![VIA cycling group]()
VIA cycling group.JPG
Six days, five proper rides, 297km and just over 4,900m of climbing on the roads between Nice and Monaco - and, on day five, a meeting with Tadej Pogačar!
I headed out to Nice with VIA from 23 to 29 September 2026, flying easyJet from Luton with the bike packed in the box. The plan was simple: ride the classic climbs of the Côte d’Azur, eat well, and see how the legs held up over consecutive days in the hills. The roads above Nice and Monaco are where a lot of the pro peloton lives and trains, so there’s always a chance you’ll see someone familiar. I didn’t expect to end up stood next to the best rider in the world.
Day 1 - Mont Boron to the Col d’Èze
The first afternoon was a 35km loop with 713m of climbing. It linked four climbs straight out of Nice:
- Mont Boron (189m)
- Col de Villefranche (151m)
- Col des Quatre Chemins (328m)
- Col d’Èze (507m)
It was 23°C with a light southerly breeze, and the aim was to keep it steady rather than empty the tank on day one. Even so, the Strava file came back with nine PRs. The descent back towards the coast topped out at 40mph, which is a good reminder of how quickly these roads drop you back to sea level.
The evening finished with a walk along the seafront and an ice cream - and a note to self that tomorrow would be a different story.
Day 2 - The Col de la Madone
Day two was the big one: 87.2km and 1,666m of climbing in just under four hours of riding, with the Col de la Madone (922m) as the centrepiece.
The route went back over Mont Boron, the Col de Villefranche, the Quatre Chemins and the Col d’Èze. It then carried on through La Turbie and over the Col de Guerre (562m) before turning up towards the Madone. From La Turbie, the Madone segment is 11.5km and 440m of climbing - it took me 42 minutes 15 seconds of moving time. The steepest pitch of the day hit 17%, and the final kilometre alone took 6 minutes 38 seconds.
The Madone has a reputation for good reason. For decades it’s been the climb pros use to test their form before the Tour de France. Pogačar currently holds the Strava KOM on the Gorbio side at 23 minutes 52 seconds, set in September 2023. I came up a different way, so the times aren’t directly comparable - which is probably for the best.
The headwind was the other story. Over half the ride was into the wind, with one stretch lasting 54 minutes. By the evening, the reward was the biggest chocolate mousse I’ve ever seen.
Days 3 and 4 - Back into the hills, then the coast
With two big days in the legs, day three was meant to be a steady hip opener. It still came to 56.2km and 805m of climbing, with one ramp kicking up to 21% - the kind of gradient that makes “steady” feel optimistic. It finished with a short ride to find food, which turned into too much food, then home and sleep.
Day four was a deliberate change of pace: a 50.7km ride along the Nice coastline with only 166m of climbing, followed by a coffee stop and a look around the shops. After three days of climbing, flat roads, sea views and a decent espresso were exactly what was needed.
Day 5 - Col d’Èze, Mont des Mules and meeting Tadej Pogačar
The last ride of the trip was 67.9km with 1,556m of climbing, taking in the Col d’Èze (507m) and Mont des Mules (291m) above Monaco. It was the second-biggest climbing day I’ve ever done, with half the ride spent at threshold - and it’s the day I met Tadej Pogačar.
It happened at Triple Crown Riviera, a cycling café on the main road through La Turbie. It sits right where the routes to the Col d’Èze and the Col de la Madone meet, which makes it a natural stop for anyone riding these roads - pros included.
It’s a proper riders’ café, with specialty coffee, a premium bike shop, a workshop and bike hire under one roof. Stopping for a coffee mid-ride is standard on a big climbing day. Stopping for a coffee and finding Tadej Pogačar there is not.
https://youtube.com/shorts/pgBjEtEo31Y?si=SyArgestgZc5h3_b
For context, Pogačar is a multiple Tour de France winner and world champion, and the roads around Monaco are his home training ground. Seeing him in the flesh, on the same climbs I'd been grinding up all week, puts the gap between amateur and professional into sharp perspective.
The ride itself finished with 136 PRs on Strava and a 22-day activity streak still intact - but that's not what I'll remember about the day.
The week in numbers
Across the five main rides: 297km, 4,906m of climbing and 13 hours 37 minutes in the saddle.
| Day | Date | Route highlights | Distance (km) | Climbing (m) | Moving time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 Sept | Mont Boron, Col de Villefranche, Quatre Chemins, Col d'Èze | 35.0 | 713 | 1h 28m |
| 2 | 25 Sept | Col d'Èze, Col de Guerre, Col de la Madone | 87.2 | 1,666 | 3h 59m |
| 3 | 26 Sept | Hills above Nice | 56.2 | 805 | 2h 36m |
| 4 | 27 Sept | Nice coastline | 50.7 | 166 | 1h 59m |
| 5 | 28 Sept | Col d'Èze, Mont des Mules | 67.9 | 1,556 | 3h 35m |
All figures are from Strava. Short rides to the shops and back are not included.
Looking back
Nice delivered everything I hoped it would - proper climbs straight from the door, quiet roads, good coffee and a week of consistent riding with VIA. The Madone was the hardest day, the coastline was the easiest, and meeting Pogačar was the one I'll be talking about for a long time.
The next big targets are the Barcelona Marathon in March and IRONMAN 70.3 Alcúdia in May 2027. You can follow the build-up on Instagram at @tri.harder.jm or see past results on the Tri Harder results page.
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