My European Cycle Tours
Tour of the Pre Alps and Ventoux
This was a tour I had been planning to do since before the pandemic. I had to cancel it in both 2020 and 2021. Finally getting to do it in 2022, it was overshadowed by heart problems which forced me to abandon the tour after four days. Nevertheless, it was a very beautiful area, which I would wholeheartedly recommend and hope to return to.
Day 1 – Grenoble to Saint Jean en Royans
I had arrived in Geneva the previous evening. I transported my bike box on the train from the airport into the city and then made the short walk to the Hotel Terminus opposite the station. I had a simple hamburger in the evening and then walked into the old town.
I caught the 10am train from Geneva to Grenoble, arriving at midday. It was very hot. A path follows the Isere river for some 30km, entirely flat and after the first few kilometers scenic enough. There was nowhere to eat along the way, so I had brought some food with me. In the heat, I also began to run out of water. The D35 turns off the cycle path and climbs to the tunnel Ecouges. In the small village of Saint Gervais I was able to fill up my water bottles at the local town hall. There was nowhere to eat.
The climb was not too difficult and is very light on traffic. It becomes spectacular as one approaches the tunnel, with a wall of rock barring the way. The tunnel had been very recently lit, so didn’t constitute the scary ride which older travel reports portray. Emerging the other side, the walls of rock are imposing before one emerges onto a short plateau. I stopped for a drink at the Hotel Marronier, with good views, before making a long descent to Pont en Royans.
Pont en Royans looked a charming place and in retrospect it may have been better to have stayed there but I pressed on to Saint Jean en Royans, where I had booked accommodation in a studio flat. It was a Sunday evening and the town was pretty dead. The one open restaurant was fully booked, which led to me eating not very good food outside a bar.
Day 2 - Saint Jean en Royans to Crest
The climb of Col de la Machine and the Combe Laval starts straight out of the town. After a few miles of climbing through the trees, I emerged onto a piece of road as beautiful as any I have ever been on. It was a Monday morning in mid-June, so quieter than on a weekend or mid-summer. There is a stunning stretch of road which carves its way through short rock tunnels. It’s all the more spectacular because you can see the road ahead improbably winding along the cliff side. Even the views from Mont Ventoux would not compete with this.
It’s about 12 miles of gradual climbing to the Col de la Machine, after which the ride is undulating or easy downhill. Although there is nothing comparable for the rest of the ride, the road is quiet and scenic throughout. I stopped at Leoncel for lunch, which makes for a convenient break.
Crest is a very pretty town. I stayed in an Airbnb in the old part and had a very good meal at La Salle a Manger.
Day 3 – Crest to Vaison
The route follows the D70 much of the way. After following the river out of Crest, there is a five mile ascent, which isn’t too difficult. I took a side route to the village of Saou, which is an extremely pretty village, and was surrounded by lavender fields in bloom. I had lunch at the Table d Aimer, which was really good value, in Bordeaux, before heading up the long climb of the day. It’s a very gradual gradient of just over 2% covering 10 miles. The scenic highlight of the day is the Gorge des Trente Pas on the descent, with the road winding its way through.
I took backroads to Vaison and was rewarded with not only traffic free riding but great views of Mont Ventoux in the distance. Having barely seen a car, I got bumped off my bike entering Vaison itself, as a car turned left, not seeing me on the inside. It was very much a slow-motion fall, with no damage done. Vaison is an attractive town. I stayed at the very pleasant Hotel Burrus and ate at a very good restaurant called Babet.
Day 4 – Vaison to Sault
Throughout the week I had been troubled by my heart, which had been beating a lot faster than usual. It had settled on the previous day, only to go up again, having eaten in the evening. Travelling with panniers to pre booked hotels, I had felt impelled to continue, rather than rest up. I had managed to take it very easy on the first couple of days but I knew Mont Ventoux was a different proposition and so it proved.
I followed the main road to Malaucene, where I picked up water and provisions, before setting off on the climb. Thankfully the weather was reasonably cool. The climb itself is largely tree covered, with only some areas where there are long views. I was, however, more concerned with my heart, than taking it in. At its maximum, it reached over 200 bpm. I got off on regular occasions to let it settle and walked a few of the steeper sections but finally made it. Miraculously the cloud which had covered the climb dispersed as I went over the summit, leaving great views all the way down in soaring temperatures.
