Puy De Dome

[David Lombari]

Anyone ever climbed this? Le Tour used to go up there but the caravan's too big nowadays. Apparently the road has no corners and is in effect a helter skelter...sounds like fun!

http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?co ... ainID=7084

[Jon H]

Been there, done that, about 1995 I think.

Most of the route I took was offroad, then the last couple of miles on the road which just spirals upwards around the mountain. Then offroad all the way down.

[Elliot M]

oui, mais seulement par autobus

[huw williams]

I've been up there

Closed to bicycles for the most part as its quite narrow and gets a lot of tourist traffic. Amazing - just a spiral, one continuous curve.

We were in the Auvergne doing a motorbike test at Michelin's tyre-testing in Ladoux, near Claremont Ferrand. I had my Cannondale so I went along at the crack of dawn, bribed the guy at the toll gate with 30euros and he let me ride up. Incredible views over the volcano region.

When you come down you realise why they don't let bikes up there - DANGER! it's like descending a helter skelter only with cars coming up the other way, and you get to wear out just one side of your tyres

There's just no room at the top for something the size of the modern Tour entourage

[George]

Huw I think I'm gonna try this one out on the way back from Provence in July.

Sounds too good to miss, so much history up this climb, I just wanna see how bad it really is

[huw williams]

Highly reccomended George - check with the tourist office first though - last I heard it was open to bikes 1 day per week or month or something

H

[Alex P]

Some more detail on the Puy if anybody was thinking of going.

"Puy-de-Dôme has served as an occasional stage finish in the Tour de France. It was here that in 1964 that Poulidor battled with Jacques Anquetil. Also on this peak in 1975 Eddy Merckx was punched in the stomach by a spectator. However, the road is only open for cyclists during very limited periods (when other vehicles are prohibited). In 2006 this was 7-9am on Wednesdays and Sundays between 1st May and 30th September".

It also looks a bit like Telly Savalas's secret base in the James Bond 'On her majesty's secret service'

[David Lombari]

Holds no fear for me now Sean!.....??

This climb looks quite interesting: http://ciclismo.sitiasp.it/altimetria.a ... 94&id=6779

[Andrew G]

I'd seen that one David, interesting road surface. One for Sylv to single-speed perhaps?

[adrian]

Gawd! If the gradient doesn't get you, the falling boulders and out-of-control cars will