Motorcycling

A Tour of Mont Blanc

by Jan Bos 21/09/2020

written by Jan Bos

A Tour of Mont Blanc

We did a fantastic tour of Mont Blanc on the Ducati Multistrada 1200S. In this blog I will take you along this route. Some important information in advance:

We did the tour in September
The weather was still like in summer, 25 degrees and lots af sun
The tour is a little over 320 kilometers
Difficulty: Difficult
Lots of height difference and hairpin bends
Countries: Italy, Switzerland and France
No toll roads

Aosta

Day one we drove from our house to Aosta as the tour of Mont Blanc starts there. we spent the night in Bed & Breakfast Ad Podium in the old center of Aosta. This B & B is well maintained and is very convenient for exploring the old center. The center of Aosta is car-free and there are a number of archaeological sites to visit. You can buy an all-in-one ticket for the Criptoportico Forense, the Teatro Romano and the Chiesa Paleocristiana di San Lorenzo. If you don’t like culture, you can of course also just stroll through the streets. Delicious food is certainly part of it, we can recommend restaurant / bar Ad Forum.

Aosta-Grand Saint Bernard-Martigny

The first stage of the tour of Mont Blanc goes straight up from Aosta via the SS27 towards the Grand Saint Bernard pass. This is a fantastic route with impressive views. The roads were in very good condition, without many potholes or loose stones. So enjoy it. Make sure you don’t take the tunnel a little before reaching the top, because you will miss a well-deserved break. At the top of the pass you will find a reservoir lake and a restaurant as well as the statue of Saint Bernard. Here they obviously sell the St. Bernard plush toys 😉

After the break you almost immediately cross the border with Switzerland and the descent to Martigny begins. Here the road was less well maintained in the beginning. Moreover, any kind of protection is missing along the spectacular abyss. Here too, of course, an enormously impressive nature. Arriving in Martigny it was time for lunch, this time not in the center because we were looking forward to eat Peruvian Ceviche. We had a delicious meal at La Cordillère.

Martigny-Chamonix

After lunch we continued the tour of Mont Blanc via the Route de la Forclaz. After the border with France, this road turns into the D1506. This part of the route is much less rugged than the Grand Saint Bernard Pass. The difference in height is also less, although you will still encounter some hairpin bends. You now mainly drive through forests and a number of villages. After the last real climb you will be treated to a fantastic view of Mont Blanc, truly breathtaking.

It was our first time in Chamonix so we stayed for two nights. Hotel La Folie Douce is very nice with lovely rooms, a gym, a spa and swimming pool.

Chamonix

Chamonix is a wonderfully relaxed village, or maybe it was because of the COVID-19 and the time of year. A mask was required in the “busy” center, but since it was not busy many people walked around without a mask. You can indulge yourself in the center if you are an outdoors type because the majority of the shops are specialized in trekking, cycling, mountaineering and winter sports. Fortunately, there are also many restaurants and terraces, it is really like living as God in France.

Telepherique de l’Aiguille du Midi

To take a closer look at the breathtaking view, we went up the mountain L’AIGUILLE DU MIDI with the CABLE CAR OF L’AIGUILLE DU MIDI. This cable car takes you from just over 1000 meters to no less than 3840 meters. Do take a sweater or jacket with you because it is a lot cooler at this height. We were lucky because we could immediately walk through and get into the cable car. Once at the top, it is pure enjoyment, what an incredible view. The Mont Blanc towers another 1000 meters above you and you can see the mountaineers walking up the mountain.

If you are not afraid of heights you can also step into the glass box that they mounted on the outside, Step into the Void 😉

Chamonix-Beaufort-Bourg Saint Maurice

After enjoying this rest, the spa and a massage in Chamonix, it was time to continue our tour of Mont Blanc. If you want, you can also shorten the route here and take the Mont Blanc tunnel back to Aosta. Fortunately the weather was still nice so we could continue the tour. We arrived in Beaufort via beautiful and well-maintained roads (D218 and D70), meandering through a constantly changing landscape. It was lunchtime again, so we enjoyed the local cuisine. Just past Beaufort the road was closed so we continued via a small detour. The reservoir lakes of Saint Guérin and Roselend are nice places to take a break before the descent to Bourg Saint Maurice begins. Here we spent the night in hotel Autantic, which is a nice place just outside the village. The village itself is well worth a visit with its old and car-free center. A must for dinner is El Refuge, unfortunately they don’t have a website but they are easy to find.