When I finally reached Sault, even though I had not expended any energy, my heart rate was at 120 and I decided that I should not go on further to my planned stop at Orpierre that night. Instead I checked into the Nesk hotel, which is a beautiful place, set up for cyclists, with impressive views and memorabilia. My heart would not settle and I decided that I would abandon the trip, rather than aggravate it further. In the evening, I ate at Le Decanteur. During the meal, I became very hot at one point and my heart began to race, prompting me to ask for assistance. This resulted in me being taken twenty miles by the fire brigade to the nearest hospital in Carpentras – ironically the Nesk was the old hospital for Sault. Kept overnight for observation, I was prescribed beta blockers to reduce the heart rate.
Return
My planned ride to Corps and back to Grenoble were abandoned. Instead it was a very expensive taxi ride back to Carpentras and then trains for an overnight stay in Grenoble. Grenoble itself is a very attractive. From there, it was back to Geneva, a night there and then home. Back at home, I was diagnosed with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation, which explained the episodes I have been having over the course of ten years.
Concluding Thoughts
My heart issues couldn’t help but overshadow this trip. Despite them, however, there were outstanding moments of beauty on the trip which I will always remember, the Comber Duval in particular. I would thoroughly recommend the trip, along quiet scenic roads, staying in pretty towns with some excellent food thrown in. I intend to repeat if my heart condition allows.
This was a tour I had been planning to do since before the pandemic. I had to cancel it in both 2020 and 2021. Finally getting to do it in 2022, it was overshadowed by heart problems which forced me to abandon the tour after four days. Nevertheless, it was a very beautiful area, which I would wholeheartedly recommend and hope to return to.
Day 1 – Grenoble to Saint Jean en Royans
I had arrived in Geneva the previous evening. I transported my bike box on the train from the airport into the city and then made the short walk to the Hotel Terminus opposite the station. I had a simple hamburger in the evening and then walked into the old town.
I caught the 10am train from Geneva to Grenoble, arriving at midday. It was very hot. A path follows the Isere river for some 30km, entirely flat and after the first few kilometers scenic enough. There was nowhere to eat along the way, so I had brought some food with me. In the heat, I also began to run out of water. The D35 turns off the cycle path and climbs to the tunnel Ecouges. In the small village of Saint Gervais I was able to fill up my water bottles at the local town hall. There was nowhere to eat.
The climb was not too difficult and is very light on traffic. It becomes spectacular as one approaches the tunnel, with a wall of rock barring the way. The tunnel had been very recently lit, so didn’t constitute the scary ride which older travel reports portray.
Emerging the other side, the walls of rock are imposing before one emerges onto a short plateau. I stopped for a drink at the Hotel Marronier, with good views, before making a long descent to Pont en Royans.
Pont en Royans looked a charming place and in retrospect it may have been better to have stayed there but I pressed on to Saint Jean en Royans, where I had booked accommodation in a studio flat. It was a Sunday evening and the town was pretty dead. The one open restaurant was fully booked, which led to me eating not very good food outside a bar.
Day 2 - Saint Jean en Royans to Crest
The climb of Col de la Machine and the Combe Laval starts straight out of the town. After a few miles of climbing through the trees, I emerged onto a piece of road as beautiful as any I have ever been on. It was a Monday morning in mid-June, so quieter than on a weekend or mid-summer. There is a stunning stretch of road which carves its way through short rock tunnels. It’s all the more spectacular because you can see the road ahead improbably winding along the cliff side. Even the views from Mont Ventoux would not compete with this.
It’s about 12 miles of gradual climbing to the Col de la Machine, after which the ride is undulating or easy downhill. Although there is nothing comparable for the rest of the ride, the road is quiet and scenic throughout. I stopped at Leoncel for lunch, which makes for a convenient break.
Crest is a very pretty town. I stayed in an Airbnb in the old part and had a very good meal at La Salle a Manger.
Day 3 – Crest to Vaison
The route follows the D70 much of the way. After following the river out of Crest, there is a five mile ascent, which isn’t too difficult. I took a side route to the village of Saou, which is an extremely pretty village, and was surrounded by lavender fields in bloom.
I had lunch at the Table d Aimer, which was really good value, in Bordeaux, before heading up the long climb of the day. It’s a very gradual gradient of just over 2% covering 10 miles. The scenic highlight of the day is the Gorge des Trente Pas on the descent, with the road winding its way through.
I took backroads to Vaison and was rewarded with not only traffic free riding but great views of Mont Ventoux in the distance. Having barely seen a car, I got bumped off my bike entering Vaison itself, as a car turned left, not seeing me on the inside. It was very much a slow-motion fall, with no damage done. Vaison is an attractive town. I stayed at the very pleasant Hotel Burrus and ate at a very good restaurant called Babet.
