Romain Bardet is arguable one of the best grand tour riders of his generation and well known for his superb descending skills. It is no surprise that the French man trains more off road then most of his competitors. We head out on the gravel bike with the former Tour de France runner up on his favourite rides in his home region the Massif Central.

Words by Romain Bardet

I am fortunate to live near what I call the “epicentre” of the multi discipline cycling paradise. When I leave my house and turn left, I’m at the top of a 2 km descent to reach the city centre of Clermont-Ferrand. If I turn right, I end up on the road that leads to the Puy de Dôme, 800m above sea level and overlooks the whole region.

On the side of the volcano, the possibilities of road, single tracks and fire roads are endless as long as you like to climb. The riding gives you this sense of pure freedom. It is something I enjoy a lot about my job. I can work here on my climbing and have a great day in nature at the same time. I can easily accumulate 3,000 meters of climbing in 5 hours of riding within a radius of 25 kms around my home without having to take the same road twice.

When you dare to go a little further, you quickly arrive in the Sancy Massif. One of my favourite places to go gravel riding. You will find plenty of quiet scenic tarmac or fire roads as well as some of the most beautiful single trails in the region. It is also the region where I go cross-country skiing in winter. On our way to the Valley of Chaudefour, it is impossible not to stop and admire the surroundings of the lakes of the Auvergne Volcanoes Park, some of them are even located in the crater itself, as is the case for Lake of Servières where we had our first stop of the day. At 1 200 meters above sea level, it is very green and wild. The perfect place to enjoy the calmness of nature. Almost a way of meditation to go riding there.

A few kilometres later we reached Lac du Guéry, which is the highest of the Auvergne lakes, created by a lava flow that blocked the course of a mountain torrent. Last year it was part for the first time at the Tour de France before the peloton then went further to the Mont Dore Spa. For my favourite route, we turn left to climb the Col de la Croix Morand, one of the most iconic passes in the region, whose Gravel paths allowed me to discover it from an unknown side in recent times. When you arrive at the top you will find the perfect restaurant to recharge “your batteries”. It is called Buron, famous for its Truffades, a traditional dish of my region as well as for ripened cheese including the famous Saint Nectaire, which is made just a few kilometres down the road. From the highest point of the tour at 1400 meters above sea level, it’s then just a fun path to come back home. It is a great mix of different paths away from the main road that break the monotony of the plateau to reach the Col de la Ventouse which then takes you down to Clermont Ferrand. It is such a privilege to have now with the Gravel bike the option to discover my home region on another way as we did it today.

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