Pizza, Pasta (& Pollenta) - from Montcenis to Nice by Gravel in the eyes of Flavian!

Saturday, April 11 - 3 months before the start of the trip - The genesis!

While we've been confined for 3 weeks and still have 3 more to go (shh, we still naively thought it would last less time), the projects from the beginning of the year are falling through one after the other. But it takes more than that to discourage us, the important thing is to bounce back. After all, it's a unique opportunity to take the time, and although it's reluctant at first, we're enjoying it. We're even taking the time to debate chloroquine, it's an understatement to say we have time. Fortunately, this period allows us to open up to reflection, projects and travel. This confinement is the desire to go back to riding outside, with friends, and explore new roads.
You too can feel this sweet mixture that is starting to smell like bikepacking! Without further ado, we pull out the 2-3 books that were supposed to motivate us and start to trace! "Oh damn, this pass is well-known." “Oh yeah, I’ve never done that one” “This road is crazy” “But you have to do that one”…

With the help ofOpenrunner, I'm discovering Gravel tracing and it's a pleasure to draw what promises to be a beautiful and long trip!

The starting point, a mad desire to do the "Via Del Sale", this Gravel trail of a length of approximately 30kms, which winds at 2000m the ridges of the Italian-French border. Doable in 2 days leaving and returning from Nice, it seems too short, so we extend it and it starts to take shape!

We are refining the steps, there is no point in wanting to do too much and there is still an element of unknown because, as the friends of the PCR Gravel, "1km Gravel = 4kms road". To motivate yourself, we gather good friends, you know the ones who can accompany you everywhere and who won't complain, (or who will complain, but it will be funny). The positive guys who will be happy to be there! Those who are more the type to take the difficult route saying "it will make memories", in short, the best!

Thursday, July 9 - Eve of departure

“We're loading the panniers, special mention to Christophe who's thinking of going on a commando course with Mike Horn. We're finishing preparing the bikes, thanks to our personal mechanic, Tom, who's ridden more tubeless bikes than we've ridden Alpine passes!

Time for one last little aperitif to sort out the mapping issues. Thanks to Openrunner for their availability and support, and here we are at 6 a.m. sharp on the morning of July 10th, ready to hit the road!

Friday, July 10 - Day 1

Starting point: the Montcenis Pass! A quick coffee while we learn about life from Simone, don't die stupid!

The landscapes and marmots are already here, setting the tone! 2,000m will be our favorite altitude for the coming days. We're already enjoying some gravel trails with views of the lake and diving into Italy! Ciao

We're off to the first section of the day and the trip, the Colle Delle Finestre (2176m), a Giro classic (18.6km at an average gradient of 9.1%, including 8km in the Gravel section). When Froome took off there in 2018, the 15kg of our bikes pushed us into it. The turns are beautiful and the switchbacks intertwine, but the mist is very present and spoils part of the spectacle.Just enough time to put on a jacket, take a photo and tease some Swiss bikers at the top for the dust (or because they are Swiss)! Heading towards the Colle dell Assietta (2472m). On the way down, the rain is felt and the smell of polenta tickles our nostrils! In the end, it's not so bad to eat a good plateful while avoiding the sauce!

No time to mess around, we have 1400m of elevation gain left in the Gravel section only. The Colle Dell'Assietta, this Gravel road on the mountainside, less known than the Finestre because less accessible but just as beautiful! Once again, the fog decides to deprive us of the view. The efforts are always between 2000 and 2400m, a trifle for our piston from Morzine, inevitably a little harder for our Dutch sprinter! We push the vice to Colle Basset (2425m), it's the first day we're still fresh, before diving down to Sestriere (2035m), a magnificent Italian ski resort that would have its place in the next casting of the Revenants! All under a beautiful storm, BUT on the right side of the valley (always trust the track rather than the guy who's hungry).

We're glad Christophe speaks Italian because it's a real pain to find accommodation in this "dynamic" resort. A panaché, a pizza, ciao good evening!

Saturday, July 11 - Day 2

Lucid enough from the day before to stretch, it smells like a good day and the excitement of the beginning! Even if the three difficulties of the day put us off! Montgenèvre, Izoard, Agnel, 90kms for 3000 of elevation gain! If the bikes didn't weigh 15kgs, we would call it a transition stage.

Starting with a nice descent, the climb up Montgenèvre goes pretty well, in a group! And the stop at the pharmacy will save our puncher! The sore throat last night made sleep difficult and the trip is far from over, it's not the time to be a warrior! We're happy to have a pharmacist on the team, and we're not saying that about the bepanthene on Christophe's private parts. Thanks for the show every morning!

