From Canada to France and back again: Annema describes returning to Quebec with new eyes after working in our Nice boutique. 

President of WATT (Women Are Talented), Annabelle Broust, is a neighbour and a member of the Café du Cycliste family. She tells us about the amazing work of her female-first cycling club promoting gender inclusion through diversity.

Presenting our Café du Cycliste athlete, Tifany Huot-Marchand, former short-track skater, Olympian and now elite-level paracyclist…

Lukas is the captain at the helm of our new Paris boutique. He’s studied film, been a sports teacher for kids with disabilities and run a Parisian workwear brand. But it’s gravel that really inflates his tyres. Meet our new store manager…

An interview with professional French trail runner Thibaut Baronian, a runner with a long list of podium finishes on the international trail scene and deep love of and connection to the mountians.

Our 1% for the Planet partner moors up in Nice port, spreading a message of environmental awareness. 

The French downhill superstar on injuries, women in mountain biking and why she loves to wear Café du Cycliste when she’s out riding the road.

As part of ‘Brain Week’ 2025, Café du Cycliste brought together ultra-endurance cyclist Adrien Liechti and Vendée Globe sailor Alexia Barrier with top scientists to explore the latest thinking around sleep…

Ultra-racer and long-distance tourer Adrien Liechti basically lives on his bike, and that makes huge demands on his kit. So when he talks about what works, we listen.

Meet Cynthia Carson, an ultra-endurance cyclist from Arlington, Virginia, currently living in Girona, Spain, who is our first new Café du Cycliste athlete for 2025… 

We catch up with our Mallorca store manager Marnix Stolker to find out more about his cycling history and relationship with the brand.

Café du Cycliste athlete, bikepacking ultra-racer Adrien Liechti, has been on the road since October… we catch up with him after his third-place finish at the Tassie Gift race in Tasmania to hear more about the life of an itinerant racer.

Thierry Baudier, our store manager in Nice, tells us about his love of cycling and his journey with Café du Cycliste.

From furious gravel to high-altitude trails, scroll on for a rundown of where we’ve been riding, running and hanging out this year.

4myPlanet is an organiation founded by Alexia Barrier that focuses on marine conservation and education. It leads projects that combine scientific research and raising awareness, targeting younger generations and encouraging them to become leaders in sustainability.

TOP TRAILS | INSIDE UTCAM Now ten years old, the Ultra Trail Côte d’Azur Mercantour has become an unmissable race in the region, bringing athletes from across Europe and as far away as Venezuela and Singapore to where the Alps dip their toes into the sparkling Mediterranean Sea. With distances ranging from a 5km vertical race all the way up to the SkyUltra 75km and 125km solo or in pairs, it offers experiences for everyone from the amateur to the expert. Café du Cycliste partners with the event, so we sent our athletes Tom Laurent and Anouche Richalet (@anomadventures on Instagram) to represent our Forever Outsiders spirit over the 30km distance. It’s a rude awakening for Tom and Anouche, when they realise that their race numbers place them in the elite starting pen, alongside the crème de la crème of the world’s trail runners who are participating in the Merrell Skyrunner® World Series. The race starts very quickly – perhaps a little too quickly – but that’s all part of the adventure. The pair pulls back and settles into their own pace. The first climb is technical, and an unseasonal rain and cold stings the ends of their noses. Anouche loses feeling in her fingers, but they are not discouraged, and persevere. From the 2,674-metre summit of Mont Pépoiri there are 12 kilometres of descent. It’s a real thrill, even if Tom later admits it killed his quads! In this edition there’s a little sting in the tail: a few kilometres from the line, racers are faced with another little climb. It’s unexpected, and doesn’t go down too well with Tom! Normally our pair runs everything together, but for this race they decide to see how their legs were feeling, and they separate for a while. But chance sorts everything out, and a few hundred metres from the line they meet up again, and finish hand in hand. After the effort: relaxation. Home-made gnocchi and a cold beer await the participants. It’s time for each to look back and share how the race went. Tom and Anouche are happy, and sore, and a little surprised at how they did: “It’s given us more confidence about our trail-running capabilities,” says Tom. Join us in our backyard, a trail runner’s paradise! Here’s our guide to some of the best trails that are easily accessible from Nice. And here’s a list of our partner events in 2024 – road, gravel, trail – all in the Forever Outsiders spirit. Picture Credits : Eric Barnabé / UTCAM Picture Credits : Lionel Lecourtier / UTCAM