Bourg Saint Maurice-Aosta

And then it is time for the last stage of the tour of Mont Blanc. This part starts with a considerable climb, but after that it is mainly descending through forests and a few winter sports villages. La Rosière in France and La Thuile in Italy are the best known. The route numbers are the D1090 and SS26. Halfway through you drive over a kind of plateau and you pass the Petit Saint Bernard pass. The roads on this stretch are again excellent and in Italy even recently paved.

After a last series of hairpin bends we arrived back in the Aosta valley. After this unforgettable adventure, we return home very satisfied.

But ……. we will definitely come back!

If you have already done this tour, let us know what you liked most!

CLICK HERE FOR A VIDEO OF SEPTEMBER 16!

CLICK HERE FOR A VIDEO OF SEPTEMBER 18!

0 comments

Venice in times of corona

by Jan Bos 25/07/2020

written by Jan Bos

Venice in times of Corona, what does it look like?

Last week (mid-July 2020) we went to Venice for a few days, some might wonder why right now? We have consciously chosen to visit Venice again while it is still quiet, due to the Corona measures. You read many stories in the newspapers and on social media about whether it is safe to go on vacation at all, so I would like to share our experiences.

The motorcycle ride to Venice

We set out in the morning from our home, near Como, on the Ducati. The weather was lovely, about 27 degrees and sunny. Our first stage took us via Lecco, Bergamo and Iseo to the Coco Beach Club in Lido di Lonate. We followed the beautiful winding back roads and then we enjoyed a quiet lunch on Lake Garda. The Coco Beach Club looked nice and the food was fine. It was not too crowdes here and the people kept enough distance. Once at the table or on your lounger, you can take off the mask again.

After lunch we drove on to Verona via the back roads. The first part was very beautiful, still along Lake Garda, but after that it was less fun with a lot of industry, roundabouts and 32 degrees. So we decided to take the Toll Road from Verona to Venice.

Arrival in Venice

You probably know that Venice is car and motorcycle free, so when we arrived we left the motorcycle in one of the parking garages. From there you can walk to the boarding point of the Vaporetto, the bus on the water, which takes you to the city in no time. A face mask is mandatory on the boat. Once you get out near your hotel, the search starts haha. The streets are very narrow and crisscross each other and the city is spread over different islands.

Due to the narrow streets, the GPS reception of the telephone is very poor and the hotels are not signposted on the corners of the streets. I therefore advise you to plan the route well in advance and to put the maps.me app on your phone. This app still displayed the position fairly accurately.

My opinion of Venice in times of Corona

Then my opinion about whether it is safe to go to Venice in times of Corona. In Venice it was already quite busy, not like normal of course, but because of the narrow streets it was sometimes quite difficult to keep enough distance. So it is up to you, how much patience do you have and / or do you put on a face mask? Of course you can also avoid the narrowest streets. It was absolutely no problem on the squares and the quays and we were able to enjoy all the beautiful sights without crowds. I personally would not pass up this opportunity because before you know it, the city will be flooded again with tourists from all over the world. In my opinion it is safe to visit Venice.

Tips for your visit

Tips for a visit to Venice: there are of course the San Marco Square (the museums were still closed), the nice shops, the many churches, the delicious food and the special people who walk around. A romantic trip in the Gondola should not be missed of course. De Gondelero told us there was about 20% of the normal number of tourists at the time. Be sure to also visit Burano and Murano, two islands near Venice that are famous for their glassware.

Soave, a gem along the route

After enjoying Venice for a few days, it was time to go home again. This time we chose to drive to Soave via the Toll Road. We had seen this town on the way to Venice from the Toll Road. Soave is a city with a city wall and a large military castle from the Middle Ages, the Castello di Soave. It is one of the best preserved and restored castles in Italy and well worth a visit. Furthermore, Soave is best known for its white wines and we had a really delicious meal at Enoteca il Drago. The only other tourists around were Belgians and Germans who were touring by bike.

After lunch and the castle visit we drove on home… .it was another unforgettable adventure!

You can find more travel stories here: TRAVELS

You can find more about motorcycling here: MOTORCYCLING

0 comments

Motorcycling

How to learn to ride a motorcycle better

by Jan Bos 23/05/2020

written by Jan Bos

Like every other Dutch motorcyclist, I got my motorcycle license by taking lessons at a driving school. In my case it was in Leiden and that was a very good basis for my further motorcycle riding experience. A lot of attention was paid to, among other things, change direction quickly and even possibly riding into the roadside. The latter to avoid a collision or a fall.
But then… How do you learn to ride a motorcycle better? Here are some tips.

