BOOK REVIEW: Cycling FranceBy Ethan Gelber,
Lonely Planet£15.99
Depending on your point of view, a cycling holiday will either seem like heaven or hell, but reading this book might just convince a few more people to pull on their Lycra jerseys and load up their panniers.
The book splits the country into 13 regions (one of which is thankfully Corsica, often overlooked in French guides), with each section having brief history, environment, climate and access entries. There is advice on when to go, what maps to bring and a list of cycling events in each area, followed by the real meat of the book: planned itineraries of varying distance and duration, with maps, directions with GPS co-ordinates, and ratings, so you don’t accidentally end up tackling something a Tour de Francer would relish, or, indeed, end up rolling across dull, flat land when you want a good climb to burn the thighs.
Many of the suggested itineraries are thematic: for example, you can weave your way through the back roads of Champagne, calling in at small producteursen route for a refreshing glass of bubbly; or you could trace the sites that inspired Monet, on a 57km day trip out of Paris.
The punchy breakout panels deliver plenty of useful chunks of information, such as details of the madness that is is the L’Enfer du Nord (Hell of the North) race, a 270km route with 24 sections on cobblestones. Le Tour also features heavily, and those wanting to pit themselves against the toughest climbs will find plenty in the mountain sections.
Those looking for off-road adventures will find little to excite them, and a few specific itineraries to take advantage of the Vélib free-bike system in Paris would have been a nice addition. This, though, is a practical and colourful guide for an alternative way to travel around France.