Soon after moving to Geneva and buying my very first road bike, one question began to loom large: Is it possible to ride all the way around Lac Léman?
At the time, my definition of a “long ride” was a casual spin along the lakeside road to Nyon and back – a modest 40 kilometers. I still vividly recall wandering into my local bike shop, proudly regaling Carlos, the shop’s Portuguese owner, with the details of my heroic morning output. One glance at his eyes told me everything I needed to know. He wasn’t quite as blown away by my athletic prowess as I was.
Realizing that building real engine capacity meant expanding my radius, I started hunting for ride buddies on local expat forums. Before long, we were stretching out our mileage, banking longer hours in the saddle, exploring the lush Geneva vineyards, and pushing deeper along both sides of the lake.
Heritage on the Tarmac: The Legacy of Lac Léman
This was back in 2007 – the exact year the mass-participation Cyclotour sportive was born.
The event evolved from the legendary professional race Tour du Lac Léman, first contested in 1879, making it one of the oldest classics in cycling history. When the pro race folded in 2005, the Cyclotour stepped in two years later to fill the void for ambitious amateurs.
Back in the late 19th century, standard pro completion times ran well over 10 hours. Considering the primitive geometry, heavy frames, and brutal surface conditions of the era – cobbles, dirt, and rutted farm tracks – simply making it around the perimeter in daylight was a monumental feat.
By early 2008, after a winter spent exploring and even getting up into the local cols, I felt ready. Confidence high, I signed up for what would be, by a country mile, the biggest ride of my nascent cycling career.
Memories of the Ride
Looking back at that maiden loop around the lake, a few key memories still cut through the blur:
- The 5:30 AM Dawn Patrol: Taking the train from Geneva at 5:30 AM to get into Lausanne soon after 6:00 AM. We wanted to be in one of the early blocks to depart. This meant we could pick up groups who’d started later if we got dropped from the one we started in. Back in my early 30s – and before children – getting up so early was quite the novelty!
- The Cully ‘Climb’ Surge: I remember the ‘climb’ up through Cully (about 15km into the ride) hurt. It is nothing more than a few hundred metres of around 3%, but the rapid pace the group was riding at stayed constant and holding the wheel was quite the effort.
- The Moto Escort through Montreux: Speeding through Montreux and past le Château de Chillon was pretty special. The motorbikes secured the junctions and the novel feeling of riding in a peloton at pace on the roads through the famous town was amazing.
- The Rhône Turnaround: The turn back towards Geneva at Chessel also sticks in my mind. We crossed the Rhône river and headed back down towards the lake and the Swiss-French border at Saint Gingolph.
- Rail Crossings, Potholes, and French Tarmac: This stretch of the route carries a notorious reputation. Railway tracks cross the road at diagonal angles – a classic trap for narrow tires. Thankfully, we stayed upright that first year, though in subsequent (and wetter) Cyclotour editions, I’ve seen plenty of riders taste the tarmac on those slick metal rails. Cross the border into the French sector, and the road texture changes instantly. Two decades ago, the tarmac on the southern shore was far rougher than the velvety Swiss asphalt. It demanded hyper-focus, quick reflexes, and constant hand signals through the paceline to call out road furniture and potholes.
- Evian and Thonon: We maintained a blistering pace through Évian-les-Bains and pressed on toward Thonon-les-Bains. The legs felt solid, but the feed station just past the medieval town of Yvoire was a welcome sight. Tucked away in a forest, the stop was filled with flushed faces and drained bottles. With roughly 80km still on the menu, I topped off my bidons, stuffed my pockets with nutrition, and prepped for the push back toward Lausanne.
- Snapping the Elastic: As we made the sweeping turn onto the Pont du Mont-Blanc in Geneva, the milestone hit: just 60km left. By now, deep fatigue was setting in, and a quiet devil on my shoulder pointed out that home was a mere 2km to the left, compared to 60km straight ahead to Lausanne. Luckily, stubbornness won the debate, and I pressed on. The inevitable crunch came on the kick out of Morges with barely 10km to go. The group surged, my mind barked orders to accelerate, but the legs simply refused to deliver the watts. The elastic snapped. Suddenly, I was dropped, left in no-man’s-land alongside a couple of fellow stragglers.
- Crossing the Line: Rolling into the park at Vidy in Lausanne, passing the Olympic Headquarters, and opening up one final, ragged sprint for the finish line remains an unforgettable high.
Looking Back
Almost 20 years later, it is good to reflect on what an achievement it felt to have ridden such a long way, not to mention circumnavigating the largest lake in Western Europe.
There have been longer rides since, and certainly rides with more climbing, but that first BIG ride holds a special place in my cycling memories.
What about you?
What are your first big ride recollections? Was it a massive metric century, a legendary sportive, or your first alpine pass? Drop your memories in the comments below!
If you fancy giving the Cyclotour du Léman a go this year then check out our trip which provides 4-star hotel accommodation right by the start / finish, preparatory rides and guaranteed entry, as well as helping to support World Bicycle Relief.
What I’ve been listening to while typing
The Weeknd – After hours til dawn setlist
We’re off to see the Weeknd next week, and in preparation I’ve been mainlining this setlist of his current tour. I admit to most of his work passing me by over the 15 years he’s been making music but the chance to see this generation’s male mega music star could not be missed.
