A 700km self-supported ride from Turin to Nice, along a mix of high altitude roads and dirt tracks that follow the mountainous, col-dotted border between France and Italy.
06 | 09 | 16
On the morning of the 6th September, a group of travelling cyclists will set out from the main square in Turin on the first edition of the Torino-Nice Rally. The Rally isn’t a timed Ride*; it isn’t a supported Ride; it’s an adventure for those who want to join the group at the start point. James Olsen, one of the organisers, told us:
“The Torino-Nice Rally is a ride event for the cross-over between touring, bikepacking and randonneuring; it’s all-terrain touring … we have route options so you can vary the amount of road and off-road, as well as overlap with other riders more often; hence the Rally tag.”
The meet in Turin is only 4 weeks away now, so below is the basic information if you wish to join the growing number of riders. And, to whet your appetite in the meantime, some photos that James and co. took on a recce of the tracks and landscapes you’d be riding, eating, drinking and sleeping amongst…
Start
Turin – 06.09.2016
Duration
700km-ish (3-7 days)
Finish
Nice – ?
Bring
A Bike (w/beefier than 23c slick tyres), and all the kit you’d need to be self-sufficient for a long ride in the mountains. Hip Flask.
POI
Turin
Colle Delle Finestre
Briancon Old Town
Col Agnel / Colle Dell’Agnello
Via Del Sale
‘Little Peru’
Fort de la Forca & Col de Turini
Nice & Eze
Aims
To ride in a self-supported style in the tradition of other long-distance bikepacking and randonee rides. To enjoy riding in a special, less-travelled area of Western Europe. To encourage riding with others. To sleep outdoors wherever possible. It’s a beautiful area, even more so during the hours of dawn and dusk. There are also B&Bs and Gites along the route as well. To enjoy a well-earned steak+frites on the Cote d’Azur, go to the beach, have a swim then get traditionally and economically smashed on not a lot of beer/wine…
Rules
Obey Rule #1**
It is set to be an awesome few days; head over to the Rally website for more information.
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* it can be a race if you want it to be…
**Rule #1: Don’t be a dick: leave no trace of your campsites; drop no litter; stay on-trail; give way to other trail users; be nice to any businesses that you visit along the way; don’t break the law.