June 19, 2023
For the past twenty years, I’ve lived in the Alpes Vaudoises. This mountain region in western Switzerland is easily accessible from all over Europe and my home roads have a lot to inspire cyclists: moderate traffic, awesome landscapes and circuits of varying difficulty between the vineyards of the Chablais and the passes nestled at the foot of 3000m peaks.
This came under the spotlight last year, when the Tour de France visited us. It was just a few kilometers from my home that Bob Jungels dropped Thibaut Pinot to win the 9th stage with panache.
This year, the Alpes Vaudoises are doing their utmost to welcome cyclists. The season got off to a great start last week, with the Tour de Suisse arriving in Villars and the Gran Fondo Suisse UCI setting off from the World Cycling Center in Aigle.
For my part, I’ve been busy with a project close to my heart: to list my 5 favorite road bike tours in the Alpes Vaudoises. At first, I thought my task would be easy. Of course, the classic Croix-Pillon-Mosses loop was the obvious choice. But what about this road lost in the middle of the Pays d’Enhaut pastures? And that hilly circuit around the Château d’Aigle in the Chablais vineyards? Not to mention the fourth pass of the Alpes Vaudoises, the one that only connoisseurs have ever climbed.
As a result, I’ve spent many hours in front of my screen and on the road to combine all these hidden treasures and design these loops. Do you want to discover them? Click here to download the digital brochure: you’ll find maps, descriptions, photos, gpx files and my advice on how to make the most of your visit to our beautiful region. And yes, I’ll also tell you about my favorite coffee stops, local products (say cheese) and spots that will make you an Instagram sensation. Especially if you tag @aswisswithapulse and @alpesvaudoises.
See you soon on the roads and sunny café terrasses of the Alpes Vaudoises!
Alain
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Comments 2
Are there good options for bike rentals that are race worthy?
Author
Hi Mark, Dom Cycle in Aigle (https://domcycle.ch/location/) has a fleet of good carbon road bikes. We are very lucky as this is not common (yet) in many Swiss regions.