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 in the village. Additionally, we have a small bike repair workshop at the house, so whether you need a new tube, cable or a full 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. 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. Other Tour de France climbs in the Massif include the following (Name, height, year first climbed, first rider to win): Bourboule 1180m 1992 Roche Chaubouret 1230m 1950 Kubler Chaumeil 860m 1987 Gayant Cret de l'Oeillon 1210m 1956 Bahamontes Croix Homme Mort 1163m 1971 Danguillaume Croix Morand 1401m 1951 Ruiz Lachamp 1320m 1996 Gualdi Louvesc 1120m 1977 Agostinho Montsalvy 780m 1959 Bahamontes Moreno 1065m 1951 Geminiani Plomb du Cantal 1383m 1975 Merckx Pradeaux 1196m 1959 Huot Puy Mary 1582m 1959 Bergaud Republique 1161m 1903 Aucouturier Roche Vendeix 1139m 1951 Ruiz Saint-Anastaise 1160m 1996 Savoldelli Super-Besse 1350m 1978 Wellens Super-Lioran 1326m 1975 Pollentier There are several local cyclosportives and MTB competitions - please bookmark this page and keep checking for regular updates. |