Descent to Briançon, just to cross paths with the AG2Rs in a time trial (they were smiling as much as Balkany in court). We attack the Izoard (20km at 5.7%). A discovery for some, often taken via Guillestre because it's more famous for the deserted scrapyard! Easier via Briançon, it allows us to experience the mood of the motorists already fed up with seeing cyclists barely in mid-July, something we were happy to forget on the 60km gravel the day before! In any case, it's beautiful, the change of atmosphere in barely 24 hours is incredible. It's sunny and hot, the blue sky offers a magnificent contrast with this arid land and these saw-toothed ridges. It's like a mix between the Bardenas and the Dolomites. The setting is perfect for making it a legend of the Tour, the last turns are superb, it winds... madness!

The descent is just as beautiful, the deserted break offers a unique atmosphere! One thing to remember, if you've never done it, just do it! (Not sponsored by Nike but if you're keen)

It's time to refuel because we have a big bite left. A quick stop in Château-Queyras to start with the main course, the burger ("You're right, Brenda, we shouldn't let ourselves go").The Col d'Agnel (2744m) appears, the highest peak of our trip, a pass to tick off for any cyclist! The climb will be long, hot, there will be no group climb, except for the gruppetto, which is carbo! Once past the first village, we can already see the summit, far, very far, too far! Stations of the Cross, Coca-Cola and San Pellegrino will not change anything! We all meet 2km from the summit to finish together, and it is beautiful! One of my favorites of the trip (with the salt road). We arrive very high, the view on the Italian side is superb and the last turns on the French side are breathtaking! Continuing on from the Izoard, retina fracture! We descend (on Gravel / MTB) to the refuge (2500m), to regain strength, have a hot shower, wash and try to dry the things!

Time for a herbal tea with the local legend, Jérémie, winner of the Transjurassienne in 2015 (the long one please). In addition to providing food, he is an accomplished sportsman, and as they say, a good brute (or a good pony, you choose), in winter in cross-country skiing, and in summer on roller skis (his helmet destroyed in a fall while descending a pass approves of this)

Sunday, July 12 - Day 3

5:30 a.m., it's bustling at the refuge, let's say that's the charm of the place. The advantage, at 8:30 a.m. we're on our bikes, loaded, at 2500m altitude, the warm-up is painful! The descent on the Italian side is as beautiful as the one on the French side, no reason to be chauvinistic!
But the weather doesn't seem to be on our side!



Arriving in the valley, we uncover ourselves before tackling the first difficulty of the day, the mess accumulates on the panniers, enough to please Kendji Girac! The Colle di Sampeyre (2284m), a beautiful piece of 16kms at an average of 8.5%. Like the Finestre, the road is narrow, calm, we are far from the madness of an Izoard, his motorcycles and his photographers, and the only ones not to say hello are the French ("champion my brother"). The thick fog spoils our view, it's a shame but our heads are focused on the stem anyway! Once at the top, we can't see 10m, we have difficulty following each other on the descent, we catch up with a group of Vespas at the same time as we get our heads out of the clouds while seeing the small villages below, if that doesn't smell like Italy there! We start singing "Bella ciao" (what? Is that a cliché?)! Lunch break in Stroppo, refueling the engine and external batteries (no power outlet at the refuge the day before) Fresh pasta is life, ready to attack the last pass, the Colle Fauniera (2511m) which we will do via the Gravel section. To do this, we take the Colle del Preit (15km at 7.7% including many sections at 15%), a gem, which I'm sure we will come back to do one day to enjoy the scenery. It joins the Gravel road which leads to our refuge for the night: the Gardetta refuge perched at 2335m. This Gravel road of about ten kilometers will also take us to the Colle Fauniera the next morning.

Arrival at 5:30 p.m., luxury, everyone can take a hot shower, recharge their batteries, and relax in this superb refuge with a warm welcome. There is an atmosphere of "freedom" here, it's a bit like a house of happiness, we'll come back with the ladies.We have time to have a few beers, to go over the day, the landscapes, the photos, to enjoy polenta (I thought the national dish was pizza) and a little herbal tea before going to sleep at 9:30 p.m....

