This was an awesome ride - my first ride in Nice was through town and due north through a rural area and up Mt Chauve. This time I took it east and along the coast but up in the hills. Just a great, beautiful ride. The first few kms are flat and then boom, 2km at around 6.5% to climb out of town.
After passing through some cool rock tunnels we get a great view of Villefranche from high in the hills. Very typical of the scenery heading east to Monaco and beyond over the next few days.
Before I know it I am in Eze after less than an hour of steady gradual climbing usually around a 5% grade. Great stuff - not too hard so you are suffering and you can enjoy the effort and take in all the views. One of the most enjoyable cycling experiences was cycling through a small town and suddenly riding through the fantastic smell of freshly baked bread and pastry. There were many many times I would smell the boulangerie before I saw it. It is still early in the morning so I decide to ride up to the old castle up on the hill - crazy steep here - and walk through the passageways and try to get some good pictures. There is a guy hosing down the cobbles and I ask him where I can take some pictures so he just tells me to go into the restaurant and to the terrace as nobody is around.
Here is what Eze looks like from afar.
After leaving the castle, I get on my bike and climb the rest of the way to the top of the Col de Eze. Not long but there is a kilometer in there at 9% that is a real grind.
Overall the climb to the Col de Eze is a Category 2 climb - 7km @ 4.8% peaking at 520m
The return to Nice is brilliant, taking me over different roads back with the first 8km all downhill coasting or soft pedaling. No work at all, just looking around at the spectacular views. The last run-in to the apartment is a little frustrating as I get off course and lost. Its all flat though so I ride around and make my way to the sea from where its easy to find my way home.
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