Day 4 – Vaison to Sault
Throughout the week I had been troubled by my heart, which had been beating a lot faster than usual. It had settled on the previous day, only to go up again, having eaten in the evening. Travelling with panniers to pre booked hotels, I had felt impelled to continue, rather than rest up. I had managed to take it very easy on the first couple of days but I knew Mont Ventoux was a different proposition and so it proved.
I followed the main road to Malaucene, where I picked up water and provisions, before setting off on the climb. Thankfully the weather was reasonably cool. The climb itself is largely tree covered, with only some areas where there are long views. I was, however, more concerned with my heart, than taking it in. At its maximum, it reached over 200 bpm. I got off on regular occasions to let it settle and walked a few of the steeper sections but finally made it. Miraculously the cloud which had covered the climb dispersed as I went over the summit, leaving great views all the way down in soaring temperatures.
When I finally reached Sault, even though I had not expended any energy, my heart rate was at 120 and I decided that I should not go on further to my planned stop at Orpierre that night. Instead I checked into the Nesk hotel, which is a beautiful place, set up for cyclists, with impressive views and memorabilia.
My heart would not settle and I decided that I would abandon the trip, rather than aggravate it further. In the evening, I ate at Le Decanteur. During the meal, I became very hot at one point and my heart began to race, prompting me to ask for assistance. This resulted in me being taken twenty miles by the fire brigade to the nearest hospital in Carpentras – ironically the Nesk was the old hospital for Sault. Kept overnight for observation, I was prescribed beta blockers to reduce the heart rate.
Return
My planned ride to Corps and back to Grenoble were abandoned. Instead it was a very expensive taxi ride back to Carpentras and then trains for an overnight stay in Grenoble. Grenoble itself is a very attractive. From there, it was back to Geneva, a night there and then home. Back at home, I was diagnosed with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation, which explained the episodes I have been having over the course of ten years.
Concluding Thoughts
My heart issues couldn’t help but overshadow this trip. Despite them, however, there were outstanding moments of beauty on the trip which I will always remember, the Combe Laval in particular. I would thoroughly recommend the trip, along quiet scenic roads, staying in pretty towns with some excellent food thrown in. I intend to repeat if my heart condition allows.
This was a tour I had been planning to do since before the pandemic. I had to cancel it in both 2020 and 2021. Finally getting to do it in 2022, it was overshadowed by heart problems which forced me to abandon the tour after four days. Nevertheless, it was a very beautiful area, which I would wholeheartedly recommend and hope to return to.
Day 1 – Grenoble to Saint Jean en Royans
I had arrived in Geneva the previous evening. I transported my bike box on the train from the airport into the city and then made the short walk to the Hotel Terminus opposite the station. I had a simple hamburger in the evening and then walked into the old town.
I caught the 10am train from Geneva to Grenoble, arriving at midday. It was very hot. A path follows the Isere river for some 30km, entirely flat and after the first few kilometers scenic enough. There was nowhere to eat along the way, so I had brought some food with me. In the heat, I also began to run out of water. The D35 turns off the cycle path and climbs to the tunnel Ecouges. In the small village of Saint Gervais I was able to fill up my water bottles at the local town hall. There was nowhere to eat.
The climb was not too difficult and is very light on traffic. It becomes spectacular as one approaches the tunnel, with a wall of rock barring the way. The tunnel had been very recently lit, so didn’t constitute the scary ride which older travel reports portray. Emerging the other side, the walls of rock are imposing before one emerges onto a short plateau. I stopped for a drink at the Hotel Marronier, with good views, before making a long descent to Pont en Royans.
Pont en Royans looked a charming place and in retrospect it may have been better to have stayed there but I pressed on to Saint Jean en Royans, where I had booked accommodation in a studio flat. It was a Sunday evening and the town was pretty dead. The one open restaurant was fully booked, which led to me eating not very good food outside a bar.
Day 2 - Saint Jean en Royans to Crest
The climb of Col de la Machine and the Combe Laval starts straight out of the town. After a few miles of climbing through the trees, I emerged onto a piece of road as beautiful as any I have ever been on. It was a Monday morning in mid-June, so quieter than on a weekend or mid-summer. There is a stunning stretch of road which carves its way through short rock tunnels. It’s all the more spectacular because you can see the road ahead improbably winding along the cliff side. Even the views from Mont Ventoux would not compete with this.
