Nice - Col du Turini - Tende

paulontheroad

I'm heading out of Nice at the start of this year's Alps tour and am planning to go up the Col du Turini before heading via Sospel up to Tende and on into Italy. I'm not arriving in Nice til early afternoon so was planning on cycling in the direction of the Col du Turini (30 or 40kms) and then the next day going up the Turini and on up to Tende.
Does anyone have any advice on the best route out of Nice (from the train station); any opinions on the best side of the Turini to go up - I'm guessing from the West or South; and also if there is any cheap accommodation in the area - approach roads to Turini (or on up on the road to Tende)?
Any advice much appreciated, thanks
Paul

andyrr

We actually stayed at the Col du Turini : not the very, very top (can't recall if there is anything there, but at the small resort where there are some chalets and hotels. That was about 12 or so years ago and I took my bike so any ride involved a descent then climb back up. I tended to return via the La Bollene-Vesubie road (just checked - it's the M70) but I must have taken some different routes on occasion - memory is a bit rusty now. None of your wimpy compact chainsets back then, was probably running 39/53 and 13-27 or similar and I got up that ok. The area is quite nice but I if I don't really recall any long rides I went on, I 'd go downhill, knowing that I'd have a hard ride back up to the house again and I don't think I went off for hours on end after that, Col de Turini to Lantosque is near 18Kms so I had a 45+ minute ascent on that road.
I recall taking the other roads down from Turini a couple of times but I'm afraid I don't have much to add about the roads at the bottom again.

davidof

The west, Lantosque is considered the classic of the 3 routes. 1170m climbing with an average grade of 6.7 over 17.4km. The longest is the SW from l'Escarane with 1300m of V+ over 26.3km with a grade of 4.9%. From Sospel SE, you are looking at 1260m climbing over 24.6km. With your route maybe the SE is the better choice?

Why don't you do the Col de la Madone the day you arrive from Menton than the Turini from Sospel the next day?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsnAF652bWc

paulontheroad

Thanks for the advice. The Madone looks a nice option but I'm flying in to Marseille early morning and then getting the train along to Nice. I don't think I'll get in to Nice until 2 or 3ish which leaves me a bit short of time to do too much (and having to get up at 4.30 in the morning won't help either). I like the idea of the classic approach from the West. Any advice on the roads out of Nice?

FJS

Have been there just last week! The Turini is a great climb. Don't know about 'classic', but the Eastern (from Sospel) and Southern (from L'Escarene/Luceram) sides are the most beautiful, and also with the biggest elevation gain. Going up one and down the other would always be my choice. There are two routes from Luceram, one via the Col de L'Orne, the other via the Col St Roch; the Col de L'Orne one was closed for resurfacing last week.
The Col de Turini actually has some hotels, most aimed at motor bikers, don't know about the price - the summit is not the most picturesque part of the col anyway (no real views on the col itself). Luceram and Sospel were cute villages with enough facilities and I'm sure a decent place to sleep. If you come from Nice and want to find a place to sleep before doing the Turini and on to Italy the next day, Luceram or L'Escarene seem logical places to find a bed.
From Nice I would certainly avoid the main road out to L'Escarene through the valley. I reckon the best approach road is first going east along the coast then north from La Turbie. You could take the coastal road from Nice to Cap d'Ail, then climb North straight to La Turbie, then further via Peille to L'Escarene. Or, the higher road above the clifftops to the Col d'Eze from Nice, on to La Turbie, and to Peille and L'Escarene from there. Both are very scenic, have some traffic, but not too much. I guess you can also leave Nice North first, and then cut East to L'Escarene, but I haven't done those roads.