King of Mont Ventoux

Nut Club, Maniacs, whatever, you make this elite group of climbers who can go up the legendary Mont Ventoux 3 times in one day and you are among a select group! Club des Cingles is the closed French organization that groups these elite cyclists. We have more and more travelers coming to us to arrange this adventure. Below is the start of a recent account; you have to click over to the Cycling Classics website to see it in full.

Joe Deyoung, pictured, a cycling nut from Chicago-land. Yes, flat land! He is an exceptional cyclist and his account lays out how to get it done!

"This past winter I recall reading an article in Bicycling magazine about a cyclist who attempted to join the Club Cingles on the infamous Mt. Ventoux in Provence France. As written in the official website, the “Club” are a group of “maniacs” who have completed 3 summits of Mt Ventoux in one day.

The cyclist written about in the article almost succeeded but crashed on the final descent to Bedoin unable to control his bike through a dangerous curve. In past trips to France I have ridden to the Summit of the “Giant of Provence” and each time the ride highlights will never be forgotten or confused with any other ride, up or down. Always challenging and sometimes too steep to even grab a water bottle. The French describe it as “a little difficult”. Ventoux is mythical, rising high above Provence, visible for 100 Kilometers. A cycling Mecca..."

continue on this link: http://www.cyclingclassics.com/montventoux_club_des_cingles.php

Fall Cycling in the Loire Region

From our latest newsletter this excerpt is about the culturally rich town of Amboise in the heart of the chateaux country known as the Loire Valley. Amboise is a small town really, and it's chateau is not the most impressive in the region, but being there puts you in the heart of all that is most typically Loire: chateaux, gardens, wine, rivers, Kings!

The town of Amboise, which lies on the south bank of the Loire below the proud remains of its castle, appears at its most picutresque when seen from the bridge of the north bank of the river. The rock spur above the town, on which the chateau ruins stand, has been fortified since the Gallo -Roman period. Before long a brdige was built which brought in revenue from tolls on the passage of goods and increased the strategic importance of Amboise. The golden age of Amboise was the 15th century when the chateau was enlarged and embellished by Louis XI and Charles VIII.
The Royal castle: Built in the 15th and 16th centuries, this truly royal castle introduced Italian style and taste into the Loire Va lley. It is steeped in History and the outstanding collection of Gothic and Renaissance furniture make it a wonderfully convivial illustration of life in days gone by. After touring the royal apartments, take a stroll in the beautiful gardens filled with Mediterranean trees and enjoy the panoramic views. In St. Hubert's Chapel is the grave of Leonardo da Vinci which has recently been the subject of elegant restoration.Le Clos Luce: its park and the Eiffel-style hall contain an unusual display giving some idea of the many facets of Leonardo da Vinci's genius in fields as different as art, civil and military engineering, architecture and town planning, anatomy, botany, stage direction etc… The public is taken into an amazing world of visual and sound effects:• In the Château du Clos Luce itself: Leonardo da Vinci's everyday life and his 40 fabulous inventions.• In the landscaped walk: a learning experience with Leonardo and his student.• In the Eiffel-style hall: a Leonardo scenography, a display of gigantic images and videos.
Amboise can easily be reached by train from Paris. You can either go on the slow train from Austerlitz to Amboise or take the TGV from Montparnasse or CDG airport to Joue les Tours and then a short taxi ride to Amboise. In the town and surrounding the town are numerous hotels. At Discover France we have used a variety over the years and have detailed knowledge about what hotels meet the needs of travelers. Some good choices include: Le Choiseul, Le Clos d'Amboise, Le Manoir les Minimes, Manoir Thomas. These are mostly upper end establishments. Many good vineyards surround the town of Amboise including Vouvray and Montlouis. There are several good places for tasting in Amboise including a rather commercial but friendly place right below the chateau where the servers speak English.

Discovery Channel & Tailwinds Breakup

So long Discovery, postal, and the blue train! Johan Bruyneel is calling it quits too. Bruyneel is apparently leaving cycling altogether. At age 43, he has achieved quite a lot, but no cycling? We'll miss you Johan!

It isn't entirely clear to me what Tailwind is doing. Some of the press seemed to indicate that Tailwind Sports was going to fold it in, but Lance Armstrong has left the door open with some statements. Clearly, without a big sponsor like what they wanted, it can't be the same team in the near term.

This puts Slipstream, its seems for now, as the only likely 'American' team with a possible UCI slot and chance for a Tour de France appearance. With all the confirmed doping, for the moment, centered on European racers, it would be a shame not see an American based team at the Tour. Based on Slipstream's commitment to drug free cycling, they seem to be perfect for a wildcard invite.

So, now all the Discovery/Tailwind athletes are scrambling to find new teams. Amazingly, T-Mobile is staying in the game, but if Tailwinds can't sign up a sponsor with all their success, how will the other teams manage it?