Sometimes everything in life falls into place as if by magic. In this case, something from digital and real life. Because I was googling details for a cycling book about Udo Bölts' legendary phrase "Quäl dich, du Sau!", adverts soon popped up on my computer. This is actually the plague, but in this case it was just what I needed. It was an advert from a cycle tour operator for Corsica. Although I didn't want to travel with a tour operator, I thought to myself: Corsica, the mountains in the sea, is the perfect place to really push yourself at the end of the season. Somehow, in the second year of coronavirus, I had the feeling that I had to do this, this torture. Riding 40 km/h and faster with the boys on my doorstep in the north German lowlands worked well. But mountains? Little to nothing worked there, as a trip to the Harz Mountains had mercilessly shown me. Of course, I realised that a week in Corsica wouldn't turn me into a climbing artist ...
Dosed torture on Corsica
A few weeks later, I set off on my first tour, from the pretty coastal town of Saint-Florent almost all the way round Cap Corse in the north of the Ile de Beaute - the island of beauty, as Corsica is also known. A lap to get you in the mood, a measured torture so to speak. I meet Cedric at the Café de la Tour in the village of Nonza on the west coast. I tell him about my "torture yourself" adventure and he remembers the 1997 Tour de France, when Bölts said the legendary line to Jan Ullrich. "Of course," says Cedric, "we French cycling fans heard that too. But we thought it was pretty stupid at the time, because Ullrich was really struggling. And so our man, Richard Virenque, no longer had a chance of winning the Tour."
The French view of their tour is therefore different. As far as road cycling in Corsica is concerned, however, there are hardly any two opinions. "Because you can actually find dream routes everywhere," says Cedric. He's right, if you exclude the flat and somewhat boring east coast and the national roads. The road in the west of Cap Corse is probably one of the top ten European coastal roads: steep and wild, with views that could hardly be more breathtaking. Especially as the sea near the rugged rocks and cliffs is so azure blue that you would think the Corsicans had hired a fleet to re-colour the sea. Tom Bender, travel manager at Quaeldich.de and Corsica expert, had already told me at home that this is what makes Corsica so special, that you can cycle fantastic passes in the high mountains and swim in the sea afterwards on almost every tour.
Legs like pudding in Corsica
At Pino, I cross the Cap Corse heading east. The 380 metre high Col de Santa Lucia is not yet an obstacle, nor is the undulating coastal road to the east. My legs cope well with the following hairpin bends up to San Martino di Lota. But then! On the way back to Saint-Florent, the man with the hammer arrives. A few ramps, long, dead-straight climbs, a strong, cool headwind. My legs feel like pudding, my sweaty body is tingling like after a dip in an ice bath - but there's no sign of regeneration. I curse the drivers who speed past me too closely, but I'm actually cursing myself. "Stupid idea, this torture-you-sow thing," I think as I drive up to the Col de Teghime, which is just 536 metres high. I struggle, I suffer, I agonise.
Suddenly, the Mediterranean appears in front of me at the top of the pass. And mountains. Jagged rocks on one side, gentle hills in the evening light on the other. This is not uncommon in Corsica: You roll towards the sea - and above all you see mountains, because they are simply omnipresent. The agony has come to an end. Frustration turns into euphoria. It's crazy how quickly people forget. I overtake a few slow-moving tourist cars at 70 km/h - it suddenly feels better.
Get up early
Day two begins with the alarm clock ringing at the crack of dawn. Although this is not directly part of the torture programme, it is simply smarter to start the tour, which initially leads through the Desert des Agriates, as early as possible. At around seven in the morning, the road towards L'Ile-Rousse, which is very busy during the day, is still very quiet. The morning sun bathes the barren backdrop in a mild light, a few kites circle in the sky. Looking back over this desert of stone and scrubland, the bay of Saint-Florent reappears. Towards the south, the peaks of the Corsican two-thousand metre peaks rise into the sky. There are over 70 of them on the island, which is only about half the size of Thuringia. The highest is the 2706 metre high Monte Cinto.
