Group 2 – day 1 - Tot. 350km

Marseille - Pontevès
Getting out of the city takes about 15 minutes, between roundabouts, traffic lights and very busy roads.
With Marseille behind us we head towards Cassis, along a road with panoramic views. A clean road-surface with alternating sharp and gentle bends allows us to gain confidence in the bike and the tires.

Pontevès - Gorges du Verdon
After the stop for the coffee break we return to the magnificent country road which crosses the south of France.
The vistas are breathtaking: we are in fact riding along the edge of the Grand Canyon of Verdon for about 38 km, with numerous panoramic points in the midst of wild scenery.
For lunch we stop at a mountain restaurant with panoramic views over the Gorges du Verdon.

Aiguines - Castellane
After the lunch stop we resume our route on a mixed surface: in places the road is narrow and well looked-after, in places it is wider and more rolling.
The asphalt is coarse-grained but the surface can be treacherous because of the rocks which have broken away from the walls of the canyon.
The road has magnificent panoramic views as it follows the course of the Verdon.

Castellane - Grasse - 63 km Special section 
This special section follows the famous Route de Napoleon (N85).
The tarmac in perfect condition, the ups and downs and the sequence of very fast bends will allow us to put the Tourance EXP to the test straight away on its favourite terrain.
We come to appreciate the excellent qualities of grip and traction provided by the new compound, which thanks to the new mix between Carbon Black and Silica has incredible performance, whether in the wet or the dry.
The new solution adopted by the Metzeler technicians delivers:
- maximum grip when actually negotiating the bend
- good road holding at the braking stage, when the bike is being set up for the bend, and traction on the way out, when the torque needs to be discharged to earth.
On these long, fast curves, whether you are climbing or descending, the new profile of the front tire, with its structure of steel plies laid out at 0° in an A-B-A arrangement, delivers maximum progressiveness and predictability, and gives maximum precision following a line through the bend.
On a route of this kind we can sweep round the bends, getting the same feeling of stability and precision in holding a line that you experience with a sports tourer. The amazing road holding of the Tourance EXP means that we have to watch the speed limits and the French Gendarmerie … but pure enjoyment is guaranteed.

Grasse - Saint Paul de Vence
At the end of the special trial section, the road straightens out, and we pass through various villages along the route.
We are approaching the Côte d'Azur and in the last stretch the road goes back to being better maintained, with various ups and downs.
We reach the hotel where we are due to spend the night, and the Mediterranean Sea reappears in front of us.