A new sportive called la Mercan’Tour Café du Cycliste has been announced that takes in the 2,802m Col de la Bonette, Europe’s highest paved through (non dead end) road.
The Mercan’Tour is the only sportive permitted access to the Mercantour National Park, known for being one of France’s most beautiful natural landscapes.
The sportive, organised by Club Alpes Azur and French bike clothing brand Café du Cycliste, will start in Guillaume, and you’ll have the choice of the short route (119km/74 miles) or the long one (180km/112 miles). The short one still looks tough in that it takes in both slopes of the hors categorie Col de Cayolle. The long route includes the Col de Cayolle, Col de la Couillole and Col de la Bonette.
Col de la Bonette is the headline grabber here. At 2,802m it’s almost 1,000m higher than the famous Alpe d’Huez climb. The long route tots up a total of over 4,600m of climbing. That’s a big day in the saddle by anyone’s standards. Even the short route takes in over 2,700m of vertical ascent.
Here’s the type of terrain you can expect.
“It’s become something of a tradition for us to ride the Bonette every year as soon as the snow ploughs open the road so it has a special resonance,” said Café du Cycliste co-founder Remi Clermont.
Event organisers say, “To ensure the integrity of the park, the event has been designed to have minimal impact on the surroundings. In addition, and in association with Reforest’Action, a tree will be planted for each participant to ensure an environmental legacy is left.”
La Mercan’tour Café du Cycliste will take place on the 19 June 2016.
For more info go to www.lamercantourcyclo.com
6 thoughts on “The highest sportive in Europe: are you tough enough?”
I liked the peace and quiet
I liked the peace and quiet of this climb, a beautiful route. Not highest paved road in Europe though.
The Cime (little top loop) is
The Cime (little top loop) is highest paved through route iirc.
vbvb wrote:
The Teifenbach Glacier road goes through the top of a mountain in a tunnel exiting at a ‘col’ that is 2829m, and then descends to a ski resort on the other side. It is fully paved (apart from some potholes in the tunnel). I would call it a through route.
The col at Bonette is 2715m, so beaten by Iseran (2770), Stelvio (2757), and Agnel (2744). It doesn’t really matter though because they’re all awesome to cycle over, Stelvio in particular, although Agnel is pretty breathtaking also, at least passing into Italy.
Ah looks the challenge for
Ah looks the challenge for 2017 then !!
ianrobo wrote:
Or
http://road.cc/content/feature/83843-riding-marrakech-atlas-%C3%A9tape
Hi Matt – this looks like
Hi Matt – this looks like just your sort of thing!