Côte d'Azur Gravel Tour
X Pronto Bikes
Get ready for an epic adventure!
Join Azur Vélo, The Col Collective and Pronto Bikes for an exclusive tour on the most iconic gravel routes of the French Riviera, giving you a fully immersive experience of the mountains. Special guest host Ernesto Mendoza is a local resident and current Masters UCI Gravel World Champion, and co-host Mike Cotty of The Col Collective is our resident expert on the most epic backcountry mountains! You’ll begin your adventure in Nice – the heart of the French Riviera – to experience a few of our favorite local gravel rides that come with breathtaking coastal and mountain scenery. We’ll then head west towards the Massif de l’Esterel forest with its stunning red rocks and winding trails – widely considered some of the best gravel in the South of France. June 17 – 23, 2026
French Riviera Gravel Tour
Join us in June 2026 to explore the breathtaking gravel routes of the Côte d’Azur!
- 6 Nights premium accommodations
- 2 Locations: Nice & the Esterel
- UCI AG Gravel World Champion Host
- Mike Cotty | The Col Collective Co-Host
- Iconic French Riviera gravel routes
- Advanced level required
Your Gravel Tour Hosts
Ernesto Mendoza | Gravel Guru
Ernesto Mendoza is a highly experienced coach and elite cyclist who will be hosting your Côte d’Azur gravel tour. Originally from Cuba, he raced for eight years with the Cuban national road team, competing in prestigious tours across South America and Europe that include multiple editions of the Tours of Venezuela, Táchira, Cuba, Martinique, and more. Since settling in France, he has built over 30 years of high-level cycling experience across road, mountain bike, and gravel disciplines and has been a coach at the Pôle Espoir Cyclisme de Nice since 2010, shaping the next generation of riders. In 2025 he claimed the Gravel Master World Championship title and also won the French MTB XCO Master title, underlining his ongoing competitive edge and deep technical expertise. Ernesto's valuable experience as a passionate athlete, guide and coach will give participants an inspiring, challenging, and memorable Côte d'Azur gravel experience.
Mike Cotty | The Col Collective
Originally from the UK, Mike grew up racing cyclocross, road and mountain bikes, and is now based in the Côte d’Azur. As founder of The Col Collective, he's has made a career out of riding, filming and telling the story of epic rides and mountains across the continent. He’s a fitting co-host for your gravel tour as he’s always in search of the best climbs off the beaten track, like the spectacular Gravel Stelvio pass he recently filmed. Mike is an accomplished athlete known for endurance challenges such as The Road to Mont Blanc – a 1000 km nonstop challenge across the Dolomites, Italian Alps and Swiss Alps. He was also the 2016 Haute Route Road Captain, stage winner in the Dolomites, and one of the few to successfully complete the Alps, Pyrenees and Dolomites events the same year, finishing top 15 in all 3 events and 3rd place in the triple crown challenge. Mike's engaging character and fun-loving nature are guaranteed to liven up every ride!
Gravel Cycling Levels
Because our rides will be on challenging terrain with significant elevation gain, we recommend an Advanced Level for this tour, and require at minimum an Experienced Level. Please read the level descriptions below and make sure this tour is suitable for you.
We consider a novice to be new to cycling both on and off-road, with less than a year’s experience riding a bike.
Beginner gravel cyclists may have road cycling experience, but are relatively new to gravel/ off-road cycling, and not accustomed to technical riding on rough terrain.
Experienced gravel cyclists have been riding off-road consistently for over a year, and have good technical skills on gravel that is rough or uneven, and on sharp turns and steep descents. They are also used to spending several hours a day on their bikes and able to comfortably complete longer gravel rides with a fair amount of elevation gain (3 hours +).
Advanced gravel cyclists have been consistently riding off-road for more than a year, have completed in gravel/cyclocross/mountain bike events or races, and have excellent technical skills on gravel that is rough or uneven, sharp turns and steep descents. Advanced riders are also able to comfortably ride 4-6 hours a day on their bikes for several consecutive days, with rides averaging 1,000 – 2,000 meters of elevation gain.
Our Itinerary: Epic Gravel Iconic Gravel Côte d'Azur Gravel
This tour will be customized for your group, and is appropriate for riders with an Experienced to Advanced Level. Please see the suggested itinerary below, that may be adapted as needed for your group.
Arrival in Nice: Airport transfer and welcome reception; assistance with bike-building / rental set-up. We’ll take a short afternoon spin if time permits before a convivial group apéritif and dinner at our seaside hotel.
This first combo road / gravel ride will get your legs turning and kick up some gravel dust while you discover some of the most stunning views of the eastern French Riviera coast. Fort de la Revère + La Turbie: 30 – 50+ km | 600 – 1000 m+ | 30% gravel
Riding north of Nice will take you to a different kind of gravel playground – rugged, wild and at times unforgiving – with challenging climbs and technical descents. For those who are up for an extra-epic day, the route can be lengthened by continuing further north to Duranus and its magical valley views. Mont Férion: 75 km – 130 km | 2000 m+ – 2500 m+ | 50% – 60% gravel
After getting a good taste of Niçois gravel, we’ll head west along the coastal road towards our next destination. We’ll join beautiful gravel trails just after Cannes that will take us all the way to our hotel & spa located at the edge of the forest. Nice to the Esterel: 85 km | 850 m+ | 40% gravel
There are many incredible options for Esterel gravel rides. We will tailor the final 2 rides in this gravel paradise to your group’s needs and level. Anything is possible – from a short spin in the forest to a 100 km+ ride with significant elevation gain!
Your second day soaking in the Esterel beauty will be tailored for your group’s level and needs. Esterel Day 2: 30 – 100 km | 500 – 2000 m+
Final breakfast together and airport transfer
*Please note that in the summer, the Esterel is occasionally closed if local authorities judge that there is a high fire risk. Although this is highly unlikely in June, we want to assure you that we’ve anticipated some great alternate routes nearby in case of an unforeseen closure of the forest.
Included:
- 3 nights seaside accommodations in Nice
- 3 nights 4* hotel & spa in the Esterel
- Golfing from your Esterel hotel
- Airport transfer to/from your hotel
- Welcome meeting & assistance with bike set-up
- 5-6 days cycling
- Guest host guide: Ernesto Mendoza | AG Gravel WC
- Guest host guide: Mike Cotty | The Col Collective
- All breakfasts
- 5 lunches during rides
- 4 group dinners
- Customized ride itineraries
- GPX files with route info
- Vehicle assistance & mechanical support
- Refreshments and snacks during rides
Pricing
Our exclusive Côte d’Azur Gravel Tour is now open for reservations to Pronto Cycling Team Members and Customers. If you would like to book this tour, please contact us via our 2026 Reservation Request Form or email us at: info@azurvelo.com. Once we have a minimum of 6 participants in the group, we will confirm the trip and ask for a 30% deposit per person via wire transfer to complete your booking.
