recommended route
FFC cycling circuit n°9.1: The Nice IRONMAN circuit
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Gattières and the Var valleyPhoto: Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur
For long-distance enthusiasts, the famous 165km Nice triathlon cycle course will take you over the Col de l'Ecre (1,118m) towards the heights of the village of Gréolières.
The course for this Ironman is the most beautiful of its kind, and is much appreciated by triathletes from all over the world. The route is varied, with a succession of climbs and descents. The high point of the event, and the true judge of its success, is the Col de l'Ecre (1,118 m).
Although this loop has a sporting character in reference to the race run by Yves Cordier, former European triathlon champion, cyclists will also have time to discover a number of medieval villages: Tourrettes sur Loup, famous for its violets, Gourdon perched on a vertiginous 760 m peak overlooking the Loup valley. This location has earned it the nickname of "Eagle's Nest", and a diversion through the narrow streets leading to the highest point of the village, the Cour des Miracles, is well worth your while. Coursegoules, Bouyon, le Broc... so many villages to linger over for a short while before taking to the road.
Cyclists will be keen to take little-travelled paths, in the shade and through the forest on the southern slopes of the Cheiron mountain after the village of Gréolières, to reach Coursegoules.
Author’s recommendation
Circuit for hardened athletes - FFC colour: black
All the outdoor activities in the Nice Côte d'Azur region can be found at https://outdoor.nicecotedazur.org/fr/
Track types
Safety information
BASIC RULES
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Choose a route suited to your physical condition and do not overestimate your abilities.
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Before setting off, find out about the weather in the mountains and when the passes open.
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Carry identification and a number to call in case of danger
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Respect traffic lights
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Preferably use cycle paths when they exist. In other words, a sign may require you to do so:
If the "cycle path" sign is square: you decide.
If it is round, you must use the lane.
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Respect the environment and other road users
THE RIGHT REFLEXES FOR RIDING IN A GROUP
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Riding two abreast is permitted, but you must keep to a single lane:
at dusk or when visibility is poor
when a vehicle wanting to overtake announces its approach.
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In the event of a breakdown, move to the side of the road, not the carriageway.
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Come to a complete stop for the whole group at stop signs, yellow lights and fixed or flashing red lights.
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Communicate within the group and use verbal language and body language to signal an obstacle or a vehicle. A simple gesture or word is all it takes to avoid a fall or an accident.
Start
Destination
Turn-by-turn directions
- From the Promenade des Anglais at the Centenaire, head west towards Nice along the cycle path that runs alongside the seafront.
- After crossing the Napoléon III bridge over the Var river (Km 7), turn left onto the RM 95 towards the Saint-Laurent du Var industrial estate.
- At the end of this road, turn left onto the Chemin de la Digue (Km 11.7), then right to take the RM 2209 through La Baronne.
- Keep right on the RM 1 towards Carros-Les Plans. At the traffic lights (Km 19.3), turn left onto the formidable 500m wall of the Route des Condamines, a favourite spot for triathletes after they leave the water in Nice.
- At the top, turn left onto the Chemin de Provence (old railway line) and at the junction with the RM 2209 (Km 22.1), turn right towards Gattières. When you reach the village (Km 23.9), turn left towards Vence on the RM 2210.
- The route crosses the Peyron de Saint-Jeannet and arrives in Vence.
- At the junction with the Col de Vence road (Km 33.9), turn right and then immediately left to join the old Grasse road(RM 2210) and Tourrettes-sur-Loup.
- Once past the village, head down towards Pont du Loup, continuing on the RD 2210. At the junction with the RD 6 (Km 47.8), just before Pont du Loup, it is advisable to fill up your water bottles at the fountain a few metres after the crossroads on the right.
- From here, the long climb up the Gorges du Loup road(RD 6) towards the Col de l'Ecre begins. On the way you can take a look at the Saut du Loup waterfall. At Bramafan (Km 53.2), turn left onto the RD3 towards Gourdon.
- The 2nd part of the climb starts at the roundabout and takes you to the top of the Col de l'Ecre on the RD12 towards Caussols. Once you have passed the summit and crossed Caussols in a lunar landscape, you rejoin the RD 5 at the 2nd junction (Km 74), negotiating the hairpin bend to head for Gréolières-St Auban.
- On the RD5, you will cross the Col de la Sine, which has a low gradient and is not very long, to reach the Pont du Loup. At Pont du Loup, turn right (Km 84.9) onto the RD 79 towards Gréolières.
- As you enter the village, the direction of the traffic means you have to go round the centre on the RD 402 and then the RD 2 towards Nice-Grasse. At the roundabout (Km 99.3), head towards Coursegoules on the RD2. This will take you up the côte de Saint-Pons, continuing on the RD2.
- Once you reach the junction with the RD 8 (Km 107), purists will want to keep to the flat part of the route on the RD 2. Turn around just before the junction with the Route de Saint-Barnabé (D302) at Km 112.
- Once back on the same road in the opposite direction, at the RD 2 - RD 8 junction (Km 117), take the RD 8 towards Coursegoules. This is the last climb before descending to Bouyon. From this village, the road becomes the RD 1, then the RM 1, before passing through the charming village of Le Broc and Carros-Le-Vieux.
- At the end of the village (Km 141.2), at the traffic lights, turn right towards Gattières on the RM 2209, which will take you as far as La Baronne.
- At the Saint-Laurent du Var sign, after a few hundred metres, turn left onto the Chemin de la Digue (Km 154), heading for the Saint-Laurent du Var industrial estate.
- A series of large roundabouts on the RM 95 will take you to the Napoléon III bridge and the entrance to Nice via the cycle path along the seafront road (RM 6098).
Directions
Nice is served by the A8 "La Provençale" motorway, coming from Aix-en-Provence to the west and the border to the east. To reach the city centre, there are five exits leading directly to the district of your choice:
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Exit 50: Promenade des Anglais
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Exit 51: Saint-Augustin / airport
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Exit 52: Saint-Isidore
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Exit 54: Nice nord
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Exit 55: Nice est
Parking
Pay underground car park : LE RHUL MERIDIEN - access via rue Gustave V
Pay underground car park : PARC DE S PARNEMENT PALAIS DE LA MEDITERRANEE - Access via rue du Congrès
Coordinates
Equipment
-Wear an approved helmet
-Check the condition of your tyres
-Take a repair kit with you in case of a puncture
-Prefer at least one flashing LED light to attach to the seatpost so that you can be seen by other motorists, especially in the many small tunnels in Metropolitan France.
Localization
Weather at the route's trailhead
Statistics
- 17 Waypoints
- 17 Waypoints
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Route
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Gradient
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