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Yes I rode it back in 2018 as a celebration for a good mates 50th birthday as part of a group of 15 riders. My mate arranged for us all to have matching kit which I felt could have been a bit cheesy but was a really great motivation on the day. It also helped the multiple photographers on the top section to recognise us and cheer us on during the second and third ascents.
We did the standard Bedoin, Malaucene and Sault ascents in that order and I would suggest sticking with that. Another mate who is a much better climber than me attempted it with the Malaucene attempt last and found it really tough going.
Choose your day wisely. We were fortunate with the weather even in late June. Start early (circa 7:30) and we were at the top by 9:30. I took arm warmers and a gilet for the descents as even though it was a warm day we were wet through from sweat and the descents could give you a chill as it was still relatively early in the day.
Coffee and croissant at the foot of the first descent and then another 2 hour climb to the top. Fortunately there was cloud cover to keep the temperature down. Somebody had a hip flask which we all shared (pre-COVID days) before the descent.
It was really hot, low 30s by now and we were feeling it in our legs and that’s why it was useful the last ascent from Sault is the most straightforward. A stop at Chalet Reynard for some supplies and then we crested the final tim before heading back down to Bedoin for celebratory beers.
I said pick your day carefully. I returned in 2019 taking another mate and we tackled the Bedoin ascent. This happened to coincide with the hottest temperature ever recorded in France at 45 degrees c at Carpentras which is where we had started the ride. The BBC were in Bedoin reporting back and bike shops were refusing to hire bikes as it was so dangerous and the climb took us something like five hours as it was simply exhausting. It was all we could do at the top to roll back downhill which was like descending into a furnace and head home. There was no way a dongles was happening on that day.
Top tips, as already mentioned start early and pace yourself. I never ever ride to heart rate but I chose a number I felt comfortable with and stuck at that all day. In fact it was due to this that I realised I was bonking on the final climb (I just couldn’t raise my HR to the level I had set and was slipping out the back door of the group) and had to stop at a feed station for a group from Belgium who were doing one of the climbs.
I am lucky enough to have a very understanding wife and have had some awesome cycling experiences over the last 30 years in may different countries and this is definitely the number one so do it, you won’t regret it.
Finally, make a weekend of it and do the Gorges de la Nesque the nest day as a recovery ride. It’s a beautiful ride and very different to Ventoux.
Here’s a video of the day.
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MTB-Idle
Has anyone here done Club Des Cingles?
If so do you have any advice/stories/warnings to not even attempt it?