Time for the next step to better motorcycling

After a few years on my first motorcycle I wanted to improve my motorcycling. Together with a friend I followed an Advanced Driving Training (VRO) of the Royal Dutch Motorcyclists Association (KNMV).

VRO of the Royal Dutch Motorcyclists Association

The KNMV has been training people for decades and therefore has a lot of experience. At the time, the VRO1,2 and 3 existed, nowadays they use other names such as VRO tailor-made and VRO Expert. Prior to the VRO tailor-made, you can decide what you want to focus on. You choose from various programs. Will you be working on the perfect bend or do you focus on braking, for example? At the end of the day, you’ll be more handy than ever with your bike and you’ll go home with a big smile. The training has been developed together with motorcyclists and specifically responds to your needs. This training is focused on public roads. You will learn to better observe your surroundings and anticipate possible risky traffic situations. The training is not only fun, but also very instructive.

In the VRO Expert, the emphasis is also on awareness of the fact that not all exercises succeed at once, i.e. prevention is always better. This training focuses on, among other things, braking in the turns, aquaplaning, obstacles on the road and riding into the roadside.

VRO 1 (VRO tailor-made)

Logically we started with VRO1. This training is similar to the VRO tailor-made, to improve your riding technique and your riding skills you do all kinds of exercises. For example, braking exercise, riding up and down kerbs and ramps and excercises on a seesaw for motorcycles.

All this happens on a closed circuit,so you can ride undisturbed and safely. In our case, it was the Police Circuit Lelystad. The training courses are given by highly experienced instructors of the KNMV.

You don’t have to worry about your level or the type of motorcycle you ridee. This training is really a great experience for everyone. The great advantage of this training is that you do it on your own motorcycle. At the end of the day you are a lot more confident and therefore safer on your bike.

VRO 2 (VRO Expert)

We were so enthusiastic about the VRO1 that we did the VRO2 pretty soon after. This one is similar to the VRO Expert. The level of the exercises and also the speeds with which you do the exercises are a bit higher. And you also get a little wet during the aquaplaning training.

With my Ducati 996 I did the VRO2 again. After that I was thinking about the VRO3, which is more focused on circuit riding. But, meanwhile, I discovered circuit driving skills trainings Holland (CRT) through a friend, and decided to continue training with them.

Circuit Driving Skills Training Courses Holland (CRT)

CRT organizes track days on the TT circuit in Assen.

Also at CRT you don’t have to worry about your level or type of motorcycle. You can indicate what your level is and then you are grouped riders of the same level. You ride, divided over the day, five times for about 20 minutes. That doesn’t seem like much but believe me, it’s very intensive and concentrated riding.

A track day is a very cool training! If you are on the TT-Circuit for the first time or if you still want to gain experience before you ride with the group of experienced riders then you will be assigned to the less experienced group. For more information, please visit the CRT Holland website. You arrive at the track at around 8 o’clock in the morning and then an extensive briefing is given. You are already assigned to the group of your own level. Then you go onto the track with the instructor assigned to you and via a tight timetable. Riding behind your instructor, you’ll learn how to ride the best lines. You will also learn where the brake points are and what is the best posture on your bike. As the day progresses and confidence grows, the speed increases. The atmosphere is really great and the organization of CRT is perfect. Everything you see during a race is present at the track . For example, there are timekeeping, marshals monitoring the safety of the track, tyre and suspension services. Of course there is also the adrenaline 😉

Learning to ride a motorcycle better is addictive

The only downside of these courses is that they are quite addictive, haha. In the end I drove many times towards Assen to enjoy the beautiful TT-Circuit. I find riding the Ducati 996 on the track a lot more fun than riding on public roads. What makes it even more fun is that you see the same people more and more often. Together with them you grow in motorcycling.

To learn to ride a motorcycle betterand therefore safer, the VRO of the KNMV is a very good choice. The circuit days of CRT are a nice continuation. I’m sure after one of these training sessions you’ll feel better and more confident on your bike. As a result, you enjoy motorcyclingeven more.

For more information about these trainings, please visit CRT and KNMV.

Lots of fun and many safe miles.

KNMV

0 comments