It’s about 12 miles of gradual climbing to the Col de la Machine, after which the ride is undulating or easy downhill. Although there is nothing comparable for the rest of the ride, the road is quiet and scenic throughout. I stopped at Leoncel for lunch, which makes for a convenient break.
Crest is a very pretty town. I stayed in an Airbnb in the old part and had a very good meal at La Salle a Manger.
Day 3 – Crest to Vaison
The route follows the D70 much of the way. After following the river out of Crest, there is a five mile ascent, which isn’t too difficult. I took a side route to the village of Saou, which is an extremely pretty village, and was surrounded by lavender fields in bloom. I had lunch at the Table d Aimer, which was really good value, in Bordeaux, before heading up the long climb of the day. It’s a very gradual gradient of just over 2% covering 10 miles. The scenic highlight of the day is the Gorge des Trente Pas on the descent, with the road winding its way through.
I took backroads to Vaison and was rewarded with not only traffic free riding but great views of Mont Ventoux in the distance. Having barely seen a car, I got bumped off my bike entering Vaison itself, as a car turned left, not seeing me on the inside. It was very much a slow-motion fall, with no damage done. Vaison is an attractive town. I stayed at the very pleasant Hotel Burrus and ate at a very good restaurant called Babet.
Day 4 – Vaison to Sault
Throughout the week I had been troubled by my heart, which had been beating a lot faster than usual. It had settled on the previous day, only to go up again, having eaten in the evening. Travelling with panniers to pre booked hotels, I had felt impelled to continue, rather than rest up. I had managed to take it very easy on the first couple of days but I knew Mont Ventoux was a different proposition and so it proved.
I followed the main road to Malaucene, where I picked up water and provisions, before setting off on the climb. Thankfully the weather was reasonably cool. The climb itself is largely tree covered, with only some areas where there are long views. I was, however, more concerned with my heart, than taking it in. At its maximum, it reached over 200 bpm. I got off on regular occasions to let it settle and walked a few of the steeper sections but finally made it. Miraculously the cloud which had covered the climb dispersed as I went over the summit, leaving great views all the way down in soaring temperatures.
When I finally reached Sault, even though I had not expended any energy, my heart rate was at 120 and I decided that I should not go on further to my planned stop at Orpierre that night. Instead I checked into the Nesk hotel, which is a beautiful place, set up for cyclists, with impressive views and memorabilia. My heart would not settle and I decided that I would abandon the trip, rather than aggravate it further. In the evening, I ate at Le Decanteur. During the meal, I became very hot at one point and my heart began to race, prompting me to ask for assistance. This resulted in me being taken twenty miles by the fire brigade to the nearest hospital in Carpentras – ironically the Nesk was the old hospital for Sault. Kept overnight for observation, I was prescribed beta blockers to reduce the heart rate.
Return
My planned ride to Corps and back to Grenoble were abandoned. Instead it was a very expensive taxi ride back to Carpentras and then trains for an overnight stay in Grenoble. Grenoble itself is a very attractive. From there, it was back to Geneva, a night there and then home. Back at home, I was diagnosed with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation, which explained the episodes I have been having over the course of ten years.
Concluding Thoughts
My heart issues couldn’t help but overshadow this trip. Despite them, however, there were outstanding moments of beauty on the trip which I will always remember, the Comber Duval in particular. I would thoroughly recommend the trip, along quiet scenic roads, staying in pretty towns with some excellent food thrown in. I intend to repeat if my heart condition allows.
Write your title here. Click to edit.
This was a tour I had been planning to do since before the pandemic. I had to cancel it in both 2020 and 2021. Finally getting to do it in 2022, it was overshadowed by heart problems which forced me to abandon the tour after four days. Nevertheless, it was a very beautiful area, which I would wholeheartedly recommend and hope to return to.
Day 1 – Grenoble to Saint Jean en Royans
I had arrived in Geneva the previous evening. I transported my bike box on the train from the airport into the city and then made the short walk to the Hotel Terminus opposite the station. I had a simple hamburger in the evening and then walked into the old town.
I caught the 10am train from Geneva to Grenoble, arriving at midday. It was very hot. A path follows the Isere river for some 30km, entirely flat and after the first few kilometers scenic enough. There was nowhere to eat along the way, so I had brought some food with me. In the heat, I also began to run out of water. The D35 turns off the cycle path and climbs to the tunnel Ecouges. In the small village of Saint Gervais I was able to fill up my water bottles at the local town hall. There was nowhere to eat.
