The girls at Cycle Cote d’Azur rate quite highly on our life envy scale. Basing themselves out of Nice, ex-Olympic cyclist Emma Davies and triathlete Claire Blackie get to ride their road bikes alternately through coastal villages and over high mountain cols, through epic gorges and ancient forests.
Sometimes Emma and Claire even ride into Italy. And then they get to finish the day with an aperitif overlooking the sea. Luckily through Cycle Cote d’Azur they don’t keep their cycling joy to themselves.
‘We have regular day rides people can join in Nice for all levels of rider, and we have tours throughout the region including Provence, the Gorges du Verdon and Mt Ventoux,’ says Claire. In March they are running a women’s ‘intro to cycling’ long weekend which will involve technique training – ascending, descending, cornering, group riding et al – followed by guided rides on some of France’s most beautiful roads so you can test out your new skills at a comfortable pace. You’ll get to ride and learn from both Emma and Claire who frankly could inspire any woman to get out ride, with the aim being to boost confidence and skills. There’ll also be sessions on basic bike maintenance, yoga for cyclists and tips on staying injury free. Oh and munch in local restaurants each night.
Worth noting as well, they offer day rides and longer weeks. So if you find yourself in that neck of the woods and fancy having a spin, even for the day it’s worth bookmarking their page.
Intro to cycling weekend: 21-24 March 2013 £349pp based on two sharing
