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This trip takes in three of the most beautiful areas Provence has to offer: -the Dentelles de Montmirail: stunning limestone rock pillars stretching up to the sky, and also home to the famous vineyards of Gigondas and Vacqueyras... - the Baronnies: at the heart of the Drôme Provençale, and full of olive trees, lavender fields, vineyards, pine forests, fortified villages, and sleepy cafés on shaded market squares... - the mythical Ventoux... We take in one or two ascents of the mighty Ventoux (with or without transfers, depending on the chosen level), with its wonderful panoramic views and endless descents... With its abundance of singletrack trails, this circuit is a mountain bikers dream. Grins all round!
Itinerary start: Rendezvous with the organisation team is on day 1 at 10 am in the car park of the "Gite des Dentelles", in Gigondas. The car park is behind the gite. We will leave directly from the gite. Please arrive in your cycle clothing.
Today's ride takes us across the Dentelles de Montmirail, from west to east. The day begins with a warm up on tracks and small back roads, with the jagged peaks of the Dentelles ahead of us… Our route takes us through the typical Provençal village of Séguret, nestled in the western foothills of the Dentelles de Montmirail range. The next stage of the day takes us on a stunning traverse of the northern Dentelles de Montmirail. A roller coaster ride on flowing singletrack trails gradually leads us to our overnight stop at the foot of the Mont Ventoux. Night at a guest house in Malaucène.
Level 2 wheels: Distance covered: approx. 40 km / ascent: approx. 1200 m
Level 3 wheels: Distance covered: approx. 50 km / ascent: approx. 1700 m
This circuit is an opportunity to discover the western and northern faces of the famous Mont Ventoux (there are plenty of singletrack trails, we'll show you the best ones!), as well as one of the mountain's best descents. We climb its north-western flank on a smooth fire road, before taking a track through the forest which leads us to the Mont Serein ski station. The last five kilometres to the top of the Ventoux are on the road (the only route up), with an incredible 360° view as a reward. We launch into a superb descent down the southern side of the mountain, with no less than 1500 metres of descending! Unforgettable... We then head on to the Ochre of Mormoiron, for a taste of the nearby "Provençal Colorado" trails (see our "Provençal Colorado" and "Tour of the Luberon" circuits). A swim in the small Mormoiron Lake offers the opportunity to freshen up, before joining the village of Mormoiron, where we spend the night in a guest house.
Level 2 & 3 wheels: Distance covered: approx. 65 km / ascent: approx. 2000 m
The morning's warm-up sees us climb to the top of the Colline du Limon, where a fun singletrack traverse awaits us. We make a stop at the ruins of the St Alban Chapel, before reaching one of the best descents of the week, which twists and turns along the bottom of a seemingly endless small ravine. Another great moment! Through vineyards and orchards, we join a superb singletrack climb which takes us, almost effortlessly, to the Col de la Madeleine. We then drop down to the Paty Lake (on more great singletrack...), before heading to the famous Barroux Castle, located on a hilltop above the Provençal village of the same name. We leave the viewpoint behind us, and begin a singletrack roller coaster session to the village of Beaumes-de-Venise, the home of Muscat, a local sweet white wine. We resist the temptation to taste the local wines, and tackle a climb to the foot of the most impressive cliffs in the Dentelles de Montmirail, before joining Gigondas (and more tempting wine cellars...), the end of our tour.
Level 2 wheels: Distance covered: approx. 45 km / ascent: approx. 1350 m.
Level 3 wheels: Distance covered: approx. 60 km / ascent: approx. 1700 m.
Distances and altitude gain are an indication only and may vary.
Itinerary end: Separation is on the last day at around 4 pm in Gigondas.
Itinerary start: Rendezvous with the organisation team is on day 1 at 10am in the car park Bacchus, rue Raymond V des Baux, in Gigondas.
see 3 day programme above
Time to discover the Baronnies! Famous for its olives, this small area known as the Drôme Provençale, is also a mountain bikers paradise. Today's itinerary takes us through the wild hills of the area, where we discover the valley of Ouvéze, on the north side of the Ventoux.
Levels 2 & 3 wheels: Distance covered: approx. 55 km / ascent: approx. 1750 m
This circuit is an opportunity to discover the western and southern faces of the famous Mont Ventoux (there are plenty of singletrack trails, we'll show you the best ones!), as well as one of the mountain's best descents. We climb its south-western flank on a smooth fire road, then traverse on a track that offers superb views of the surrounding plains and the Monts de Vaucluse, before reaching the famous "Chalet Reynard". The last five kilometres to the top of Ventoux are on the road (the only route up), with an incredible 360° view as a reward. We launch into a superb descent down the southern side of the mountain, with no less than 1500 metres of descending! Unforgettable… Our route takes us west then north to join Malaucène, where we spend the night in a guest house.
Level 2 wheels: Distance covered: approx. 55 km / ascent: approx. 1000 m
Level 3 wheels: Distance covered: approx. 60 km / ascent: approx. 1900 m
We head to the famous Barroux Castle, located on a hilltop above the Provençal village of the same name. We leave the viewpoint behind us, and begin a singletrack roller coaster session to the village of Beaumes-de-Venise, the home of Muscat, a local sweet white wine. We resist the temptation to taste the local wines, and tackle a climb to the foot of the most impressive cliffs in the Dentelles de Montmirail, before joining Gigondas (and more tempting wine cellars…), the end of our tour!
Level 2 & 3 wheels: Distance covered: approx. 45 km / ascent: approx. 1500 m
Distances and altitude gain are an indication only and may vary.
Itinerary end: Separation is on the last day at around 4 pm in Gigondas.
Average tour rating:
Thank you for your feedback regarding your recent tour, and glad you enjoyed your tour overall. A few points concerning the trails: 1. The spring of 2018 has been one of the wettest and stormiest on record, and the impact on the trails and the vegetation has been remarkable. 2. Contrary to the US, trails in France (and most of Europe) are not dedicated mountain bike trails (except in mountain ski resorts). Having ridden in the US I can appreciate that the trails here can come across as being much wilder and less maintained. However, as an itinerant tour, our aim is to offer the discovery of the area and its villages, whilst taking in the best trails along the way. The timing of your visit just after the storms was admittedly unlucky, and I appreciate that this had a negative impact on your experience. I sincerely hope this didn't tarnish your overall experience of the tour.