The climb was not too difficult and is very light on traffic. It becomes spectacular as one approaches the tunnel, with a wall of rock barring the way. The tunnel had been very recently lit, so didn’t constitute the scary ride which older travel reports portray. Emerging the other side, the walls of rock are imposing before one emerges onto a short plateau. I stopped for a drink at the Hotel Marronier, with good views, before making a long descent to Pont en Royans.
Pont en Royans looked a charming place and in retrospect it may have been better to have stayed there but I pressed on to Saint Jean en Royans, where I had booked accommodation in a studio flat. It was a Sunday evening and the town was pretty dead. The one open restaurant was fully booked, which led to me eating not very good food outside a bar.
Day 2 - Saint Jean en Royans to Crest
The climb of Col de la Machine and the Combe Laval starts straight out of the town. After a few miles of climbing through the trees, I emerged onto a piece of road as beautiful as any I have ever been on. It was a Monday morning in mid-June, so quieter than on a weekend or mid-summer. There is a stunning stretch of road which carves its way through short rock tunnels. It’s all the more spectacular because you can see the road ahead improbably winding along the cliff side. Even the views from Mont Ventoux would not compete with this.
It’s about 12 miles of gradual climbing to the Col de la Machine, after which the ride is undulating or easy downhill. Although there is nothing comparable for the rest of the ride, the road is quiet and scenic throughout. I stopped at Leoncel for lunch, which makes for a convenient break.
Crest is a very pretty town. I stayed in an Airbnb in the old part and had a very good meal at La Salle a Manger.
Day 3 – Crest to Vaison
The route follows the D70 much of the way. After following the river out of Crest, there is a five mile ascent, which isn’t too difficult. I took a side route to the village of Saou, which is an extremely pretty village, and was surrounded by lavender fields in bloom. I had lunch at the Table d Aimer, which was really good value, in Bordeaux, before heading up the long climb of the day. It’s a very gradual gradient of just over 2% covering 10 miles. The scenic highlight of the day is the Gorge des Trente Pas on the descent, with the road winding its way through.
I took backroads to Vaison and was rewarded with not only traffic free riding but great views of Mont Ventoux in the distance. Having barely seen a car, I got bumped off my bike entering Vaison itself, as a car turned left, not seeing me on the inside. It was very much a slow-motion fall, with no damage done. Vaison is an attractive town. I stayed at the very pleasant Hotel Burrus and ate at a very good restaurant called Babet.
Day 4 – Vaison to Sault
Throughout the week I had been troubled by my heart, which had been beating a lot faster than usual. It had settled on the previous day, only to go up again, having eaten in the evening. Travelling with panniers to pre booked hotels, I had felt impelled to continue, rather than rest up. I had managed to take it very easy on the first couple of days but I knew Mont Ventoux was a different proposition and so it proved.
I followed the main road to Malaucene, where I picked up water and provisions, before setting off on the climb. Thankfully the weather was reasonably cool. The climb itself is largely tree covered, with only some areas where there are long views. I was, however, more concerned with my heart, than taking it in. At its maximum, it reached over 200 bpm. I got off on regular occasions to let it settle and walked a few of the steeper sections but finally made it. Miraculously the cloud which had covered the climb dispersed as I went over the summit, leaving great views all the way down in soaring temperatures.
When I finally reached Sault, even though I had not expended any energy, my heart rate was at 120 and I decided that I should not go on further to my planned stop at Orpierre that night. Instead I checked into the Nesk hotel, which is a beautiful place, set up for cyclists, with impressive views and memorabilia. My heart would not settle and I decided that I would abandon the trip, rather than aggravate it further. In the evening, I ate at Le Decanteur. During the meal, I became very hot at one point and my heart began to race, prompting me to ask for assistance. This resulted in me being taken twenty miles by the fire brigade to the nearest hospital in Carpentras – ironically the Nesk was the old hospital for Sault. Kept overnight for observation, I was prescribed beta blockers to reduce the heart rate.
Return
My planned ride to Corps and back to Grenoble were abandoned. Instead it was a very expensive taxi ride back to Carpentras and then trains for an overnight stay in Grenoble. Grenoble itself is a very attractive. From there, it was back to Geneva, a night there and then home. Back at home, I was diagnosed with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation, which explained the episodes I have been having over the course of ten years.
Concluding Thoughts
My heart issues couldn’t help but overshadow this trip. Despite them, however, there were outstanding moments of beauty on the trip which I will always remember, the Comber Duval in particular. I would thoroughly recommend the trip, along quiet scenic roads, staying in pretty towns with some excellent food thrown in. I intend to repeat if my heart condition allows.