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If your idea of a pleasant day out on your bike is
a 160km ride with 2,3 or even 4 thousand metres of climbing thrown
in for good measure, all against the clock, together with a few
thousand other riders, then read on, you might want to come and
do a cyclosportive.
Anyone who has ridden the Etape
Du Tour will know exactly
what to expect from a cyclosportive, legs like chewing gum, sickness,
headache, backache, sore arse etc etc, but also the amazing sense
of acheivement and the camaraderie between everyone out on the road.
If you are and experienced Etapper
and have entered or are thinking of entering the 2006 Etape du Tour
we will be running Etape Training Weeks in May and June to help
you get acustomed to long Alpine style climbs.
There
are many fantastic cyclosportives in our region and we have holidays based around them.
There are now 3
cyclosportives which ascend Mont Ventoux starting with La Vauclusienne on the 18th of May. Now in its 3rd season this is our local event, the start being just 5 kms from the Veloventoux base. It attracts over 500 entrants including the ex F1 champion and cyclosportive specialist Alain Prost.
La
Ventoux - Beaumes de Venise
The major Ventoux cyclosportive on the 7th of June 2008. There is a 170km circuit
with 3500m of climbing and a shorter circuit at 102km.
The main event, "The Master", climbs the classic way up
from Bedoin, descends the North side, takes a lumpy route round
to Sault then ascends once again to Chalet Reynard before descending
back to Bedoin.
Over 1000 entries in 2007.
The week is based here in Faucon about 35 minutes away from Beaumes
de Venise where you can get accustomed to the climbing and even "practice" on Mt Ventoux.
Click here for prices.
Les Routes Du Ventoux
Usually the first Saturday in September - we will confirm the date as soon as we know it. Run on a smaller scale than the Ventoux Beaumes de Venise with just
over 400 entries in 2007. There is a 150km and a 100km option. Just
one ascent of the mountain this time and the option of a time trial
up The Gorge de la Nesque the day before.
The week is based here in Faucon about 40minutes away from the start
at Villes sur Auzon.
Click here for prices.
La Marmotte
Saturday the 5th of July 2007
Possibly the most famous of all the cyclosportives. At 175km with
almost 5000m of climbing the Marmotte is a real tough one.
It starts in Bourg D'Oisans, and climbs
the Col de Glandon, the Col De Telegraph, The Galibier and on to
a mountain top finish at Alpe D'Huez!
Over 8000 participants in 2007.
The week will start with 4 days "training" before moving
up to chalet accommodation 200m away from the finish line in Alpe
d'Huez. Click here for prices.
We have a new exciting cyclosportive, The Maxim Tristan Mouric in May from Vaison La Romaine which does a 150 km circuit of Mont Ventoux which attracted a big field last year including the cyclosportive specialist and ex F1 champion Alain Prost.
Also we have La Coironese on 28th April and The Cezanne St Victoire on the 3rd June.
Veloventoux client Amy Smith, second overall female in the Routes du Ventoux cyclosportive. She was also second woman in the Chrono de la Nesque time trial along with Mark Wakeling who was 2nd in the mens age 30-39 category.
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Les Cingles
du Ventoux
Not a cyclosportive with a fixed date but known as a permanent.
At 136km and 4500m of ascent all you have to do is climb The Ventoux
by the 3 ways up, from Bedoin, Malaucene and Sault and finish where
you started from.
The Cingle can be incorporated into a standard week but only experienced
cyclosportivers for this one please. (Cingle is French for screwball!)
Click here for fixed week prices.
L'Ardechoise
Held over the weekend of the 21st and 22nd of June, we are running theis trip in conjunction with Gastrobiking.
About an hours drive away, L'Ardechoise is a great
first cyclosportive. The main circuit is 216km with over 4000m of
climbing but there are many shorter loops which you can choose to
take as you ride round depending on how you are feeling at the time.
Last year the main Ardechoise event attracted 15007 entrants.
Challenge du
Dauphine
31st of May, a fantastic hilly sportive in the spectacular Vercore Regional Park.3 options from 75km to 180km in fantastic scenery. A popular
event with normally over 1000 entrants.
The Vercors Drome
Last Saturday in August (Date TBC)
Again, based in the hilly Vercors, the main event is 189km with
3700m of climbing and had over 1000 participants in 2004.
This week is run in conjunction with Gastrobiking, click here for
details.
Local Randonnees
Randonnees are like non - compitative reliability rides and there
are some really good ones organised by our local club, Nyons CT.
These are:
Randonee les Oliviers - May
110km, 70km or 35KM
Le Tour de Nyonsais - End June
135km or 70km
La Barjavel - August
85km
Toboggan des Cotes du Rhone
September
Food & drink (inc wine) is available at feeding stops en route
and there are usually free gifts of wine, olives and tapenade for
every starter with trophys for the most travelled team.
The
Organisation of the cyclosportives is superb with
numerous feeding stations along the way, and by feeding station
I don't mean half a banana and some watered down sport drink.
There are usually shorter circuits available based around the main
event if you aren't up to a 200km monster and on the more popular
cyclosportives such as the Marmotte, the roads are closed to all
traffic.
If you need more detailed information on any of
our cyclosportive packages click here
for prices or drop us an e mail for technical help such as advice
on gearing, fitness and clothing etc.
These are the Sportives we will be covering in 2008. Please contact us for more details on any of the events detailed below.
23rd March
- La Millau Causse Noir, Millau
20th April - Les Monts du Vaucluse, Villars
5th May - La Cigale a Lunel, Lunel (Nimes)
11th May - La Cezanne St Victoire, Aix en Provence
18th May - La Vauclusienne Tristan Mouric, Vaison la Romaine
31st May - La Challenge du Dauphin, Vercors
7th June - La Ventoux Beaumes de Venise
5th
July - La Marmotte, Alpe d'Huez
30th August - La Vercors Drome, Romans
6th / 7th September - Les Routes du Ventoux / Chrono de la Nesque Time Trial
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