Rides in Provence

[tourmalet]

I'll be staying in Avignon for a few days this summer and would love to hear your advice about where to ride in the area. I'll have a car, so the start point can be away from town. It looks like there's good stuff out there...

[rustychisel]

I'll be staying in Avignon for a few days this summer and would love to hear your advice about where to ride in the area. I'll have a car, so the start point can be away from town. It looks like there's good stuff out there...

I did a nice little ride out to the Il de Pape (Isle of Popes) then a slightly more hair-raising 2 lap sprint around the ring road/walls of the old city. Only really recommended if you're an idiot.

From Avignon you're within striking distance of a gazillion nice places... do Ventoux from the Bedouin side. Hit the Maritime Alps. Or go west and examine the Gorges du Tarn.

[bocarider]

My wife, son and I did some rides in Provence a few years ago, including Ventoux. The ride around Gordes and the ride to Salt were really great days for us. Here are links to the .gpx files on ridewithgps.com that may be helpful:

Gordes loop ride:

https://ridewithgps.com/trips/2855717

Flasson to Salt loop (ignore the meandering around Salt)

https://ridewithgps.com/trips/2855718

Ventoux from Bedoin (you don't really need the map, but it will give you a sense of the climb. I did not capture the descent - I turned my garmin off at lunch and forgot to turn it back on):

https://ridewithgps.com/trips/2855737

[572cv]

If you are in Avignon, the hills on the west side running up through Tavel and Lirac over to Uzes have some nice riding.

If you go over to Cavaillon, you can do a loop over the Grand Luberon through Menerbes, Bonnieux, then toward Loumarin. When you get to the col above Bonnieux, you can hang a right and actually take a wild mostly paved road along the ridge all the way back to Cavaillon. Its a pretty cool ride. Be ready for a few very steep grades at the start, but after that, easy peasy.

Lots of classic riding in the area, for sure.

[RonW87]

I stayed outside Avignon a few years ago (in Rognonas). I did a couple of rides with the local cycling club that were terrific.

True story: I speak some French and chatted with another rider throughout the ride. I noticed he had an accent so at the end of the ride I asked "D'ou venez-vous?" His response: "Je suis Irlandais"!

[tv_vt]

Check in with Craig at VeloVentoux and see if you can hook up with some rides with folks from his B&B - with cycling guides. They're in Faucon, which is just north of Maulacene. Maulacene has a couple of really great bike shops. You can rent a Pinarello F8 and anything down from there. Bedouin has some great shops, too.

Great riding north and south of Ventoux, and it's a nice 60 mile or so ride around Ventoux, including the Gorge des Nesque and a stop in Sault.

And be sure to stop in the Wine Coop tasting room/shop in Gigondas!

[RonW87]

The ride from Sault to Gordes, dropping into the Luberon through La Combe, is one of my most memorable.