So this year is bike riviera for MTBing, last year was Whistler and the year after next will be whistler again. Next year I’m considering doing a holiday where I can get some road cycling in. Not looking for anything guided, just a good place to base myself and head out with my gps for some longer more epic days in the saddle. Doesn’t have to be somewhere at all related to the TdF nor some of the most epic climbing roads in the whole world. Just an awesome place for road cycling. A friend recently did some in Mallorca and said it was pretty nice… any other suggestions?

Bourg d Oisans is the place for big rides somewhere you really should go if your into cycling.
However…Girona has a fantastic cycling culture and is a bloody nice place on and off the bike.

Sierra Nevada was excellent earlier this year. Easy flights to Malaga too

I’m currently in the early stages planning flying to Malaga, cycling to Faro, flying home, next year.

Will be an easy route as my less fit better half will be with me.

Sure you could work something similar out and make it longer or harder or more iconic.

Ghent for a Tour of Flanders. Lovely place to stay, iconic cycling. No mountains.

Ghent +1 – lovely part of the world.

I’ve done Majorca/southern Spain/Dolomites/Pyrenees but the Alps is still one of my favourites. Stay in Vaujany or Venosc for access to Glandon, Croix de Fer, Telegraph, Galibier, d’Huez and even out to Madeleine and beyond.

Provence is great. I’ve been road biking there twice. You can do Mont Ventoux but there’s loads of other great routes including the Gorge de la Nesque. If you go when the lavender fields are out, you can smell it in the air.

Norway is ace but expensive and wet.

https://www.dolomiti.it/en/alleghe/

Annecy? Easy to get to. Great riding both flat (around the lake) and plenty of climbing.

Munqe Chick would describe herself as a “mountain biker at heart” but having biked all over the world (including US Rockies, Cappadocia in Turkey, Kerala in India, Atlas mountains in Morocco as well as Europe), she admitted our best riding holiday was last year’s road riding in the Dolomites.

We stayed in Igor’s hotel

About

great food, nice staff and he has GPS routes. Check out almost any GCN video (they have a tie-up with the Alta Badia region and film loads there) or footage of Giro stages.

We’re also big fans of Belgium and the Flandrian Bergs, they lived up to expectations and we’ve been a few times, but it’s close enough for a long weekend rather than a ‘big’ holiday (you’re replacing Whistler with this trip).

We drove down and actually did two centres; just outside Corvara for the Dolomites, then Bormio for the Italian Alps (Stelvio, Gavia, Mortirolo). Double ascent of Stelvio was probably my best ever day on a bike, but if/when we go back to Italy it’ll be the Dolomites as there’s so much we didn’t ride.

In a month’s time we’re off to Bourg de Oisans (thanks Wilburt for the tips) and then Andermatt to ride some of the best Switzerland has to offer (Grimsel, Furka, Susten, Nufenen passes look like they might actually top the Stelvio) but can’t compare them yet!

Relive (with photos)

Stelvio

Dolomites

Majorca – west side of the island mostly, you want to be in the Serra de Tramuntana mountains

Tuscany anywhere – Lucca is great, as is the entire area between Siena/Pienza (white roads/strade branche)

Calpe/Denia/Javea/Altea- the entire area inland from the coast is awesome

Lake Como – utterly brilliant and you’ll get to see the Madonna di Ghisallo chapel and ride the Sormano climb.. epic. Lots there for a week or more.

Bormio – for the Stelvio, Gavia, Mortirolo. Hard. It hurts. Epic scenery though.

Pyrenees – stay in Argeles Gazost and ride the Tourmalet, Aubisque, Hautacam, Soulor and others. Probably one of my favourite paces I’ve been to. Lourdes is interesting too (ride 15kms along a converted rail track from Argeles Gazost to Lourdes and back).

Provence – am going back again next month, staying in Isle sur Sorgue. Will get to ride Mt Ventoux again but this time I’ll spend a week exploring Provence instead of just targeting Ventoux for and in-and-out.

Bordeaux/St Emilion – riding along the Dordogne is beautiful – I did a 100 mile ride on my fixie along the banks of the Dordogne 4 years ago 🙂
Beautiful, quiet surrounding areas too – can’t go wrong really.

Ghent/Bruges – Tour of Flanders area… I’ve ridden the ToF 4 times and always thought what a fantastic place this area would be to go to in the summer when the sun is shining. Fantastic bike paths, bergs, roads, very cycling-centric culture. Lots of interesting things to see and do off the bike too. Not like rural France!

St Jean de Maurienne – you can get to some fantastic rides from here and it’s a great little place to stay – there’s the Opinel Museum here too. Ride the cols de Madeleine, Croix de Fer, Glandon, Telegraphe, Galibier, les Lacets du Montvernier, etc..

Atlantic Coast of France – 5yrs ago my wife, kids and I did a holiday where we started in Biarritz and wended our way up the West Coast of France to La Rochelle over several relaxed days – me typically riding for 2-4hrs, them driving/stopping to see things along the way, getting coffees, eating ice creams etc. Beautiful. Inland in ‘Les Landes’ is also great – quiet, flat to rolling terrain, very forested, clean air. Lots of great campsites in that area too. Plus interesting sand dunes, natural features.

Le Touquet – definitely going back here. 1hr from Calais by car.. it’s SO easy to get to. Really interesting little place, beautiful streets, houses, lovely rolling roads surrounding it. Interesting war cemeteries etc and of course – seafood!!!

email in profile if you want any more ideas, or greater info on places mentioned..