Maggie and I have taken family holidays on Corsica for many years, and have done some off-road cycling there, but we have never done much on the road - in high season it's hot and busy. However, BikeAdventures' trip from Calvi to Bastia at the end of September looked appealing, so we signed up at the beginning of the year.
We went out a few days early, and trained hard on seafood and wine, meeting the group (and our tandem) when they came in on the ferry. There were twenty-two riders, and John and Tony supporting us. John drove the van and Tony rode as sweeper each day.
The days were varied and interesting - spectacular coastal scenery, rocky cols and winding descents. Although the highest point of the island, Monte Cintu, at about 9000 feet, isn't huge in Alpine terms, much of the climbing starts at sea level, so you get quite a lot of altitude gain. We did about 25,500 feet of climbing in the week, in 300 miles, so the scale is fairly Alpine even if the climate is less challenging.
BikeAdventures' route was pretty good, but there were a couple of major issues with lengthy and disruptive road-works on two of the cols, which were grimy and tedious. We met John Beer and Ken Day on the Porto Road - they were following the ACP Raid Corse route - and I think that may be a better bet. Logistics and support were, as ever, very good.
The terrain suited the tandem and we were able to maintain a steady pace; with such a large group we had no regular riding companions but we did meet people at lunch most days and enjoyed a convivial dinner each evening. A jolly end to summer.
Mark
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