There isn’t much going on yet at the “de la Mairie” bar on Collobrières’ market square. It’s early in the morning – not even half past seven. A few building workers are drinking coffee, and the landlord yawns so heart-wrenchingly that you can’t help but join in. Opposite, by the fountain, two elderly women are standing, exchanging news and blowing kisses. A light breeze sweeps a few fallen leaves from the mighty plane trees across the almost deserted square, where a little tot is doing laps on a Bonanza bike. The little boy will soon have company. The bar in the centre of Collobrières lies in the heart of the Massif des Maures, a wooded, 60-kilometre-long mountain range, and it’s something of a living room for the local road cyclists. Here, just a few kilometres from the Côte d’Azur, all those who have just raced down from the Col de Babaou or still have the climb from the north ahead of them meet up.
At 414 metres high, the Babaou is more of a hill than a proper pass – and yet it holds a magical attraction for cyclists. From Collobrières, the road winds its way up through cork oaks, holm oaks and spreading chestnut trees to its summit: six kilometres with an average gradient of 4.3 per cent. “Génial,” gasps Maurice as he reaches the top; he’s really pushed hard on the moderate climb. He’s still a good five minutes off the record time of 13 minutes, listed on the website “Quäldich.de”. “Phew,” says the amateur cyclist, who’s out on his road bike in the Var department for the first time, “I don’t care – am I a pro?” A sip from his water bottle, then he adds a “fantastique” for the brilliant view and plunges into the winding descent towards the Mediterranean. To the south-west, the view from the Col de Babaou sweeps over gentle hilltops and steep-sided valleys to Mont Faron, Toulon’s local mountain. To the south, the islands of Port Cros and Porquerolles can be seen.
You can find these routes below as GPS downloads:
• Tour 1: A visit to the President
(98 kilometres, 1,750 metres of elevation gain, maximum gradient of ten per cent)
• Tour 2: In the Massif des Maures
(101 kilometres, 1,400 metres of elevation gain, maximum gradient of seven per cent)
• Tour 3: Along the Corniche Sublime
(131 kilometres, 2,300 metres of elevation gain, maximum gradient of 12 per cent)
• Tour 4: Village Highlights
(105 kilometres, 1,350 metres of elevation gain, maximum gradient of nine per cent)
Book recommendation – you can find the tour featured here in this book: The Most Beautiful Road Cycling Tours in Europe
Read an extract | Buy the book from Delius Klasing
