March 2018 | 151
Cycling the undiscovered south-west
With Tours du Tarn ’ s base an hour north-east of the Occitanie capital of Toulouse , here ’ s 5 good reasons why you should choose south-west France for your cycling holiday :
1 SCENERY . Think of the region as the Yorkshire Dales colliding with Cheddar Gorge and the Peak district , mixed in with the Cotswolds for good measure ! The region is pretty , green and rolling , dramatic , and brimming with things to see .
In fact with the Quercy plateau all around Tours du Tarn , the Aveyron gorges on the doorstep and medieval Saint Antonin Noble Val just a short pedal away , this pocket of undiscovered France has it all .
2 ROADS . Cycling here is your chance to enjoy some genuinely traffic-free roads . Unlike the tourist hotspots of the UK , this area has NONE of the TRAFFIC but quiet , scenic , annually maintained roads instead , meaning you can concentrate on the views and not the tarmac !
3 WEATHER . Admittedly there ’ s good weather in many of the world ’ s greatest cycling destinations , this area included . With plenty of sunshine , warm ( often hot !) daytime temperatures , and three proper cycling friendly seasons , the sheer enjoyment of being on two wheels is made all the better by more than pleasant weather .
4 A PLACE FOR ALL CYCLISTS . Whether you cycle for sport , speed , leisure or pleasure , the region offers everything from hill climbs with switch-backs , to valley flats and dramatic descents with incredible views as you roll on by .
5 UNCHARTERED . This place is original , different and undiscovered ! You might not have heard of it but that doesn ’ t mean it ’ s not a great cycling destination . Just take a look at the pedigree of the region ’ s cyclists ( Lilian Calmejane , Alexandre Geniez ), and sportives ( the Albigeoise – home to the UCI Gran Fondo world championships 2017 and the Tour de France the last three years in a row ) and you ’ ll see why it ’ s a special place to visit .