With château-studded countryside and picturesque villages – what’s not to like!
On Saturday 14 Sept the second NRC overseas adventure of this year began, with a party of 14 flying to the historic French town of Bergerac, in the heart of the Dordogne region in southwest France.
The trip was put together and run by a small UK company called Green Jersey Cycling, who booked hotels and meals, and provided excellent support on the road, fixing punctures and minor mechanicals, providing gpx files for the routes, and a watchful eye on the participants
From the first morning with a testing climb out of Bergerac to the world famous Monbazillac vineyards we were blessed with:
Verdant pastures
Beautiful woodland
Stunning river valleys with towering limestone cliffs
Wonderful, historic towns, villages castles and chateaux including the world heritage site at Rocadamour
Beatific blue skies, sunshine and temperatures for all but the last 5 miles of a 325 mile circuit ( no kidding!)
We rode between 46-55 miles a day for six days with groups self selecting their pace. It was largely rolling terrain: some long steady climbs and descents, and occasional “ short but cheeky” climbs very similar to those we ride at home in the Wessex Downs.
There were also some long, flat, fast and flattering stretches along the valleys of the principal rivers, the Dordogne and the Lot.
And have I mentioned the food? It was rural France
What didn’t we have?
Clouds of ( Scottish) midgies
Kilometres of grinding mountainous climbs ( ok the views at the top are usually spectacular)
Five star hotels with all the facilities, but real cyclists don’t want those - do they?
Potholes!
In short, the week was probably what many would dream a cycling holiday could
be. Those of us fortunate to be there will remember it for a long time!
Comments