If you’re travelling as a group, arrive into Marseille airport and we will transfer you to Bedoin. If you’re on your own or a couple, it’s best to get the Eurostar to Paris and then the TGV to Avignon as your transfer will be cheaper.
Your trip is totally flexible so you can choose when and where you want to ride. We recommend riding Gorges de la Nesque to get a little bit of climbing in, as well as wonderful scenes, or discover the Val de Sault. Spend some time on the plains and explore the lavender fields, olive groves and vineyards.
The ascent of Ventoux from Bedoin is the classic route. 21,5km at 1912m of climbing, this is how you will conquer the legend.
The climb is split into 3 sections with the first, a gentle gradient of around 4.5%, getting the legs warmed up as you arrive at Saint-Esteve. You will then enter the forest with no air. Lined with trees, the outlook is straight up, at an average of an unrelenting 10%, until you reach Chalet Reynard. From there, it is out of the forest and onto the barren lunar landscape. Perched boldly atop the Provencal countryside, this is the area known for buffeting winds but will you be lucky and get a good tail wind, or will you be fighting the elements to the top? The Tom Simpson memorial is just 1.5km from the top and with a final switchback to the right, you will reach the top and will have joined the greats of cycling and be able to say, I conquered Ventoux.
Check out from your hotel and we will transfer you back to Avignon train station or Marseille airport.
To experienced riders, Ventoux is a legendary climb. Its slopes have featured as a battleground throughout the Tour de France history. From Tom Simpson and Lance Armstrong to Chris Froome, all cycling aficionados have a Ventoux memory etched in to their consciousness. Come to Provence and climb the Giant of Provence. With fields of lavender, rolling vineyards and quaint hilltop villages, Provence offers the ultimate escape from city life.