The Côte d'Azur was the setting for the 2020 Tour start and the Tour finish in 2024. In 2020, it was not the start initially hoped for, but there was still plenty of spectacle. Anyway, the region is a wonderful place to go cycling. Lance Armstrong was wild about the region and had a favourite climb (Madone) there himself. Steven Kruijswijk, Michal Kwiatkowski and other riders (many based in Monaco) also like to ride their laps there. We have five tips for cycling on the Cote D'Azur. They are five cool climbs we have listed, for inspiration for your next adventure on this beautiful coast.
By: Sander Kolsloot
Col de Vence
This ascent, near the artist and gallery village of Vence (one of the most beautiful villages of France) is a perfect training climb. The south variation, from Cagnes, is about 10 kilometres long at an average of 7%. You can go just deep enough there, and ultimately the evenness also gives you the advantage of good training. An additional advantage is that this climb only reaches an altitude of 963m, making it easily accessible even in winter, as it is actually snow and ice-free practically all year round.
Col de la Bonette
One of the highest mountains in Europe, the Col de la Bonette is truly a juggernaut of a challenge. In total, this monster is 'only' 25 kilometres long, but 10 kilometres of that climb is above 2000m. That's some serious altitude climbing. The roads of this climb are not passable all year round. Depending on the weather, the climb is open from late May into November. The climb is not very often in the major tours. In 2016, the Giro (?) rode to this climb. Then, Mikel NIeve got to throw his hands in the air at the top. The tour last came there in 2008. One John-Lee Augustyn (remember this one?) was the (surprising) winner then.
Little bonus: at the summit, you can do an extra 'lap', which allows you to train even more on your fitness at this altitude. Don't even have to go to Ecuador for that 😉
Col de la Madone
Popularised by Lance Armstrong, who called it his favourite climb. The bike brand he rode on named a model after it. Yet this climb has never been in a grand tour. It may be that this climb offers too little spectacle. It is 14 kilometres long in total, but very gradual. 6.5% average, maximum 10%. Another reason could be that the climb is a bit difficult to ride by the Tour caravan. It gets quite narrow and rough at one point. You might encounter a few sheep just like that. Or Chris Froome on his daily lap in the off-season.
Col de Turini
Cycling on the Cote d'Azur means only one thing: Col de Turini. If you love rallying in addition to cycling, this is a name with a story. In fact, the Turini was made famous by the Monte Carlo Rally. So why is this a really nice climb in this region? You can tackle it from three different sides. Each side is slightly different. The western climb is the most awe-inspiring, with a considerable gradient (7.3% average in 15kilometres). The southern side is the friendliest but a lot longer (26 kilometres, 4.9%). The eastern climb is a bit in between in terms of length and gradient.
It is a stunning climb over some rural roads and at the top, at 1600 metres you have a few restaurants and coffee tents where you can stop for refreshments or to warm up. Beware: in winter it can be cold and slippery here! And you might just bump into Richie Porte here. There are worse places to have a collision with a pro 😉.
Col d'Eze
This climb is actually the quintessential Paris-Nice climb. Until recently, it was in the final time trial every year, but now the local mayor has other plans. Alas. Richie Porte and Chris Froome have been allowed to stand on the top step here before. It is not an impressive col in terms of numbers as it only climbs to 504m, it is at 5% and the maximum score is 9.4% on the gradient. Still, it provides spectacle every time the pros give it a 10km snarl. And for the view, you should definitely have done it once.
Added bonus: if you are based in Nice, this is the easiest climb to reach, as it also starts in the seaside town.
Bonus climb: Col de Tende
How do you get a total of 48 hairpin bends in just 7.4 kilometres? And how can you add another 17 (!) with a turn. That's the Col de TendeIt really is a bucket list climb that you can attack from two directions. The best, though, is the route from Nice and then via the D6204. Don't forget to turn off before the Tende Tunnel otherwise you'll miss the best part. It does take a while to get to the top as it is a long climb that only gets steeper. An additional disadvantage: the road surface also only gets worse. So not too narrow tyres and allow for a bit of off-road. But with a climb like this, you have to be prepared for that.
He was also in the grand tours several times, including the Giro and Tour. Last time Ivan Basso was still cheering on the podium. So it's a while back.