After a few metres on the T 30 national road, I turn off onto a small road that is part of the GT 20, a long-distance cycle path that leads from Bonifacio in the south-east across the island. I scare dozens of lizards from their sunbathing spots on the warm tarmac. The birds have already finished their morning concert and there is an almost eerie silence in this deserted area. Despite having climbed almost 2,000 metres again, I feel much better on this tour than yesterday; the agony is limited and I think of the Dutch writer Tim Krabbe, who once wrote: "Climbing is a matter of rhythm, a trance; you have to rock the protest of your body parts back to sleep."
Corsica: Quiet, mountainous island interior
For the next tour, I have moved my location to Corte, more towards the centre of the island. It takes me to a region called Bozio. Almost no tourists get lost in this lonely area. The cattle clearly win the cow versus car competition here. On the 40 kilometres or so between Santa Lucia di Mercurio and the exit behind Altiani, I only encounter a single van on the road, but a good dozen cows.
If you also count the racing cyclists, they take second place. One of them approaches me from behind on the climb to the small chapel of San Martinu. He looks like two-time world champion Julian Alaphilippe, strangely enough wears a Spanish national jersey and is a genuine Corsican. He seems to be in the mood for a chat, but I'm rather panting. Gasping for air and forcing out short sentences, I forgot to ask him his name, so I'll just call him Julian. And Julian says something really nice before he leaves me standing and speeds off up the hill like a moped. "You know," he explains, raising his index finger in the air, "you can't do everything. I'm small and light and Corsican. I can climb. But when it's flat against the wind - woe betide me if I lose the rear wheel. So, don't worry about it!"
I continue at my own pace and enjoy the peace and quiet, the view over the peaks of the two-thousand metre mountains in the haze, marvelling at the mighty chestnut trees and the villages clinging to the rocks. You can almost spit from one to the next, but on the winding roads it takes what feels like an eternity to get from one to the next. The Bozio is perhaps not as spectacular as other landscapes in Corsica, and it's hard to say exactly what makes it so fascinating. This loneliness? This unspoilt nature? This unadorned beauty? Let's just say: the Bozio is one hundred per cent Corsican. "That's what fascinated me from the very beginning: this authenticity and this certain wildness. When you're travelling there, it always has a touch of adventure," Tom Bender had already told me at home.
Order from home
I actually wanted to ride the next tour around Corte. But the guys back home in the training group, the ones who push 40 kilometres per hour and more on the flat but can't climb any better than me, said I absolutely had to do the Col de Bavella. "If you don't ride up there, you don't have to come back to us!" they threatened. And because the guys kept asking me via WhatsApp, I just did the tour. And what can I say? It's a good thing they were so annoying. It's a long but rarely steep climb up to an altitude of almost 1000 metres, then you hurtle down to Zonza.
Col de Bavella in Corsica
After a coffee and a slice of the Corsican cream cheese Brocciu, the actual ascent to the Col de Bavella begins, up to 1217 metres. The Aiguilles de Bavella are best seen from the pass road. The striking rock needles are reminiscent of the Dolomites and word has obviously got round about how spectacular the massif looks. The top of the pass is a hustle and bustle. People honk their horns, Instagrammers stand in each other's way while taking photos and drinks cost a fortune. I quickly snap a proof photo for the boys and plunge into the descent.
At first it's peppered with hairpin bends, but later it's so tame that I can let the whole "torture yourself" thing go through my head again. If you have this dubious idea of inflicting pain on yourself on a bike, then Corsica is perfect for it. Because for every second of agonising, you are given memories that will last a lifetime. "Corsica is one of our tougher trips, but also one of the few where the participants come back," Tom Bender had told me beforehand. Exactly. And no matter what shape they are in late next summer. This 600-kilometre GT 20, which I have encountered time and again as a section on my tours, seems to me to be the perfect way to give it another go ...
