Why this ride
312 km one way from Sambuco - plan on about 5 h 03 of riding. The stored terrain estimate reaches about 2,100 m; a measured road-elevation profile is not available. It crosses from Italy into France - carry ID and check the toll rules.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Mercantour High Roads · part 2
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 312 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 5 h 03
- Journey
- One way; return travel is separate
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Scenic road chapters
Route Napoleon
Expect company on a summer weekend. Early is better than fast. For about 84 km this is Route Napoleon, a road with a name of its own and a reason for it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 84 km
- Named road
- Route Napoleon
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Food stop near Sambuco
Sambuco is a tiny village in the Valle Stura, one of the Occitan valleys of Piedmont, on the road that climbs from Cuneo to the Colle della Maddalena, known to the French as the Col de Larche, and on into the Ubaye valley in France. It is a place of stone houses, wooden balconies and steep meadows, surrounded by mountains, where life has always been tied to pastures and flocks. The village has given its name to a local breed of sheep, the Sambucana, whose lamb is a prized speciality of the valley.
Read the complete Food stop near Sambuco write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Food stop near Sambuco is where the day begins. Next is Photo stop near Draguignan.
2. Photo stop near Draguignan
Draguignan is a market town in the heart of the Var, set in a basin among wooded hills about thirty kilometres inland from the coast. It is a working town rather than a tourist resort, home to France's artillery school and a large military camp at Canjuers on the plateau to the north. The old town has narrow lanes, plane-shaded squares and a distinctive clock tower, and the Saturday market is one of the best in Provence.
Read the complete Photo stop near Draguignan write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Photo stop near Draguignan comes up about 228 km into the recorded legs. Next is Mercantour High Roads checkpoint 8.
3. Near Cagnes-sur-Mer
Love them or hate them, they are one of the landmarks of this coast, and they make an unmistakable meeting point for rides heading into the mountains.
Read the complete Near Cagnes-sur-Mer write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The route ends here after 312 km.
Leg by leg
Food stop near Sambuco to Photo stop near Draguignan
Food stop near Sambuco → Photo stop near Draguignan is 228 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Photo stop near Draguignan to Near Cagnes-sur-Mer
Photo stop near Draguignan → Near Cagnes-sur-Mer is 84 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.