DAY 3
The legacy of the Montecarlo Rally
We start the third day of our trip through the Maritime Alps, loading the TR40 in a snap and retracing the route from Roubion to Saint-Sauveur-sur-Tinée, but this time we take M2205 south instead of north. Today is not about topping the highest peaks, but rather discovering the lower part of the Maritime Alps, which hosts most of the stages of the Monte Carlo Rally. After 5 short kilometers, we must take a very tight hairpin turn to the left (Careful! There is very poor visibility!), which leads us to M2565. We’re on the stretch known as La Colmiane, and from here on, those prone to motion sickness had better not follow… There’s everything but a straight line.
In these conditions, we’re thankful for having mounted the TR40, which are lightweight and have much less effect on the ride than a set of loaded hard-sided cases. They’re great for trips with a bit of adventure or spirited riding. We cross La Bolline, Valdebore and Saint-Dalmas before winding up in Saint-Martin-Vesubie. Then it’s on to Roquebillière, Vesubie and, finally, Bollène-Vesubie. After this town, the road turns into M70 and becomes even more winding, with a series of hairpin turns and tight curves one after another, with seemingly no end. Finally, you arrive at an intersection, at an elevation of 1,607 m, in magical surroundings. You are at the top of the emblematic Col de Turini. If you like rallies, it’s somewhere you must visit someday.
Depending on the time of day, you must stop for a coffee, to eat or just to absorb the atmosphere of the races that have taken place there. There are several establishments on the summit plain, called Camp d’Argent, but we recommend you visit Les Trois Vallées to marvel at all the history from the world of rallies that can be seen in the thousands of historic photos on its walls; it’s an authentic museum.
The best curves of your life?
I don’t know if they’re the best, but these will be unforgettable, that’s for sure. We head down on D21, Route de l’Authion, the stretch known as Peira-Cava, which turns into Route du Col de l’Orme, with an impressive series of hairpin turns before reaching Luceram. We continue on D2566 to L’Escarene and from there, we make our way to Sospel on D2204. Here is where we find curves you’ve see a thousand times before in the summary videos of Monte Carlo: the neverending overhanging hairpin turns that go quickly up and down, a real spectacle.
From Sospel, we head south along a beautiful route, the same D2566 that we previously left behind, but a bit further on and towards Castillon, until coming upon the A8 at Menton, right on the coast.
DAY 4
Planning the return
One last day provides a real pleasure for the senses, as it starts out on the winding roads of the beautiful Mercantour National Park, and ending up on a series of stages and kilometers that are as demanding as they are fun.
All that’s left is the trip back. If we spend the night in Menton itself, we can return directly by highway (the next day, of course). But the ideal thing to do, since we’re already on the Côte d’Azure, is to take advantage and visit Monaco, Nice, Cannes and Marseille, for example.
What should we pack?
The Terra TR40 cases allow us to stuff a lot of clothing inside, and also have inner bags that make them very practical, since they don’t need to be completely removed every night. The best thing is to have tools, extra gloves, thermal and waterproof clothing (remember that the weather is very changeable in the mountains) on one side and “street” clothes, phone chargers and cameras, for example, in the other bag, with everything well organized.
Remember to always carry the essential tools with you: a tire repair kit, wrenches of the most common sizes for our bike, a few zip ties, duct tape, chain spray and a two-component adhesive to repair cracks in the metal. We always travel in countries with good roadside assistance, but being self-sufficient on an isolated Alpine road saves us from having to wait for several hours for help or having to spend the night somewhere we didn’t intend. All of this and more fits in our Terra TR40!
Text an photos: Luis Morales
