France
Barcelonnette - Rimplas
Today, there was only 1 pass on the menu, but what a pass.. the Col de la Bonette, with its summit at 2715 meters the highest accessible mountain pass in Europe.
Barcelonnette - Rimplas
La Bonette is not like the other major Alpine passes. There are no ski resorts, hotels, or other tourist attractions. La Bonette is raw and pure, just untouched nature and nothing else. The 24-kilometer climb (from Jausiers) offers the brave who dare to climb it a scenic tour of the Alps like they have never seen before. 🏔🏞 Once above the magical threshold of 2000 meters, it feels as if you are approaching the gates of heaven, further and further away from the inhabited world and deeper into the mist and clouds. The feeling at the top is something magical, as if you are standing on the roof of the world. This experience is forever etched in my memory. A monstrous pass like this deserves nothing but respect, it is so unfortunate and incomprehensible that the Tour de France has only crossed this mythical mountain 4 times in its rich history. 🤔 On the descent, I entered the Mercantour National Park and rode through the Tinée valley to my hotel in Rimplas. What I didn't know when booking is that this hotel is halfway up the 20 km long Col Saint-Martin, which meant I still had to work hard in what I thought would be a quiet end to the stage. 🥵 At the top of La Bonette, I saw the sign 'Nice'. My final destination is approaching...
