The Haute Route (High Route) is a brand new cyclosportive in France. It was run for the very first time two weeks ago and, from the few accounts I’ve read, was a great success.

For me, although a distant dream, this race is really intriguing. It is essentially a stage race for the Great Unwashed, incorporating 7 stages from Geneva, Switzerland to Nice, France. If your geography is good you’ll know what’s in between these two cities – mountains…lots of mountains.

The race climbs 15 legendary mountain cols, with a total vertical ascent of 17,000 meters. No, this race is not for everyone. It is also on closed roads, which I experienced only once this year (Etape du Tour) and can say without reservation is THE way to ride a cycling race. (Sorry, I think my imagination was getting the better of me. There’s no mention of closed roads on the site that I can see.)

Once you mortgage your house and sell your car to register for the Haute Route, most everything (accommodation, dinner, massages, etc.) is taken care of, I think (packages range from around 900€ to 1300€). I believe it would be incredible to pretend to be a pro for a week. Now, if only I had a house I could mortgage or a car I could sell…