in local restaurants in villages at lunch and for relaxation, be it a dip in the pool, a game of tennis or boules, or a visit to the artists village of St Paul de Vence and the many attractions in the area.
Your guide, Tina Baltzer, is a keen cyclist from Denmark. She moved to the Cote d’Azur in 2015. With a passion for cycling through beautiful landscapes, Tina set up Lifesparkz Bike Tours.
The prize is set for 1 person staying in a single room in a lux villa complex. Non-cycling holiday partners can come along and share the room with you for 500€, breakfasts and dinners included.
The villa consists of multiple apartments with individual outdoor areas and bathrooms, big common rooms, an outdoor BBQ area, pool and tennis court in the beautiful garden with stunning view. It is a very tranquil place. It is the house of your dreams in Southern France.
The itinerary
Thursday 4. November 2021: Arrival and welcome
Friday 5. November 2021: Col de Vence
Distance 60 km / 1100 m+
This is one of the most quiet and beautiful routes in the area and a favorite among local cyclists. We head for a local challenge: Col de Vence, which is a climb up through a landscape that looks like a moonscape. From the top we continue our ride in a loop through charming villages, such as Coursegoules and Bouyon.
The views to some of the higher mountain tops in the Mercantour national park are magnificent as we drive down a bit technical descent and head back through the villages Gillette, Le Broc, Carros and Gartières on the Western side of the Var river delta.
We stop for lunch in a restaurant in Carros.
The route is the main part of the Nice Ironman 70,3 cycling course and you get to focus on cycling the most beautiful part of it.
Saturday 6. November 2021: Le Loup
Distance: 50 km / 850 m+
Le Loup is the name of a river that flows from a mountain pass in Les Alpes-Martimes and to the sea in Villeneuve-Loubet.
Today we will circle around the lower part of the river. We descent to the lower land via St. Paul de Vence and cycle through the villages Le Colle sur Loup, Le Rouret, Chateauneuf and Le Bar sur Loup.
We head to a beautiful village Tourrets-sur-Loup for lunch.
Sunday 7. November 2021: Tour de France 2020, part of stage 1
Distance: 75 km / Climb: 1100 m+
In 2020 Nice hosted the Grand Départ of the Tour de France and the first two stages took their depart and end in Nice.
On our third cycling day, we will discover one of the 3 loops that the Tour de France riders did on the first day of the Tour de France. In the Tour program it is presented as a flat route, but you will see that there is some climbing involved.
We cycle to Nice, follow the Promenade des Anglais and turn into the city center. We climb via the area called Cimiez, where we pass historic places, such as roman remains and grand buildings.
Gradually we rise above the city and get some great views of Nice as we approach Aspremont village. We are now in the hills surrounding Nice.
Soon after Aspremont, we descent towards the Var river plateau via Castaignier, where we stop for lunch.
Fully energized we roll down to cross Var river and return to Le Haut des Espinets via the villages Carros and Gattières.
Key information
- Highlights
- Col de Vence
- Tourettes-sur-Loup
- Tour de France 2020, parts of stage 1
- Cycling the promenade des Anglais in Nice
- Charming villages
- Lush green rolling hills surrounding the Var river
