Forest'Cime 2023, on the roads of the Tour de France
The 8th edition of the Forest’cime will take place from the June 23 to the 25 of June 2023. During 3 days you will ride a 450 kilometre route through the landscapes of the Ain and the Jura. A course with 8500 meters of cumulative altitude gain. The Forest’cime will welcome you as it should in these landscapes of small mountains and plains. In the middle of the course, to “spice up” the stages, we propose to times somes of the climbs. Thanks to a classification established by category, you will be able to wear the bib of the leader of the performance challenge.
STAGE 1: ARBENT-BELLECIN
Ride on the Monts Jura
Vouglans lake
Saint-Claude cathedral
To start this Forest’Cime 2023, we invite you to the Espace loisirs d’Arbent (01100) on Friday June 23. This is an ideal site to host sporting events and a place where participants can park their vehicles for free. Also the logistic part is supported by our organisation team for your luggages.
At 9.30 AM we will head for the Jura Mountains, starting with a climb you to the Haut-Jura area. We will pass through the village of La Pesse in the heart of the Haut-Jura. This charming mountain village has a breathtaking view on the Crêt de Chalam, one of the most beautiful peaks in the Jura Mountains. The journey continues towards Saint-Claude. The largest town in the Haut-Jura with 10,000 inhabitants, this sub-prefecture is reputed to be the capital of the pipe and diamond industry. Some famous pipe factories such as Butz-Choquin and Chacom are still present in St-Claude, which also has a museum dedicated to pipes and diamonds. Surrounded by mountains, Saint-Claude is a life-size playground for cycling. In fact, the Tour de France has made no mistake about it, organising several stages passing through the town center.
On the way to Valfin we pass the last difficulty of the day with a short but tough climb and a gradients up to 9% percent. At kilometre 139, we cross the village of Moirans-en-Montagne, capital of the toy industry. Many toy companies such as Smoby, Jeujura or Vilac are located in this commune. The village will host the start of the 19th stage of the Tour de France 2023, for the second time in the Tour’s history. It will be a 100% Jura stage to Poligny.
To soften this first stage of 162 kilometres we will arrive at the Vouglans lake, the third largest artificial lake in France. Its emerald colour variations make Vouglans famous and many tourists visit its sandy beaches in summer. The Bellecin nautical base located on the left bank of the lake will close our journey. Bellecin is a nautical and sports center approved by the Ministry of Youth and Sport, and hosts the French rowing team all year round. As part of the 2024 Olympic Games, Bellecin will serve as a base camp for certain sports delegations. Bellecin is a suitable place to welcome our cyclists in quality infrastructures for rest and physical recovery.