Cycling

  • Il Lombardia

    2nd-6th October – Around Lago Como A few days of down time with Sue sightseeing, boating, walking and chilling out in and around Como before coming home. And one last ride… The Giro di Lombardia, or simply Il Lombardia and… Continue reading

    Il Lombardia
  • Last leg(s) to the sea

    Day 55 (27th September) – Puget-Théniers to Villefranche-sur-Mer. Last day of our Alps Odyssey… From Muggia (Italy) on the Adriatic coast to Villefranche-sur-Mer (France) on the Mediterranean via the full length of the European Alps. 6 countries. 33 days, 3,400+km… Continue reading

    Last leg(s) to the sea
  • A lesson in strategy?

    Days 51-52 (23rd to 24th September) – Briançon & Briançon to Briançon and Barcelonnette. 23rd September – A rest day in historic Briançon, the highest (1,326 m) city in France. A chance to wander about its well-preserved UNESCO World Heritage… Continue reading

    A lesson in strategy?
  • Galibier

    Day 50 (22nd September) – Saint-Michel-de-Maurienne to Briançon The Col du Galibier (2,642m) looms large in cycling folklore. Introduced to the Tour de France in 1911 by Henri Desgrange, the founder of the Tour, it has since been crossed 63 times, making… Continue reading

    Galibier
  • Bourg-St-Maurice to St-Jean-de-Maurienne

    Day 48 (20th September) – Bourg-St-Maurice to St-Jean-de-Maurienne The highest paved mountain pass (2,770m) in the whole of Europe and France’s longest climb makes the Col de l’Iseran a favourite for cyclists. First featured in the Tour de France in 1938,… Continue reading

    Bourg-St-Maurice to St-Jean-de-Maurienne
  • Le Grand-Bornand to Bourg-Saint-Maurice

    Day 47 (19th September) – Le Grand-Bornand to Bourg-Saint-Maurice Three significant climbs today – the most we have done in one day. The advantage of three climbs in a day is the opportunity for 1st breakfast-1st climb, followed by 2nd… Continue reading

    Le Grand-Bornand to Bourg-Saint-Maurice
  • Thonon-les-Bains to Le Grand-Bornand

    Day 46 (18th September) – Thonon-les-Bains to Le Grand-Bornand. We set off in darkness heading south on the 720 km Route des Grandes Alpes from Lake Geneva to the Mediterranean coast. La Route des Grandes Alpes was conceived in 1909… Continue reading

    Thonon-les-Bains to Le Grand-Bornand
  • The Upper Rhône Valley

    Days 43-44 (15th-16th September) – Fiesch to Thonon-les-Bains. Fed by mighty glaciers, including the Aletschgletscher, the upper Rhône River stretches from its source at the Rhône Glacier near Grimsel Pass to Lake Geneva. A rain shadow effect created by the surrounding… Continue reading

    The Upper Rhône Valley