The Mont Ventoux Mon 15th July trip report
gavinbay
Posts: 144
Been out here in Serre Chevalier, we have an appt in La Salle-les-Alpes around 16km down from the Lautaret, for the past couple of weeks, and have done a fair bit of riding around these parts http://app.strava.com/athletes/398695
Yesterday took the Mrs to Marseille airport from here yesterday to see how it compares with Lyon transfers etc - just over three hours so not too bad, as in the winter we have the issue of the Lautaret possibly being shut - and best of all you can get a train (very scenic route) from Marseilles to Briancon.
Left Marseilles airport and headed up the Autoroute du Soleil (A7) for Avignon / Carpentras and then on to Bedoin for the Ventoux.
At Bedoin the place was still very very busy with people / vans / bikes etc etc from the previous day's stage. Parked up in a large car park where many people were leaving, or arriving on their bikes having done the ascent.
Took the bike out and got ready, speaking to some Brit photographer who is doing a book, my computer by now was reading 45 degrees, though in direct sunshine, but just moving around the sweat started!
I had driven on to Bedoin knowing I needed some fuel and did see a sign post for a 24hrs station and in fact on the ascent cycled past it so no worries (I thought).
It's a pretty awe inspiring landscape with the Ventoux just rising out from the vineyard valleys below, so you can see pretty well all the time how far you have to go, as those that have done it know.
The heat was pretty intense and there was not much of a breeze. I was really surprised at the gradient in the first 6km with it never seeming to drop below 11%, in fact for the whole climb I'd say 9% was the average, so damn hot especially out of the trees.
Many many cyclists were descending along with loads of Dutch and Belgian (worst drivers there are) cars, and it seemed to be that the smell of burning brake pads was invariably after a Belgian or Dutch car!
Not that many riders going up, though I was passed by quite a few London Dynamos and at the summit was pretty busy.
I did find the climb really hard and was asking myself why, think way better to have done it first thing in the morning or very late on in the afternoon as I was close to bonking (again with the heat).
I'd already decided to do a loop going over the top and dropping down the other side, which was a good call and was no where near as busy. Even I enjoyed the descent, from 1,900m to 300m on roads similar to the Izoard with long stretches of straight into swooping bends.
Near the end (Malaucene) I found a welcoming fountain and bath, then had another 12km with some more uphill to go back to Bedoin.
Once packed up headed back out to the petrol station to be told that they had no Diesel!!!
My route back to Briancon was pretty cross country and I did not fancy taking a chance of finding a station that might or might not be open and have diesel or not!
So opted to drive back to the Carpentras and then had to find a garage, managed that then had to set the GPS to get back to Briancon. I should have just followed the signs to Gap, but the GPS took me along every scenic mountain road that I think there must be in the Provence, with so many panoramas, gorges, stunning villages, road side Cafe's etc etc, and spectacular views of the ever present Ventoux though my GPS did originally show an ETA of 22:20 that was rapidly slipping back to 23:00.
Started to see more and more camper vans in situ, with most people facing the road in the chairs having dinner / drinks and waving at the very few idiots still on the road, took me quite a time to realise that they were not laid up from the previous days stage and that they were there for today's Vaison-la-Romaine / Gap
http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2013/us/stage-16.html
I was getting so tired and just wanted a long piece of straight RN by the end though........
Eventually got home, very very knackered at 22:30 - a long day.
Memorable day though!
Image below is taken near the Côte de la Montagne de Bluye
Yesterday took the Mrs to Marseille airport from here yesterday to see how it compares with Lyon transfers etc - just over three hours so not too bad, as in the winter we have the issue of the Lautaret possibly being shut - and best of all you can get a train (very scenic route) from Marseilles to Briancon.
Left Marseilles airport and headed up the Autoroute du Soleil (A7) for Avignon / Carpentras and then on to Bedoin for the Ventoux.
At Bedoin the place was still very very busy with people / vans / bikes etc etc from the previous day's stage. Parked up in a large car park where many people were leaving, or arriving on their bikes having done the ascent.
