An epic ride that takes us first to the Col d?Eze, which witnessed Richie Porte?s 20:23 ascent during Stage 7 of the Paris-Nice 2015. Anything under 35 mins here is serious going, but the Eze?s attackable gradients and flatter upper section offers riders the perfect chance to measure against their pro heroes. The day climaxes with the infamous Col de la Madone, which played host to the clandestine training of Lance Armstrong under the observation of Dr Michele Ferrari on route to a stated PB of 30:45.

Opening with the Col d?Nice we soon leave the traffic behind as we head north east to one of the most iconic climbs on the C?te d?Azur, the Col de Braus, famous for the mini-Stelvio Snake of Braus. With the Col reached riders tackle a stunning descent to our lunch stop, following which we climb straight into the 25k ascent of the Col de Turini. A long technical descent follows, allowing riders to soak in the bizarre feeling of almost total isolation despite the hustle and bustle of the Cote d?Azur being so close by.

Hugging the coast, the ride takes us on a constantly rising and falling path first out of France into the Billionaire?s playground of Monaco. Here we ride along the iconic start and finish straight of the Monaco Grand Prix, stop at the Cafe de Paris for a coffee and cake on the Casino square, before departing Monaco by climbing past the world famous Country Club towards Italy. Our focus now is the Milan San-Remo?s concluding smash fest climb of the Poggio marking our turnaround point.

The Cime de la Bonette peaks at a dizzying 2808m and sits at the very top of any rider?s must do list. Today?s double ascent provides riders the opportunity to tackle both sides of this incredible climb. The Bonette?s beauty and history is often overlooked, with the lower slopes offering that incredible combination of mid single digit gradients that allow the kilometres to fly under the wheels. As the road rises out of the trees the mountain takes on an entirely different feel, retaining the steady gradients, but placing riders in an awe inspiring mountain landscape.

Often featuring as the final climb in the penultimate stage of the Paris-Nice stage race, the Vence is a must climb. With a very different feel to the enclosed and overhung climbs of Eze and Madone, the Vence?s barren slopes transport riders to a mini Mont Ventouxesque plateau, famed for supernatural happenings and sightings... With the climb of Vence complete, the luxury of 25km of descent bring us back towards Nice via the climb to Montee Colomars and a partial ascent of the Eze to bring us home.

No visit to the C?te d?Azur would be complete without attempting one of the most famous feats in cycling - the Col de la Madone Time Trial. Infamous throughout cycling as the climb that Armstrong and Ferrari used to hone their doping strategy, the Madone has gone on to remain at the forefront of cycling as a proving ground for Grand Tour form. With riders having already tackled the ascent earlier in the week, the knowledge of what to expect ensures the optimum strategy can be pursued, metering out the watts as required on route to a record setting ascent.