TOUR DE FRANCE 2024 | NICE, THE WORLD'S CYCLING CAPITAL It is almost 7 p.m. on Sunday 21 July 2024 and the three leaders of the 111th Tour de France are locked in confrontation in the final time trial. From Monaco up to the Col d’Èze, amid a rowdy crowd, the race finishes with these last men. Drones film them eating up the roads that lead to Nice, where the final finish line is located, at an infernal pace. The images, broadcast to 190 countries around the world, are breathtaking: the riders’ commitment to their sport is intense, and the mountain roads, which overlook the azure-blue Mediterranean, form a picture-perfect scene that any cyclist worth the name will henceforth put on their bucket list. Helicopter cameras capture the yellow jersey rounding the headland on Nice seafront, demolishing the final few hundred metres to the finish. The hot summer evening light caresses the coloured walls of the grand houses on the edge of the old town; further down, the sea sparkles and laps gently at the famous pebbled beach under the Promenade des Anglais – which is itself celebrating its 200th birthday. It’s a dream backdrop to a sumptuous finale. The Slovenian champion, who lives on the Côte d’Azur, knows every centimetre of the road. He’ll leave not a sliver of a chance to his rivals on this TT, just as he has been ruthless in the General Classification all race. He wins a brilliant final victory on this Tour de France 2024. Two days earlier, the riders had entered the Nice metropolitan area via the Col de la Bonette. At over 2,800 metres, it is the highest paved road in France, almost in Europe, and has only been used five times in all the history of the Tour. Snow banks on the side of the road bear witness to the altitude at which the riders battle. As thousands of spectators discover via their TV screens just how close to Nice the roads flirt with the highest Alpine cols, Pogacar takes a tight stage at Isola 2000. The following day proves that – if it heaven exists – the Alpes-Maritimes are a cyclist’s paradise. The penultimate day is one of the most difficult. The most beautiful, too: from the hairpins of the Col de Braus and the Turini, the riders finish on the Col de Couillole. Halfway up the finishing climb, thousands of fans gather at the hilltop village of Roubion to watch the show. In a fitting setting for such majestic performances, Tadej Pogačar will once again triumph over Jonas Vingegaard and Richard Carapaz. The 2024 Tour has been the scene of remarkable events, and remarkable departures. In his last ever Grande Boucle, Romain Bardet finally dons the yellow jersey for the first time, with the panache that has characterised his career. He is not able to hold back the tears when appreciating this, the end of his time in the pro peloton. And what can be said about Mark Cavendish who, at 39, takes the absolute record for the number of Tour de France stage wins? On the final TT he freewheels along so that he can – after suffering so much under the Italian sun in the race’s first stages – make the most of these final moments. An old hand, he eventually found the opening to win the sprint concluding stage five of this 2024 Tour, and he celebrates his final participation in the world’s greatest bicycle race with his family. His achievement should stay in the record books for a few years at least. Hot on his tire tracks is a certain T. Pogačar, who, by the end of the 2024 race, has notched up 17 stage victories, and so might one day join – or even surpass – him. Biniam Girmay complicated Cavendish’s job this year. The Eritrean, who rides in the colours of Intermarché–Wanty, won three sprint victories, surprising the more experienced fast men. Behind him, a country – a continent even – erupted in celebration. His cheerful supporters did not hold back behind the finishing barriers whenever the sprinters had the opportunity to shine. These same fans, loudly supporting the new prodigy, will also wait for long hours in front of the team bus to celebrate his remarkable achievement with him. It's been a celebration of cycling in Nice as the Tour de France reaches an unforgettable finale. A recognition of the famous finish of Paris–Nice, Grand Départ of the Tour in 2020. Nice is not finished with top-level cycling: the Gravel World Cup will take place on its territory in 2025. Relive the grandeur and excitement of the 2024 Tour de France and experience cycling on the Côte d’Azur to the fullest, with Café du Cycliste’s 20 best rides from Nice port.

