L'Esperou / Le Vigan

You’re greeted by a lot of elevations as the GTMC à VTT enters the French county of Gard. At least with the 1,000m you need to climb, you can enjoy spectacular views across the Southern Cévennes Range, dotted with typically unspoilt villages such as Salagosse, Mars, Bréau, Esparon, Molières or Avèze. Special mention should be made of the arrival at the town of Le Vigan, through narrow streets, along easy singletracks, and via riverside paths. Also enjoy the challenging descents along this stage, in large part on singletrack paths.

The route

Leaving L’Espérou, the GTMC à VTT takes you along a road looking down on the village. Next, the route makes you join a GR® hiking track up to the Col du Minier, crossing L’Aigoual Forest along gentle slopes. From the Col du Minier, there’s a good stretch of descent to relish, but with a few technically challenging portions, taking you down to the Salagosse Valley. Then follow a singletrack beside a stream, leading to the heights above the village of Mars. Tackle the climb to the picturesque village of Esparon on its rocky outcrop via a path with some steep and technically challenging parts. A pretty singletrack then leads down the mountain side to Le Vigan, offering lovely views on the valley below.