Mountain biking in Auron-Saint Etienne de Tinée

Auron is located in the Mercantour National Park just 90 km from Nice. After hosting the MTB Coupe de France in June 2012, Auron was put firmly on the mountain biking map in 2013 when the resort hosted the French MTB Championships, which with the backing of rider Fabien Barel made it a hugely successful event.

Lifts are open from mid-June to mid-September and with 18 downhill tracks covering a total of 60 kilometers, there’s plenty of riding. If you like fast blues, you’ll be particularly impressed with the trails in Auron as 11 of the 18 tracks are aimed at intermediate riders. More advanced riders however will love blasting the reds and tackling the two blacks on the Saint Etienne de Tinée side, or the classic red Colombier Express track, which is aptly named since it is the fastest way back down to town from the top of the mountain.

Cross country riders should not miss the 15 km Circuit de Demandols which takes you high above the resort of Saint-Etienne-de-Tinée taking in amazing panoramas and beautiful waterfalls. Although not very technical, you’ll still need to ride with some caution as there are a few places where the trail skirts the cliff edge.