Orientation in Corsica
Corsica is France's largest island and the fourth largest in the Mediterranean. Geologically, the island belongs to Italy, politically to France - divided into the departments of Haute Corse and Corse-du-Sud with the capitals of Bastia in the north and Ajaccio in the south, where almost half of the 300,000 inhabitants live; however, the university town of Corte in the centre is considered the secret capital. It is 184 kilometres from Cap Corse in the north to Capo Pertusato near Bonifacio; at its widest point, the island measures 84 kilometres. The coasts are very varied: rugged cliffs and wild rocky chaos alternate with secluded little bays and fine sandy beaches. Corsica is a veritable mountain range: 20 per cent of the island is higher than 1000 metres, and 120 peaks rise more than 2000 metres into the mostly blue sky.
The pretty holiday resort of Saint-Florent on the west coast is an ideal starting and finishing point for the classic "Around Cap Corse". Corte, in the centre of the island, is ideal for road bike tours into the secluded mountains. Only for the second Corsican classic, a tour over the Bavella Pass, do you have to plan another one-hour car transfer from Corte.
Although Corsica is not called the "mountains in the sea" for nothing, the gradients on our four tours are mostly moderate and nasty ramps are rare. The best tarmac roads often alternate with bumpy passages, but overall the island rolls well. In almost every village there is at least one "Ralentisseur", i.e. a speed bump. Some are easy to roll over, others are built in such a way that the bottle almost pops out of the holder. There are often cows and semi-wild Corsican pigs on the road, especially on the side roads. As long as they stand still, everything is fine. We have noticed: Older cattle are calm, while calves sometimes jump off when cyclists approach.
Information on road cycling in Corsica
ARRIVAL
FLIGHT
From June to August, holiday flights take off from several German airports to Bastia, Calvi or Ajaccio: For example, from Frankfurt am Main with Lufthansa direct to Bastia (1:40 hours) and back for around 300 euros plus 160 euros for bike transport. In the low season, usually only Lufthansa or Air France fly, and only to Bastia.
CAR/TRAIN & FERRY
Ferries to Corsica depart from the French mainland (Marseille, Nice, Toulon) as well as from Italy (Genoa, Piombino, Spezia, Livorno, Savona). The ferry from Livorno to Bastia takes 4:30 hours, the one from Genoa 5 hours; it is 800 kilometres by car from Frankfurt am Main to Genoa and 960 kilometres to Livorno. Two people plus car cost between 230 and 300 euros in total. Other ferry ports on Corsica are Ajaccio, L'Ile-Rousse, Porto-Vecchio and Calvi. Book early for the high season! Info: www.corsica-ferries.de, www.mobylines.de Travelling by train to the ferry takes ten hours from Frankfurt to Genoa. It is difficult to take bikes, but possible:
An international bike card (which includes a parking space reservation) costs 9 euros, for journeys to Italy via the Brenner Pass 12 euros. Info: www.bahn.de
Best time to travel for road bike tours in Corsica
May to mid-June and mid-September to mid-October. At higher altitudes, it can still get very cold in late spring. It is too hot in summer, and Corsica is hopelessly overcrowded during the major holidays in France.
Food & Drink
Restaurants almost everywhere offer "Corsican" menus for 15 to 25 euros. You can't generally say that they are bad, sometimes you are lucky. The starters almost always include soupe corse (soup) and charcuterie corse (ham-like lonzu and coppa as well as hard sausage). Meaty main courses include wild boar, but often also veal steaks (veau) or the meat of domestic pigs that roam freely. Otherwise, the Corsicans are quite good at baking pizza, which they like to top with specialities from the island, such as Brocciu cream cheese or sausage and ham specialities. On the coast, fish dishes are often on the menu at horrendous prices - Corsica is generally very expensive. Decent wines are produced on the island, often from the autochthonous grape varieties Carcajolo Noir, Sciaccarello and Niellucciu.
Restaurant tips
SAINT-FLORENT - La Maison des Pizzas
The name says it all for this restaurant on the harbour, which offers not only very good pizza but also other delicious dishes at reasonable prices.
CORTE - La Trattoria
Sounds Italian, but serves Corsican cuisine. You sit on the pavement on the lively Cours Paoli.
