Mark's big Bike Ride blog: Routes des Grandes Alpes .. part 3

Wednesday, 21 June 2023

Routes des Grandes Alpes .. part 3

Our final leg of the Routes des Grandes Alpes from Valberg to the official finish in Menton was just shy of 100 miles via some really twisty switchbacks consisting of hairpin after hairpin as we climbed up high with spectacular views below. The other side of Col de Turini was blocked so we had to divert slightly on the way down to Sospel finishing up at our hotel on the sea front in Menton around 3.30pm with a nice cool dip in the Med’ followed by a few beers as reward near the official finish point.

Todays Mountain passes:

Col de Vars
Col Saint Martin
Col de Turini
Col de la Colombiere

Spectacular views but hard going at times because of the switchback hairpins. We stopped at a cafe on the top of Turini where myself and Mark tucked into the obligatory cheese, mushroom and ham omelette with fries. Perfect, not the most expensive in the world either this time. It was afterwards while sat there we realised other bikers were turning around which was odd, only to see a road maintenance crew had blocked the road off just on the other side of the pass so we were forced to take the sign posted diversion.

I have ridden the Stelvio a few times but today was by far harder going on the wrists and concentration in 3 degree heat and a belly full of lunch. In the end I found that countering my weight on the opposite side of the bike, turning my head and looking into the oncoming straight helped a great deal in getting the bike round and staying over away from any on-coming traffic. Good fun though.

The decision to break the RdGA ride up into three days ride instead of two proved correct, especially since we hit that diversion. Today, along with the diversion on the other side of Turini was hard going in the heat of the afternoon. but the hotel Mark found was ideal, right on the sea-front with the beach over the road - perfect.