29 georgie honeymoon 19/9/08 14:34 Page 29
Newlyweds: Georgie
and Chris
Pedals
and petals
Our cycling honeymoon was a
labour of love, says GEORGIE HOBBS
B
RIDAL BOOT camps seem vastly newlyweds, making sure to shove bananas in our
unfair. Brides have quite enough to back pockets like the pros do. After literally going
do to without facing an army-style round the houses one too many times trying to
endurance test to shed weight for leave town, we spotted our “guide” – an orange
The Dress. Far better, I thought, and blue road sign which would appear every now
to put both newlyweds through a and then throughout the seven-day trip to point
different kind of boot camp – a cycling trip in the the best way through the Luberon region.
south of France. Intense heat, a million chances Ah, the open road. How cool we felt overtaking
to get lost and argue over upside-down maps. A other riders at speed, blessed with a certain naive
supreme sense of shared achievement. Plus a Below: Georgie tackles freshness. It didn’t last long: flat, this trip is not.
weight loss guarantee. And after a vegan wedding a hill; the famous It loops riders high up through the Vaucluse
in Hackney, east London, where better than rural Pont d’Avignon mountains, forcing us lesser mortals up cobbled
France to test an optimistic young couple? Roman roads so steep we had to drag our frames
Day one was a doddle. After landing in and scream our way to sun-scorched summits.
Marseilles and catching two trains to our And then up, up, up again to the lavender-
“base camp” in Cavaillon, we picked up our fringed town of Sault. At an altitude of 776m,
Cannondale touring bikes from the hotel car Sault is home to the dreaded Mont Ventoux, a
park. Colour-coordinated in cherry-red tops horror of a mountain whose shadeless heights
and bikes, we set off the following morning took the life of British cyclist Tom Simpson on
looking more like competitive siblings than his final Tour de France in 1967.
The barren (bar Simpson’s memorial plaque)
1,250m climb is a natural wind tunnel designed
for torture – hence its regular inclusion on the
Tour De France, even post-Simpson. Clearly not
Facts
at all the thing for honeymooners, my husband
and I spent a blissful day six sampling a
Exodus offers its eight-day variety of locally-produced lavender and
Cycling Provence and the violet syrups instead.
Luberon independent cycle tour Having been fed, rested and watered in
from £669 (flights not included). the nicest hotel of the holiday – Hotel Du
This comprises accommodation, Louvre in Sault – our final day’s ride was an
daily luggage transfer, route absolute dream. Downhill all the way back to
maps and four dinners. The Cavaillon, with our luggage transported as
average daily distance is 50km usual by our unseen support vehicle, we
and the region is hilly with a drank in the countryside while manoeuvring
few gradual climbs. thrilling descents of up to 60kmh. Forget
IMAGES: CHRIS WOODARD, EXODUS bridal boot camp – give me Provence.
29
TTG Knowledge WEDDINGS & HONEYMOONS September 2008
go to www.ttglive.com
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