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Pedaling, sweating, suffering a little but above all enjoying. This centre-based trip with two locations in the north and south of Mont Ventoux offers us the best of Provence on the road bike. On each of the 6 days in the saddle we will explore a different sector around the Géant de Provence. The gentle hills of the Mont de Vaucluse, the Provençal stone villages of the Luberon and the numerous gorge roads and lonely mountain passes of the Baronnies provençales await us. And of course we can tackle the mighty Mont Ventoux from all three sides. The vineyards of Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Beaumes de Venise, the olive groves of Nyons, the sunflower and lavender fields in the valleys and the shady pine forests on the slopes do not only form the perfect backdrop for our tours; the typical landscape has of course also a culinary influence on us. So Provence.
Some regions in France, with their quaint, rural atmosphere and excellent accommodations, invite us to pitch our "tents" for a few days or even for a whole week. Center-based trips offer you the opportunity to explore different facets of an area every day from a base camp with our tour suggestions.
Starting from your accommodation, we will propose you different day trips, each designed in 3 difficulty levels. You can choose the trips (details below) according to your daily form, mood or the weather conditions.
With this centre-based trip you will undertake your daily stages starting from our partner hotels at 2 different locations. The first is located in the surroundings of Carpentras south of Mont Ventoux (4 nights accommodation), the second near Buis-les-Baronnies north of Mont Ventoux (2 nights accommodation). The change of accommodation will take place in the morning of the 5th day (see detailed programme below). The two hotels are about 50 km apart (about 1h by car).
Our partner hotels are 3* hotels with a warm welcome, spacious rooms (equipped with air conditioning) and a pool. Your road bikes are safely stored and your hosts cater for a regional, rich and balanced cuisine. They attach great importance to the safe storage of your racing bikes as well as to a regional, rich and balanced cuisine.
Arrival in the late afternoon in the surroundings of Carpentras. Welcome to Provence! On arrival, we drop off the luggage at the hotel and get the bikes ready for the first riding day tomorrow.
Our first riding day helps us to acclimatise and to explore the area. The beautiful gorges of the Nesque await us today. On level 2 we will start a complete loop around the Mont Ventoux. The fittest among us dare to take the first ascent of Mont Ventoux, from its easiest side: Sault. The level 1 route runs south of the summit with some beautiful panoramas of the Monts de Vaucluse and the Luberon in the distance.
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Distance & cumulative elevation gain
Today, the Luberon Regional Nature Park is the backdrop for our second road bike day. The Luberon mountains alone appear to us like Provence from a picture book: rolling fields of lavender, vineyards, villages made of natural stone, a temperate relief and an equally gentle way of life. We have selected the most beautiful sections of rural roads to offer you maximum pleasure!
Today's highlights:
Distance & cumulative elevation gain
Today, our routes on levels 2 and 3 take us (again) up the Mont Ventoux. By the way, Bédoin is the starting point of the most difficult side of the Géant de Ventoux, which the Tour de France usually takes when the Ventoux is on the programme. After this demanding morning programme we will discover the limestone peaks of the Dentelles de Montmirail, which tower above the famous vineyards of Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Beaumes de Venise...
Today's highlights:
Distance & cumulative elevation gain
We are here in the heart of the regional nature park of the Baronnies provençales. This huge, sparsely populated area (30,000 inhabitants live here on 1600 km2) is dotted with beautiful, isolated country roads, small winding passes and magnificent gorges. The landscape is a real mosaic of vineyards, apricot plantations, olive groves and lavender fields. And with a bit of luck we might spot the resident griffon vultures, which often circle the blue sky.
Today's highlights:
Distance & cumulative elevation gain
A beautiful road cycling day awaits us. On level 2 and 3 we will today climb up to the Géant de Provence from Malaucène, a demanding climb! On level 3, 2700 metres of elevation gain have to be overcome. From the descent we enter the wild and beautiful gorges of the Toulourenc. The route on level 1 takes us also into the valley of the Ouvèze.
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Distance & cumulative elevation gain
A clear scenic contrast to the previous days awaits us on our last cycling day: The northern part of the Baronnies is more Alpine, the reliefs more pronounced. Between the gorges of the Trente Pas and the village of La Motte Chalancon, we bypass the mountains Angèle, Raton and the Tête du Mouret. On the level 1 route, we discover the olive growing area of Nyons!
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End of our services after breakfast.
Distances and altitude gain are an indication only and may vary.
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