Europe 5th - 20th June

[damonik]

Hi all,
Due to a change in plans, I've now ended up with the above period free to ride in Europe as I wish - By this stage I'll already have ridden in the Alps and Mont Ventoux, and I'll be in the Pyrenees - I'll be travelling solo by this point and I'm now debating what to do from here.

Anyone got any ideas? It's a big country and I'm torn as to where to go from there! My ideas include:

1) Figure out how to get to Belgium and ride - however this doesn't seem like it would take all that long as I don't think I'm up for punishing myself on the cobbles.
2) Find a base in Italy and ride the alps in that region
3) Find a base in Switzerland and ride the alps there
4) .....

Any help appreciated

[Meditator]

France seems to be everyone's favourite. You haven't got a lot of time. Why go anywhere else.

btw europe is not a country.

Otherwise, norway is lovely. Finland is wild and lovely in a different way. EAsy to bush camp in either of these countries.

[Daccordi Rider]

I'd head across to Lake Como and ride that area. From there you can get to the Italian Alps and do The Stelvio, Mortirolo, Gavia, Zoncolan and well as Ghisallo at the lake and the many spectacular roads and climbs around the lake.

I'm pretty jealous right now.

[ietslogies]

1) Figure out how to get to Belgium and ride - however this doesn't seem like it would take all that long as I don't think I'm up for punishing myself on the cobbles.

Let's say it is rather difficult to find stretches WITH cobbles in Belgium. So that shouldn't put you off!

[il padrone]

I'm planning to tour in Europe.... but next April-July (2013).

It'll be mainly Italy - Umbria, Marche, Tuscany, Liguria, then Corsica and Sardinia Lots of marvellous hill & mountain scenery, farming villages, art & culture and coastal scenery.

[polkadotcycling]

It depends on how you are intending to get from the Pyrenees to somewhere else. From there it's not too far a trek to do some of the cmilbs in the Massif Central in France. Ventoux is sort of at the bottom of this area but really far South, so a bit further North from here around Limoges is a good area and regularly visited by the Tour. It's often used by the Etape as well. If you still want mountains and to stay in France, there's always the Voges, North of The Alps or the area immediately above the Alps and into Switzerland is the Jura, north and around Geneva. The Tour visits there this year on Stage 10, the big climb being the Col de Grand Colombier, being used of the first time.

[polkadotcycling]

If you are already in the Pyrenees then why not track up to the Massif Central (shorter 5-8km climbs) region, that's been used in the Tour several times or if you want more mountains, there's the Voges or the Jura mountains are just above the Alps around Geneva. The Tour goes to the Jura this year in Stage 10 and climbs the Col de Grand Colombier for the first time.