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@Buffalo_Bill
Honestly, I have ridden down there (Alps & sth of France) a lot, and most of my happiest memories on a bike are of those roads, especially around Mont Ventoux, in the Drome. The scenery is amazing, and the roads in the Drome aren't nearly as busy as they are in the Alps proper. Add in the venal, insane spectacle of the Tour...
But I wouldn't want anyone to think that it's like London to Brighton, because it simply isn't. You will need to have got some miles in, and you definitely want to have a bike with a really wide range of gears, otherwise it'll be miserable. But if you can't hack the whole thing, you can always bail, and potter around.
I'm definitely going for it, and would welcome company, but if you're up for it, you need to do 2 things:
Get the tickets as soon as they go on sale (not sure exactly when this will be, but likely shortly after Xmas), as the London - Avignon service is always popular
Get some miles in. Doesn't need to be dramatic, just a 4 hour ride once a week starting in February or March (100k Audaxes are ideal), with 3 or 4 8 hour rides in June (200k Audaxes are ideal).
I've done some really head-banging rides in the past (memorably riding from London - Basel in 5 days with a trailer, averaging just under 200k a day), but I plan on taking it a lot easier on this, smelling the flowers & stopping for proper lunches.