Monday, July 13 - Day 4

The start is in the fog, but the few times the sky clears, we are amazed by the view. So much so that we take out our phone at every turn. The place is unique, we are alone, we would like to take even more time but Antoine points out to me that we have covered 5km in 1 hour… We are at more than 2000m, climbing Gravel from the beginning… The road winds for almost 10km before falling back on the start of the descent of Fauniera. We can't see more than 10 meters, the Marco Pantani stele will wait for the next climb! It is cold and wet on the long descent. Arriving in Demonte, a small coffee and croissant are necessary (in addition to the network break, the fans are waiting for news!).

From there, 30km of flat await us, the perfect opportunity for the riders to take their revenge (or at least try). It's the first time we've had more than 4km of flat since the start of the trip, which is a sawtooth-shaped route. The perfect opportunity to put on cycling bags (something unthinkable 5 years ago). It's still playing the signs and the slightest zebra is the opportunity for an attack that would make Sandy Casar pale!

All this nonsense is digging deep, even though we still have the biggest chunk of the day left. We arrive in Vernante to eat. After that, we'll have the Col de Tende (13.6 km at 6.5%) from Limone, and about fifteen kilometers of the Via Del Sale, all gravel—no easy feat.

We leave a little more warmed and satisfied by the slightly chocolatey dessert! Direction Limone, another Italian resort that could rival Ibiza so much the atmosphere seems to be as electric as a retirement home in the middle of Covid-19. (oh come on, he really pissed us off that one)! But it's the Italian charm, as since the beginning of our trip, no superfluous, it smells old and authentic, and it's in perfect harmony with this Gravel trip, where we are far from everything, and happy to be!

As we pass the Limone station, the fog is once again very present. We clearly understand that it won't move, we'll have to go back there for a while from the moment we pass 1700m. It's a shame because the climb winds, it must be beautiful, we need imagination! Arriving at the summit, we can barely see 5 meters, just enough to see the sign "high salt road". At that moment, the disappointment is still very present because the hours spent preparing the route on Openrunner, the photos on the internet, the viewpoints on Google Map had really made us want to be there.

From time to time, the sky reveals itself and the only thing we can hear is "wahoo"! We decide to take some pictures with the drone while taking advantage of a window and we thank Dji for the "return to starting point" function, otherwise the little machine would have remained in the fog! The sky remains capricious but once past 2000m, the clearings become more beautiful and more frequent! Clearly the favorite of this trip. It's sublime, pure Gravel, a delicious solitude and this road on the mountainside that you follow, and which, at each turn, offers you a new postcard! It must be said that the legs are good, which helps to appreciate the view and to raise the head more often from the handlebars.Once again, we would have liked to take more time but it is already 5:30 p.m. and we still have a few km of gravel left, not easy until the Don Barbera refuge (2079m) where a small cold shower awaits us.

Matteo's pasta is excellent; he's well aware he has customers, and comes back to serve us directly from the pot! A good meal and a good herbal tea are relaxing. It's an opportunity for our elderly neighbors to wink at our guide, whom they describe as the "ideal son-in-law," while he himself seems to be planning a life annuity purchase.

Tuesday, July 14 - Day 5

5 a.m. We're getting used to these shelters without shutters, so we wake up gently. Gently, because the first rays of light are misty and thick, the piercing, hot sun of a July morning is far away. But the south is getting closer, tomorrow we arrive in Nice, so we tell ourselves that the sun will return!

Breakfast (anise-flavored rusk) won't leave us with lasting memories and our stomachs are rather empty. The start is once again refreshing, but like the day before, the clearings appear and we continue the Via Del Sale with some views just as beautiful as the day before. We follow this road along the mountainside while a herd of cows is going the other way. Clearly we're not being so smart, and let's just say that priority goes to those with horns! The road is sometimes stony, sometimes earthy, this change of scenery in such a short time is once again striking. Each day will have its share of varied landscapes! The bad news is that we're reaching the end of the Via Del Sale and Flavian is opening the puncture counter (the one and only for the lightest guy on the trip, so clearly there's room for improvement in riding...). The good news is that we're about to tackle a descent of about 20km on gravel, where we won't be crossing a cat's tail. The most comfortable ones skid on every turn, the less comfortable ones just stay on the bike and avoid shoulder hits on the descent. Back on the asphalt, the village of La Brigue isn't far and will make an ideal refreshment point. It's July 14th, the flags are out, people are outside, it feels good. This excites a few who decide to give it their all on the La Brigue sign, a surge of testosterone that remains unexplained to this day! The restaurant is in France, but who knows why Chris keeps speaking Italian to the waiter... We check if there are any beautiful girls to impress, but that doesn't seem to be the case! Anyway, it's July 14th, so the kir is on the house, is it really a gift?