Accommodation
SAINT-FLORENT Les Galets
Simple 3-star hotel, located just outside. Sea view across the main road. Pretty meagre breakfast, but nice hosts who offer a large floor pump; you can take your racing bike to your room or balcony. Double room with breakfast from 85 euros.
CORTE Hotel Duc de Padoue
Nice city hotel, located in a side street of the Cours Paoli, where Corte is buzzing with (student) life. Very friendly staff, a rich breakfast by French standards. Bicycles can be stored in a garage. Double room with breakfast from 100 euros.
You should not miss this!
CORTE Cours Paoli
The island's secret capital has around 7500 inhabitants. More than half of them are students at Corsica's only university. Every evening there is a party on the main street, Cours Paoli, in a pleasant way: loud and cheerful, but by no means lowbrow and Ballermann-like.
Lac de Melo and Lac de Capitello
Those staying in Corte should plan a short hike at the end of the Restonica Valley - from there it is a 6.5 kilometre round trip through a breathtaking mountain landscape to the two Ice Age lakes Lac de Melo and Lac de Capitello.
OTA (WEST COAST)
Everyman race
In mid-October, a 101-kilometre and almost 2300-metre altitude race called "A Maistrale" takes place on the west coast of the island, starting in Ota, going over the Bocca di Sevi (1001 m) and along the coast along the Calanche de Piana (UNESCO World Heritage Site) via Porto back to Ota. More information on the website of the organising club Alpana: www.alpana.123siteweb.fr
RADSERVICE
BASTIA Cycles 20
Bicycle shop run by Peter Löschmann, a German who emigrated over 30 years ago and who once took part in cross-country world championships and was Corsican champion several times. If you need repairs, you are in good hands, and Cycles also rents out 20 racing bikes (carbon or aluminium) at very reasonable prices (15 to 20 euros per day, 96 euros per week). Also BCYCLET rents out racing bikes in Corsica and delivers them to the location, but at almost twice the price of Cycles 20: www.bcyclet.com
General information
Atout France - French National Tourist Board https://de.france.fr/de
SAINT FLORENT Office de Tourisme
CORTE Office de Tourisme
Road bike tours in Corsica
Tour 1: Cap Corse
From Saint-Florent, we first head northwards on the "Route des Vins" along the west coast of Cap Corse. The views are breathtaking and the traffic is limited. At Pino, you cross the island over the 380 metre high Col de Santa Lucia to the east coast. After Erbalunga, the route heads back into the hills, with views of Bastia, up to the 536 metre high Col de Teghime and from there down to Saint-Florent.
Tour 2: Through the desert
It is a good idea to get up early for the route through the Desert des Agriates, as the tourist rush hour starts at 10 a.m. at the latest. It is quieter on the little road towards Novella, which is part of the GT-20 cycle route and which you have almost to yourself. After a short stretch on the T 30, the next climb begins, on tiny roads through a lonely and barren mountain landscape. At the Col de Bigorno (885 m), the climbing comes to an end and you race the remaining 30 kilometres down to the sea.
Tour 3: Deserted Bocio
One kilometre of national road - then it's off into the hills and from one sleepy village to another. The gradients are moderate, the scenery is magnificent. Our route plunges into the Bozio region, which has remained almost completely untouched by tourism. From the pass (898 m) before Erbajolo, the route descends to the national road, from there up again to Santo-Pietro-di-Venaco and back to Corte on quiet country lanes.
Tour 4: Col de Bavella
After a one-hour drive from Corte, you start at the harbour of Solenzara. After ten unavoidable kilometres on the national road, you enter the wooded hills and finally, after 40 kilometres, the actual ascent. The gradients on the D 368 are moderate, the steepest being in the village of L'Ospedale. After the reservoir of the same name, the route descends from an altitude of almost 1000 metres to around 780 metres in Zonza, before the ascent to the Col de Bavella (1217 m) begins, which lies in a magnificent mountain landscape. The descent is initially technically challenging, but later becomes easier.
Downloads
GPS data Corsica / free of charge