Took the bike out and got ready, speaking to some Brit photographer who is doing a book, my computer by now was reading 45 degrees, though in direct sunshine, but just moving around the sweat started!
I had driven on to Bedoin knowing I needed some fuel and did see a sign post for a 24hrs station and in fact on the ascent cycled past it so no worries (I thought).
It's a pretty awe inspiring landscape with the Ventoux just rising out from the vineyard valleys below, so you can see pretty well all the time how far you have to go, as those that have done it know.
The heat was pretty intense and there was not much of a breeze. I was really surprised at the gradient in the first 6km with it never seeming to drop below 11%, in fact for the whole climb I'd say 9% was the average, so damn hot especially out of the trees.
Many many cyclists were descending along with loads of Dutch and Belgian (worst drivers there are) cars, and it seemed to be that the smell of burning brake pads was invariably after a Belgian or Dutch car!
Not that many riders going up, though I was passed by quite a few London Dynamos and at the summit was pretty busy.
I did find the climb really hard and was asking myself why, think way better to have done it first thing in the morning or very late on in the afternoon as I was close to bonking (again with the heat).
I'd already decided to do a loop going over the top and dropping down the other side, which was a good call and was no where near as busy. Even I enjoyed the descent, from 1,900m to 300m on roads similar to the Izoard with long stretches of straight into swooping bends.
Near the end (Malaucene) I found a welcoming fountain and bath, then had another 12km with some more uphill to go back to Bedoin.
Once packed up headed back out to the petrol station to be told that they had no Diesel!!!
My route back to Briancon was pretty cross country and I did not fancy taking a chance of finding a station that might or might not be open and have diesel or not!
So opted to drive back to the Carpentras and then had to find a garage, managed that then had to set the GPS to get back to Briancon. I should have just followed the signs to Gap, but the GPS took me along every scenic mountain road that I think there must be in the Provence, with so many panoramas, gorges, stunning villages, road side Cafe's etc etc, and spectacular views of the ever present Ventoux though my GPS did originally show an ETA of 22:20 that was rapidly slipping back to 23:00.
Started to see more and more camper vans in situ, with most people facing the road in the chairs having dinner / drinks and waving at the very few idiots still on the road, took me quite a time to realise that they were not laid up from the previous days stage and that they were there for today's Vaison-la-Romaine / Gap
http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2013/us/stage-16.html
I was getting so tired and just wanted a long piece of straight RN by the end though........
Eventually got home, very very knackered at 22:30 - a long day.
Memorable day though!
Image below is taken near the Côte de la Montagne de Bluye
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Comments
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You lucky lucky bastard
Share The Road Event http://www.sharetheroadride.co.uk
Lancashire Cycle Link Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/126682247491640/0 -
Sounds like a great day's riding. 11% for the first 6km!! You're making me think of taking a wider ratio cassette than the 12-25 that I have currently - i'm over there in 8 weeks time. I start my ascent of Ventoux all the way back in Paris 6 days beforehand!!
Any more pics?? We like scenic pics
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Few more pics here
http://www.anotherharddayattheoffice.co ... alier-blog
Off to do Izoard (again) but this time going up through the Casse Dessertes starting from here some 105km - will take some pics for sure !0 -
I assume this is a trip you organised yourself rather than as an organised trip?
I kind of fancy this or something similar next year and have been looking to see if any travel companies will take care of logistics etc.0 -
Erurainon - I base myself in Serre Chevalier (drive out) and there are so many routes to take starting from where you stay that logistics are not really an issue - you can rent an appt quite cheaply, or just do a couple of gites in different locations and then you have more flexibility on the number of routes you can do.
For sure there are loads of travel bike tour operators, but they are out numbered by people like me just doing their own thing. Many are here with their families enjoying a ride in the morning and then hooking up with the family for the rest of the day, and if you have an other half that can drive then that further increases your options
Feel free to ask any more questions
Few shots from today
Strava log http://app.strava.com/activities/677350310