In any case, weather-wise, it's still our party! We've barely finished our plates when a violent storm hits us, like violent! We let it pass and leave, telling ourselves that in the next village we'll decide whether to go back up to 2000m on Gravel to reach the Col du Turini (1607m) (knowing that we're at an altitude of 800m) or take the shorter route to Sospel, our stop for the evening. Except that in the meantime, we're hit by the big sister! You know, in surfing, it's never the first wave in the series that you have to take, the next one is bigger. Well, it's the same here! Honestly, we find ourselves wet as never before, so much so that we start to question the waterproofing of our equipment! Reluctantly, we have to cancel the climb to the pass, what's more, in the clouds! One last challenge awaits us, the Col de Brouis (8km at 5.7%). Yet another opportunity to attack, and explode in mid-air... The rain stops, but we're soaked, the sky is rumbling, it's as heavy as a summer storm! Finally arrived up there, all that's left is for us to descend to Sospel.

Arriving in Sospel, the village is very pretty, it finally smells of the south, the sun is back, we even take the time to take a group photo. It must be said that without the Turini, we're doing well, it will allow us to take a few more shandys (crazy when you hold us)!

It's nice to find a little comfort, our host offers to use the dryer. We shower with hot water and sleep in a bed! Nice to have a little time off the bike, to sit on a terrace at 6 p.m., and not with our ass on the saddle with another hour of hassle! We talk about the next day, that famous last day. We think back to the first ones that seem far away and the anecdotes are already worth telling over and over again!

Wednesday, July 15 - Day 6

It's weird, the alarm goes off, we had one of our best nights (long live the hotel), but the feelings are mixed between relief to arrive and nostalgia to finish this trip.

But just like the beginning of our trip, each day has its share of surprises and landscapes. It seems like the good weather finally wants to be with us. And yet, we've given it our all!

The start is early because we have to pick up the van and return to Annecy in the afternoon. We set off, elbowing and helmet-pushing, pushing our friend's brakes, the kind of smart game! In short, I think we're subconsciously trying to make the fun last and enjoy the last moments together. We quickly attack the Col de Braus (11km at 5.7%), which will be 90% gravel. This pass is a great discovery, it must be said that we're arriving in the Nice hinterland, renowned for gravel riding. It's already very hot; we're in the south this time, no doubt about it. Arriving at the summit, on the asphalt section, there's a fierce fight for the sign, which turns out to be a big lack of humility? (or is it just my perception of being a loser?). You know when your friend dares to ask you if you're at full throttle in the middle of a sprint while he's catching up with you...

At the top of the pass, we turn onto a new DFCI track, and the sea looms in the distance! The road is hilly, the cicadas are singing, the air is dry, it makes you want to ride longer here. DFCI tracks, what a treat, we say to ourselves that in the south, gravel is a "must have"! We get back on the road and a beautiful descent that takes us to St Agnès (it's superb and makes you want to take the time to visit). It's also a place of increased negotiation between heading towards La Turbie (and diving more quickly on the coast) or following the route towards Peille and therefore climbing the Col de la Madone (at 925m, another 6km at 7.7%). We're not going to lie to ourselves, despite Chris's salesmanship, it's more of a 4 against 1 and we prolong the pleasure by starting the Madone which offers sublime views! As a little reward, we discover Johnny (we don't really know his name) playing the drums at full blast on the last bend ("I'm having a blast" he keeps repeating to us, it's obvious and his energy is infectious). On the descent, we even meet a local in a Matchy jersey, and we stop to chat again! So many encounters on this Col de la Madone! The asphalt becomes more and more present, the sea gets closer, we approach the Col d'Eze, the last opportunity to enjoy the views above the sea before diving down to Nice. We can't wait to eat, but the return to traffic is brutal.We had gotten used to our roads at 2000m, surrounded only by cows and marmots!

So how do we finish this trip? We're given a great place to eat (Di Piu), the pasta is excellent and we seem to be the only ones not leaving with a doggy bag...! A small Nutella pizza to finish, Chris's white jersey remembers it and it's time to pack up! 5 hours of driving await us to get back to Annecy.

A sense of accomplishment fills us. Beyond the trail, its difficulty, and the landscapes, what stands out most is the accomplishment of having experienced a human adventure. Having taken the time with friends, to discover each other, to encourage each other, to open up, because the best journey is the one we share!