Tours des Pays Cathares, Elisud nº 40 : by foot
or mountain bike
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The area is ideal for cycling or mountain biking
(or walking or horse riding) all year round. There
are many routes to discover in the the Pyrenees
( Among them are: Le Sentier Cathare, from Port-la-Nouvelle
on the Mediterranean
Sea along the Pyrénées to Foix in the Ariège.
This is the most famous track in France. Along it
you will pass the ancient fortresses of: Queribus,
Peyrepertuse,
Puilaurens,
Puivert,
Montségur
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The Tour de France is the most popular sporting event in the world. It usually passes through the Languedoc.
You can read an amusing cyclist's blog, with maps and phots, by Gerry Patterson at http://gerrypatt.wordpress.com/
The bicycle is one of those things, like liberty and fois gras, that the French have adopted as their own. At the first hint of spring families and groups of men and women are out there cycling in tight lycra in black with lurid orange or lime-green - without a hint of embarrassment. Large groups of them are to be seen in packs in their lycra uniforms everywhere from April to October.
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They ride twos and threes abreast and, perhaps because this the national sport, they get away with it. If you try riding down the road on a horse you will be harried and bullied and beeped at by motorists however careful and polite you are, but if you are on a bike you can do pretty much what you like without risk of exciting passing motorists, who will patiently form 5km long queues to get past you. Despite the almost cult status of the bicycle in France there are very few bicycle lanes round in the Languedoc. To make up for it their are thousands of miles of empty roads and thousands more of off-road tracks. Here are some places that you can hire a bicycle in the Aude département:
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Cevennes National Park. Hundreds of kilometres
of bike tracks in the southern Lozère. For
beginners and confirmed mountain bikers. Rent
by the day or take a fully planned six-day trip in the
wide open spaces of the Cevennes National Park. A shuttle
bus service takes you to the departure point for certain
trips. Mountain bikes all have front suspension,
14 to 22 inch frames, and 21 or 24 speed gears. Three
different trips covering the Mont Aigoual, the Mont Lozère
and the Bougès, the Causse Méjean, and the Gorges of the
Tarn. Package includes printed maps and special
guide booklets, accommodations and all meals and personal
transport.
Contact: Cévennes Evasion, 5, Place Boyer, 48400 Florac
Web: http://www.cevennes-evasion.com,
or http://cevennes.net/cevennes_evasion.uk1.htm
e-mail: Info@cevennes-evasion.com
Tel & Fax: 04.66.45.18.31 from France. +33.4.66.45.18.31
from abroad.
Cycling for Softies in the Languedoc. http://www.cycling-for-softies.co.uk/
French Cycling Holidays in the Languedoc. Easy pedalling for the first few days near the coast and along the Canal du Midi, and more challenging countryside as we move into the Pyrénéen foothills. Moderate daily distances. Attractions include: The Canal du Midi, Carcassonne, Birds of prey in the Pyrenees, Romantic ruined castles, Mediterranean beaches, wild herbs in the hills. http://www.frenchcyclingholidays.com/tours/languedoc/
Self guided bicycling in the Languedoc.7-day tour. (American ?) Organisers arrange your lodging, breakfasts and dinners, and transport your luggage. No groups to keep up with or schedules to follow. http://anglesdoc.com/independent_cycling.htm
The lady's Tour of the Aude. Organised annually by the Maison de Sports, usually in May. Association pour l'organisation du Tour Feminin, Maison des Sports, 8 rue Camille St Saëns, 1100 Carcassonne tel +33 (0) 468 77 71 26.
Holiday Bikes. 22 Avenue du Général de Gaulle Clos Costerêve, Argeles Plage. Tel: +33 (0) 4 68 95 86 34 Open throughout the year. Rental of bikes, mountain bikes (also scooters, motorbikes, rollers, cars)
Cycling in the Aude. The Aude département is a popular cycling holiday destination. The departement enjoys thousands of kilometres of quite off road cycling (VTT in French standing for Velo Tous Terrains). Those who prefer a mountain bike will be warmly greeted as a welcome relief from quad bikers, particularly by horse riders. Some villages still have fresh water fountains to quench your thirst.
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