French-bedandbreakfast.com
Discover the real France.......................
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Cycle Tours Whether you are looking for road or mountain bike routes, the surrounding area has ideal terrain for you. Although Bagnols is at 850m altitude, the local roads only have very gentle hills, suitable for the whole family. For the true ‘roadies’ however, within a few miles, the ascents increase markedly and even Tour de France cols are within easy reach. If you prefer to venture off road, the Sancy mountain range will keep even the keenest MTB (VTT in French) riders happy throughout their holiday. All paths in the area are well signed (many are cross country ski trails in
the winter) and a map available from the local tourist information office, will help you
find your way around. Whichever form of cycling you are interested in, the local roads are usually much quieter than in the U.K. - most French motorists have an understanding of cyclists. If you need to hire bikes, there are some MTB’s available locally. Additionally, we have a small stock of bike spares at the house, so whether you need a new tube, cable or a basic service, we can usually help. As with any of the other sporting activities, we can prepare you a picnic lunch and even arrange a drop off and pick up service. We can also supply local maps or GPX routes for those using bike satellite navigation. The 11km climb of Puy de Dome can usually be cycled during the summer on a Wednesday or Sunday morning - starting gently at 7% and rising to just over 13% for the last 5km up to 1415m. It was made famous during the 1964 Tour de France, when around 500,000 spectators watched the epic shoulder to shoulder battle between Jacques Anquetil and Raymond Poulidor. The first rider to win on this extinct volcano was Fausto Coppi in 1952. There are several local cyclosportives and MTB competitions - please bookmark this page and keep checking for regular updates. Le Tour de France 2011 is coming very close to us between the 9th and 12th July. Saturday 9th - a stage from Aigurande which will culminate with a route through Le Mont Dore, over Col de la Croix St-Robert, Besse and finishing on one of our local climbs at Super Besse. Sunday 10th - to the south east of us; a 208km stage between Issoire and Saint Flour, over the Cantal climbs of Peyrol, Pertus, Super Lioran and Plomb du Cantal. Monday 11th - a rest day for the riders when they will be out stretching their legs in the Cantal region. Tuesday 12th - a stage starting in the nearby town of Aurillac. L'Etape du Tour 2011 - a chance for everyday riders to complete a stage of the Tour, will be covering the stage from Issoire to Saint Flour a week after the pros on Sunday 17th July. |