SOUTHERN BREAKAWAY | MVC RIDE THE ÉTAPE On Saturday 6 July, thousands of cyclists descended on Nice to ride the Étape du Tour, the mass participation event that pits amateur cyclists against a stage of the current year’s Tour de France. Among their number were our friends from the City of Lights, the Montmartre Vélo Club (MVC), who descended from their hillock in the north to ride some real southern mountains near Nice. Étapes always take on mountain stages, but this, the 32nd running of the event, was a particularly challenging one, taking in many of our favourite cols – Braus, Turini, la Colmiane and Couillole – and climbing more than 4,600 metres in only 138 kilometres. Luckily, many of the MVC members had just been on a cycling boot camp in the Cévennes hills of south-central France – this was the moment for the training to pay off! As for the pros, they will be riding this parcours on 20 July with 19 previous Tour stages in their legs, including the climb to the Cime de la Bonette, the highest road in France, the previous day. 6:30 a.m. on the Promenade des Anglais: around a dozen MVC riders wait in their separate starting pens for the starting gun to go off, ready to head off into the mountains of the back country. There were no team tactics for the Étape, but a certain team spirit rules nevertheless. With all the incredible mountain roads closed specially for the event, it’s a dream riding scenario; unfortunately, the weather doesn’t entirely play ball. On the Col de Turini, undoubtedly the wettest mountain in the area, a fine drizzle causes one of our riders to crash on the descent. He is unharmed, but his bike is less lucky, and he has to withdraw. After many long hours of literal ups and downs and metaphorical highs and lows, the MVC are reunited at the finish. After a quick shower, they head for a pizza in a village close to the finish, to refuel and to savour and digest their experience deep in the cyclists' playground of the Alpes-Maritimes – telling stories and comparing notes with laughter and beer. Challenging but magnificent, it is agreed. But there’s no rest for the wicked – or at least, only a night’s good slumber before our travellers from the Montmartre Vélo Club have to get back on their bikes to ride back down to Nice. This time, everyone rides together, sharing the mountain scenery – and the slight downhill all the way – with their club mates. Because of the Étape, Café du Cycliste on the port is very busy – but not too busy for a quick coffee and a shower before heading to the nearby Place du Pin for a hearty lunch. And, at 4 p.m., a final ride to the station to catch the TGV back to their little hill in Paris, with sore legs but good memories of a southern breakaway weekend. Come and watch the Tour in our café on the port for the best atmosphere in Nice!

