Cycling Massif Central

Itinerary – Cycling Massif Central

Day 1: Arrive in Montbrison
Meet your France Outdoors guide at Lyon airport and transfer to Montbrisson and check in to your hotel. If you arrive early why not go for a short cycle in the direction of the “Mont du Forez”. In the evening your guide will talk you through the cycling raid for this week and prepare the bikes.
Optional: Receive pre-booked bicycles
Dinner not included.
Day 2: Montbrison – Col du Beal – Sauxillanges
Today your will start climbing to the village of Chalmazel to reach the plateau of the Forez mountain at around 1000 m high. Then after a ride with superb views of the valley of Saint Etienne, you will climb the col du Beal culminating at 1390 m high, never too steep with a max gradient of 8.5 %. This col is at the limit of the Loire area and the Puy de Dome area and with good weather you can see a large part of Massif central and the Alps.
Total Distance: 102 km Ascent : 2242 m
Breakfast included. Lunch & Dinner not included.
Day 3: Sauxillanges – Allanche
In the morning, you will cycle through the nice town of Issoire also famous for its industry and the presence of the company Airbus. Then the ride will follow the gorges, you are in the country of granitic rock, beach and alder trees. Then you will start climbing to the Col de la Chamoune (1155m), gentle gradient (average 3% from Courgoul). This col is between the Monts Dore (North) and the Mont of Cantal (Sud) two superb places for cycling. You will then cycle the Cezallier plateau, a huge series of plateau with an average altitude never greater of 1000m high, a really remote part of France where you hardly meet a car.
Total Distance: 95 Km Ascent: 1585 m
Breakfast included. Lunch & Dinner not included.
Day 4: Allanche – Murat
Today will be a short but challenging stage with 3 big climbs on the menu. First you will tackle the col du pas de Peyrol in the Puy Mary. This col is in the Cantal mountain, and is famous for being the highest road col of the Massif central (13 km of climbing from Dienne at 4,3% in average and 9,5% max) and was 10 times on the tour de France. .Then you will reach the nice village of Mandailles before the climb of col de Perthus (shorter but very steep 4,4 km of climbing at 7,9% in average).
A last and easier climb (col de prat de Bouc ) will get you to the ski resort of Le Lioran before an easy downhill and flat ride to Murat.
Total Distance : 74 Km Ascent : 1911 m
Breakfast included. Lunch & Dinner not included.
Day 5: Murat – La Canourgue
After a short ride to the plateau of Cantal with some superb views of the “Monts du Cantal”. Then will will go down to the nice village and thermal town of Chaudes Aigues famous since Antiquity for its natural hot spring water or 82°C among the hottest in Europe. Follwoed by a short but steep climb you will then ride the Aubrac plateau, name of the locals cows breed
Total Distance: 108 km Ascent: 1611 m
Breakfast included. Lunch & Dinner not included.
Day 6: La Canourgue – Florac
You will start the ride by a climb to the Causses platean a vast limestone area, enlisted as Unesco site in 2011 for its remarkable Mediterranean landscape and local integrated agriculture. The second part of the ride will bring you down to the village of La Malene and the spectacular gorges du Tarn, natural canyon of 500 m depth. From this stage you will really feel the change towards a Mediterranean climate and landscape.
Total Distance 71 Km Ascent: 1371 m
Breakfast included. Lunch & Dinner not included.
Day 7: Florac – Millau
This last day cycling will start with a warm up with a warm up ride to the village of Vebron following the valley of the “Tarnon”. As you enter in the Cevennes national park, you will tackle the Mont Agoual (1565 m) from the north – west side, a long climb of 19 km with a reasonable gradient of 4,4% in average. The Mont Aigual is the southern most mountain of massif central and is famous for its climate that can be extremely cold in the winter with strong winds. A weather forecast station is located at the top. By a clear weather, it is possible to observe nearly a quarter of the territory of France from there, Mediterranean, Mont Ventoux, the Alps from Mont Blanc to Mercantour, and the pyrenees. The long descent start then from Mont Aigoual down to the beautiful gorges de la Dourbie, with its lovely villages like La Roque Saint Marguerite before you get to Millau nice town recently famous by its bridge crossing the Tarn valley (2,5 km long and 350 m high ), amazing piece of engineering.
Optional: Rented bicycles will be collected on arrival in Millau
Total Distance: 113 km Ascent: 1621 m
Breakfast included. Lunch & Dinner not included.
Day 8: Transfer to Airport
Enjoy your final morning in Millau at your own pace before your transfer to Toulouse Airport.
Farewell!
Breakfast included.