Club des Cinglés 136km +4,540m

Strava segments: Mont Ventoux via Bedoin, Mont Ventoux, Mont Ventoux (from Sault)

reply: “They are warmer than those in Yorkshire; being 200 miles further south you can really feel the difference in the climate, but they aren’t as steep, and there aren’t as many cobbles as there are around Keighley.”

As you might imagine, a pro rider needs to train every day through the winter — why do you think your Instagram feed is always full of them on some sunny mountain somewhere? It might not be the Mediterranean, but in South Wales the warmer temperatures do mean the climbs are less likely to be closed. On the day, even though the skies threatened, we did manage to stay dry and the sun even broke through a few times to illuminate the hills as we plodded up beneath leaden clouds.

Mould explained that the pitch of these climbs is perfect for long, inthe-saddle efforts, never too steep but always a challenge, and being from Newport he’s got plenty of similar roads on his doorstep. Heading north, he can ride the Tumble and Llangynidr Mountain, while heading east there’s Caerphilly Mountain on the way to Rhigos, Bryn Du and the Bwlch.

Triple glory

Like Ventoux, each side of the Bwlch has its own characteristics, from the sheltered, tree-lined slopes of the south to the long steady gradients of the western flank, and the shorter route from the north. One thing they all have in common, though, are the splendid hairpin bends that punctuate each ascent to give you that mountain-climbing feeling as you sweep round them, rising rapidly above the road below.

On the southern side, the first of these fantastic corners lies trapped in a gully in the shadow of the tall peaks around it and the road rises on a stiff gradient to reveal fantastic views down the valley. Rounding the next left-hand turn, you arrive at the junction of the three paths, but not their summit. To gain the most elevation from each ascent you must turn at the junction, pass through the small canyon of rocks with its ‘Welcome to the Valleys’ sign and continue over exposed ground to continue climbing.

Heading into the wind now, the pace increased just a touch and the

To join the Club des Cinglés you must ride all three ascents of Mont Ventoux from the three outlying towns of Malaucène, Bédoin and Sault in a single day, and provide proof that you have done this. It’s not a sportive, it’s open to anyone on any day, so once you’ve chosen when to go and assembled your team, then head to the website and register. Pay the €20 fee, wait a few days and your personalised check cards will appear, along with the plastic plaques to attach to your frames. The cards require a stamp from each town and one from the summit as proof that you have completed the required distance. Where you start and finish and in which order you ride the three climbs is up to you so long as you complete them all within 24 hours.

You can read all about the event, its history and rules at: www.club cinglesventoux.org/en/