The plan for the next week was to tour the Provence region by bicycle while our luggage was transferred by van from hotel to hotel. This approach to cyclo-touring has both good and bad points. The luggage transfer worked well and we only had to wait one day for our luggage to arrive at our destination. Traveling by ourselves allowed us to engage in creative improvisations to the planned itinerary at will (in other words, we got lost a few times.) Since we didn’t have a pre-determined group schedule, we could set our own pace and explore as much as we wished. On the down side, we were truly on our own each day which meant carrying sufficient water, food, and bike locks. That we were attempting this during one of the worst heat waves to hit Europe in a century didn’t help. All in all, though, it worked amazingly well. We came well-prepared, fortunately deciding to use our mountain biking Camelback Mule hydration systems. This allowed us to carry plenty of water as well as all the spares, tools, food and other sundries we might need. We actually faired well in the heat, no worse than a mid-summer ride through Santiago canyon. Our only mistake was using our normal road-riding Look pedals and road shoes. This did cause problems and we will make sure to use a walk-able pedal and shoe (e.g. SPDs) next time.

As a cyclo-touring destination, Provence offers a climate and geography very similar to the central coastal areas of California, like Paso Robles or Solvang. Lots of rolly hills and endless stretches of vineyards. From time to time, our route would follow roads used in the Tour de France and it was always a bit of a thrill to round a curve on a hill and see the names painted on the roadway.

Highlights of our tour included the Roman aquaduct, Pont du Gard, the medieval fortress of Les Baux and the many Roman ruins in the city of Arles. Our daily routes varied from about 40 km. to 100 km. The riding was never difficult (excepting the heat) although we did climb the occasional col. Undoubtedly, the lowlight of the tour was hiking about 2 km. of a goat path through a farm as part of the tour route one day. Absolutely destroyed the Kool cleat covers for my Look cleats. Nothing like duck-walking in 100+ degree heat on a goat path! Next time, SPDs, for sure!

Our last day cycling in France was an assault on Mount Ventoux, another of the storied Tour de France mega-climbs. Mount Ventoux dominates the skyline of Provence, visible from almost anywhere in the region. At a little over 6,200 ft. it is not as high as the Alps, but the starting point for the climb is much closer to sea level. Mont Ventoux was not a part of the 2003 race (nor 2004) but it is still considered by the racers as one

of the hardest climbs used. Lance Armstrong has said it is the only climb in the Tour he really fears. Tom Simpson died on the slopes of the Mont in the1967 tour. The climb from the valley is a little over 12 miles and ascends over 5,000 ft with an average grade of near 8% (to about 10% near the top.) If that weren’t bad enough, the Mount is notorious for making its own weather, including bitter cold (we wished), stifling heat and near hurricane-force winds. Perhaps even more than the climb, it is the weather that can make riding Mount Ventoux insanely brutal.

We started our ride in the village of Sault, south-east of the mountain. Starting early in the morning to avoid as much of the heat as possible. Fortunately, the high-pressure weather system sitting over France kept the winds away so we had close to ideal riding conditions. We were able to warm up for a few miles riding through the valley at the base of the mountain. The road began to tilt upward as we entered a cool forest. The first few miles of the climb are reasonably mellow at 5 – 6% grade, under a canopy of trees and, frequently along a stream. Unfortunately, this probably lulled us into a false sense of ease: this was a piece of cake compared to Alpe d’Huez! The road up Mont Ventoux is far different from the Alpe, fewer switchbacks, less exposure and a far worse road surface. After 7 miles or so both Jean and I were feeling pretty confident. That was a mistake, a big, big mistake. About 8 miles into the climb, the road exits the forest at the Chalet Reynard ski station. Apparently, the sign reading “Welcome to Hell for the next 6 km.” must’ve been out for cleaning. After the ski station, everything changes. The grade of the slope ramps up to 9 – 10%, all vegetation and shade disappears and the rider confronts almost 4 miles of an insanely brutal ascent on roads more suited to a long-travel mountain bike than a road bike. Unlike Alpe d’Huez, it is impossible to find a rhythm due to the constant dodging of potholes and degraded road surface. This was nothing short of hell on a bike! About 2 miles from the summit, we stopped to rest at the Tom Simpson memorial – now a sobering reminder that this climb can exact a high cost indeed. We pressed on, both inspired and dismayed by the view to the summit. Ventoux had one last obstacle to throw at us as we neared the finish, a sharp switchback to the final stretch to the top. Calling this a wall, is an understatement, the pitch is almost 14% and there are cars and pedestrians constantly crisscrossing the road. I’m still not sure how we survived that last 200 meters.

Somehow, we did make the summit, where Jean discovered another of Mont Ventoux’s secrets – an open-air candy store. According to Jean, the divinity was, well, divine. After taking in the panoramic view from the summit, I prepared to ride the descent to Bedoin. This time, however, the terrible road surface and rapidly soaring temperatures made riding a nightmare and I gave up after a couple of kilometers and joined Jean in our support van. Our cycling honeymoon in France was at an end. No divorce, and we were even smiling big Cheshire Cat grins.

The next day we were driven by another insane French cab driver (we nicknamed Michelle Shumacher after the Formula One racer) at speeds well over 120 miles per hour from Avignon back to Paris – a 7 hour sprint. Back in our familiar hotel in Paris, we spent the final night of our honeymoon in France. Since it was our last night in the City of Lights, we splurged at dinner and ran up a 28 euro (about $35) bar tab – for 4 large Sprites, with extra ice. Ou La La!

You can check our a photo journal of our trip on the web here