Get out and ride - A ride in the clouds

Two weeks, two bikes and the whole of southern France to discover. With breathtaking views, sleepy towns and quiet roads, is this biking at its very best? Bev Henderson certainly thinks so. Story Bev Henderson Pics Bob Haigh

I have been fortunate enough to have toured all over Europe for the past eight years and have covered thousands of miles through numerous countries. It is always exciting to find new places to explore and challenges to encounter and my recent trip through one of my favourite countries, France, did not disappoint. I had given myself a couple of specific goals; to ride through the ever popular, and stunningly beautiful, French Alps to the tourist haven of Annecy, and then on through the Massif Central and notably to cross the world’s tallest bridge at Millau. The round trip was to take 13 days and cover over 2000 miles and had just about everything you could wish for in a biking tour.

France is a biker’s dream, there is no debate on this matter. Coming from a small, over-congested island, where road-rage is a way of life and survival is the greatest achievement on any motorbike journey, riding through the open French countryside in good weather, on excellent roads without another breathing soul as far as the eye can see is heaven sent. Then, add the fact that it is big, has vastly contrasting environments north, south, east and west, good food and locals who are welcoming to all bikers and it is no wonder that it is a very popular destination for motorcyclists of all nationalities. So, aboard my trusty Yamaha Dragstar 650, I set off from good old Blighty across the North Sea for yet another adventure in the land of the Gauls.

The French Alps

I use the P&O crossing from Hull to Zeebrugge, as I find this the most convenient and relaxing way to get to the continent, and would recommend it to anyone who can use it. It means that you can set off the following morning refreshed and can make good mileage and time with little hassle. My route took me through Reims and Bar le Duc, staying at hotels in the Accor group, Etaps. These are cheap, clean and safe, always have good parking for travellers and are ideal for touring. I then headed south along the N67 towards Dijon, finding the stretch between St Dizier and Chaumont an absolute pearler.

Situated a spit away from the Swiss border, Annecy is located in the far east of France and was a good 550 miles into the trip. The weather for the ride was kind, bright sunshine accompanied threatening clouds that never managed to tag me (unlike some fellow Brits I met up with who had been riding in hours of torrential rain!). The ride was excellent, through deciduous forest and rural farmland that gently rose and fell all the way to the foot of the Alps where the terrain changed dramatically. Stretching 230 miles from the Mediterranean to Lake Geneva, the French Alps display all variety of mountain scenery with villages and hamlets dotting the slopes and valley floors.

In modern times, the Alps have become a vast playground, welcoming visitors in all seasons and Annecy is no exception. This historic, picturesque town lies on the banks of the river Thiou and has history dating back to the 16th century. Its centrepiece is the ‘Palais de l’Isle’, a former prison, which rises out of the narrow streets and canals like the prow of a ship. Hoards of visitors, including a good number of fellow bikers, wandered around the cobbled alleyways, all slurping on ice creams and soaking up the summer sun. This is definitely one of the must-do’s of an already breathtaking area.

The Millau Bridge

Leaving the French Alps behind came all too soon, but my journey inevitably continued, due west in fact and towards the expanse of the Massif Central. As the name suggests, it is the largest and central region of France and is dominated by a range of mountains made up of a collection of extinct volcanoes with this extraordinary landscape known as the Puys. The oldest of these is the Puy de Dome, rising to 4806ft, the trip over which must be classed as the original white-knuckle ride. The only single-track road that it can be accessed by spirals upwards to its summit (which is usually capped in a ring of cloud) where you can pause a while to gaze over the vast panorama of the Grand Limagne basin below. The air is crisp and silent; you really do get the feeling that you are in the land of the gods, which is probably why the Romans built a temple to Mercury here in the 1st century AD.

Stunning as this all was, my tour then took me due south again on the toll-free A75 and to a truly modern phenomena, the Millau bridge. Travelling 150 miles on all motorway doesn’t normally set the imagination racing but I have to confess that this was one of the most awe-inspiring pieces of riding that I have ever done. The road cut right through the heart of the mountain ranges, fast flowing bends and at altitudes varying between 700 and 1000 metres, the passage clung to the steep granite cliff sides all along its route. In fact, I defy anyone not to be exhilarated by this stretch of road and not have a grin on their face from ear to ear.

After two hours of riding in the mid-morning sun my destination abruptly appeared on the horizon and immediately sent a shiver down my spine. You see, daft as it is, I am petrified of heights and so this whole experience was not only to witness a feat of modern technology but also to conquer one of my greatest fears.

Opened in December 2004, the Millau bridge had been constructed (thanks to a British architect) to join the north and south regions of France, linking Paris with the Mediterranean Sea. It is the tallest vehicular bridge in the world, clearing 270m from the river Tarn below, with its tallest pier as tall as the Eiffel Tower. I hope that you can appreciate the scale of this, and so with clichés such as ‘no pain, no gain’ and ‘what don’t kill you makes you stronger’ running through my mind I took a deep breath and let my wheels keep turning. Before I knew it, I was sailing along at a quarter of a mile up above the valley floor and loving every moment of it! In an instance I was over the other side and the challenge had been completed, the adrenalin still rushing through me in triumphant satisfaction, I can definitely say that I have ticked that box!

As I turned tail and headed home, I went across to the Atlantic coast and followed my nose northwards towards Brittany, Normandy and Picardie, each of which are great regions in themselves to explore. Inevitably, I had the ferry to catch but instead of hanging out in the usual tourist trap of Brugge, I stopped off at Ypres. I found this just as picturesque and interesting, with the Manheim gate, the town’s memorial to the Allied troops who gave their lives in WWI.

Looking back, the whole tour delivered new experiences that sometimes only riding a motorbike can give. But whether it was winding through the ancient French Alps or across one of the modern wonders of the world, on this trip I truly did take a ride in the clouds.

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