Euro Blast 2009 Recce Report 01.12.08 

“A foot of snow!?!” “That’s right” I said to Stormy, “they forecast a foot of snow tomorrow”. We knew running the South of France recce of next years Euro Blast would be risky, weather wise at this time of year. But it had to be done with only six months until the Blast (07th to 14th June '09).

We arrived in Nice, on the Cote d'Azur, Friday evening to glorious weather, and proceeded to enjoy the window down drive along the scenic Promenade Des Anglais to our beach front hotel. Then we tucked into a well prepared fillet of beef in the charming and bustling old provence town - as you will get to experience - with the thought of snow on our recce route vanished.

Saturday morning we awoke early to blue skies, sunshine and setoff for the first of the many passes, in the Alpes-Maritime, and we had a fantastic first hour of sunshine before we hit the famous ‘Col de Turini’ (Col meaning mountain pass). This particular ‘col’ is featured in the WRC opening event from Monaco every year and is famed for its demanding corners, steep ascent and glorious rocky architecture. It did not disappoint, it was fantastic, despite rounding one hairpin to find snow left un-melted at the edges of the road and hanging frozen on pine trees. Then another few corners up and around and the road was now laid with a thin blanket of the white stuff. We both looked at each other remembering we had a long way to go. 

Carefully but confidently we pushed on, the summer tyres of our rental Clio doing a sterling job of assuring the helm of the lack of grip available.

The scenery up here is simply stunning, pine trees, colourfully layered jagged rock, switchback roads, where in places you can see several layers of hairpins snaking up the mountain, and the sun beamed from the blue sky and lit the landscape up with the snow glistening back. Continuing up to the Turini’s peak of 1607m was a challenge, which is what it will be for you next June, but one where you will revel in the fluency, smoothness and excitement of this one of the many historic passes we have planned for the trip. 

Despite the weather and the fact that not long after cresting the Col de Turini the first time – yes you will get to do it both ways, from all approaches - it started to snow and continued to do so the rest of the day, but despite this we surveyed over 150miles of the passes which are planned on Day5’s jaunt to Italy.

Late that evening over dinner and a map we honed Day4’s decent into Nice through the Alpes-de-haute-provence, and boy did we strike upon a jewel of a route for you, and that’s before you get to sample the legendary ‘Route Napoleon’ descending to the coast towards Cannes. Thankfully Sunday’s drive was relatively snow free and dry, which meant the opportunity for more photographs some of which you can see here. The landscapes, all of which you will get to gawp at yourself as you twist and turn your way through are amazing. We were blown away by the beauty of one famed gorge; and it will be even more breathtaking in the early summer’s lush green hue. 

We feel that we have planned a truly remarkable and exhilarating trip, one that surpasses the two previous. And if you are interested in exploring, driving your car where you will be excitedly challenged, and amply rewarded, then please drop us an e-mail to register your interest, as places will be limited.

Mrk

FULL Euro Blast details here