NATURE TRAIL | CAFÉ DU CYCLISTE AND THE UTCAM When you’re out in the mountains there are moments of great solitude, but also great encounters with like-minded souls. The runners of the UTCAM – the Ultra Trail Côte d’Azur Mercantour – are some of those people. Now in its tenth year, the event takes place in between the Mediterranean Sea and the mountains of the Mercantour National Park in the deep backcountry – the same open-air playground in which we ride, hike and explore. The 2024 edition, which takes place from 21-23 June, comprises six distances, from a ‘vertical’ 5km through 10km, a 30km Skyrace (part of the Skyrunner World Series), 50km and 75km courses and the big daddy 125km (which can be done as a relay in a team of two). The team behind the event hold similar values of exploration, community and respect for the delicate balance of the natural world that means so much to us all, which is why we’re supporting the UTCAM across all distances this year. Partnering with UTCAM is an opportunity to share our love of the mountains and enjoy the challenging trails, beautiful villages and the spectacular natural setting. It’s also an excuse to put on our Alix Technical Tank (for men and women) and our Anna Trail Shorts (Vaiana for women) and compete. Don’t forget your cap! While the 125km race starts in Monaco for an epic challenge that heads deep into the mountains, most of the shorter races start and finish in the picturesque town of Saint-Martin-Vésubie. All except the Vertical 5km, which heads straight up from Monaco to the roman ruins of La Turbie. The different events are designed to give a progressive series of challenges depending on your experience and your level. They’re all awesome challenges in their own right, taking to the crests and peaks of the Mercantour: the 30km Skyrace, for example, climbs to almost 2,700m above sea level! The Mercantour National Park is one of the wildest places in France, with strict controls on activities within its borders, and both Café du Cycliste and the UTCAM are serious about the ecological impact of our activities. As part of our 1% For The Planet commitment, we support the Trail Runner Foundation, which works to promote an eco-friendly vision of trail sports. UTCAM, meanwhile, also works with Trail Runner Foundation, and runs its events in a spirit of respect for the environment and harmony with the natural world, taking concrete steps like recycling signposting materials and organising a big trail clean-up after the race. If we all do our bit – and then some – we can hope to be forever outsiders now and in the future.Check out the UTCAM site for more info, or find out more about all our our 10 partner events for 2024.

Mountain Riders – 1% For the Planet Auron is a small ski station that sits above the Tinée valley about an hour-and-a-half north of Nice. For many Niçois, it’s the place to go for a mountain escape, and, winter or summer, it’s one of our favourite destinations: the roads and trails around the picturesque village are great to cycle or hike; then, when the snow falls we take to the pistes, or strike out into the deep backcountry for some ski-mountaineering. But thanks to climate change good snow is no longer guaranteed. And Auron, like many ski resorts, is thinking about its future. As a part of that process, it’s been working with a social enterprise called Mountain Riders. Mountain Riders, based in Chambéry, promotes sustainable development and works with young and old alike in mountain communities towards environmental awareness and a greener future "We’ve got to find a new way of thinking, so we can imagine ski resorts as a place to live and not just a site of consumption dependent on skiing,” a spokesman for Mountain Riders has said. Let’s enjoy what we have while we can, in other words, while finding a new way of being in the mountains. In 2013 Mountain Riders created a certifying process, Flocon Vert (‘Green Snowflake’), which helps mountain resorts – traditionally so dependent on skiing for their livelihood – transition towards a future in which winter sports are only one part of their offering, working to create a new paradigm for life in the mountains. Up to three Green Snowflakes are awarded to recognise progress and spur a continuing effort to live sustainably, using a framework of 20 criteria split between environmental, social and economic themes. Almost 30 of France’s 250 ski stations now have one, and plenty of others are working towards it. Mountain Riders is one of the six organisations Café du Cycliste supports as part of our 1% For The Planet commitment, and we’ve been keeping up with what’s been happening in Auron. One initiative is a new ‘rewilding’ programme on the pistes, ensuring that as the resort expands, the area of untouched forest is not diminished. Other commitments to a low-impact lifestyle include extending the possibilities for Auron’s visitors to arrive car-free, whether that’s on improved bus services from the coast, or via the cable car from the valley, as well as reducing rubbish and safeguarding local bird species. Mountain Riders encourages all local stakeholders – town councils, businesses and residents – to manage progress and confront issues together. In Auron this includes our friends Adventmount, a ski and clothing shop that is our local reseller, which is changing its own actions to conduct its business more sustainably. In November 2023 Auron gained its first Flocon – hot on the heels of Valberg, another local resort, which received its first Green Snowflake in 2018 and now has two. We’re proud of supporting local action, giving back to these mountains that we love so much, and which have given us so much in their turn.