Alpine Grand Prix 2020 | Canyoning On Winding Tarmac
A moment of silence, in which the noises of the sports cars here gave way to the words of enthusiasts who use their cars for what they have been created: driving and thus creating exciting memories.
Words by Giorgia Rossi / Photos by Marco Capelli
Once you join the Auto Class Magazine family, three things are granted: the alarm clock at dawn, lunch at least a couple of hours later than usual and lots of fun. This time, however, we had to wake up well before dawn, since the meeting right next to Antibes should have been held fairly early, in order to ensure the possibility of carrying out the long journey more calmly than usual. The reason? You would not want to drive like lunatics through the Gorges du Verdon, especially not to miss the incredible panorama of the deepest canyon in Europe, made of rocks with the most singular shapes, tunnels that go deep into the mountain and that leave room for an absurd sensation of emptiness, with drops that even reaches 700 meters in depth at its most extreme points. From the opposite bank you can see a thin and almost indistinct strip of asphalt, a handful of huts and the crystalline color of the waters of the Lac de Sainte-Croix. Time to go now.
The Alpine Grand Prix, which as its name suggests, renews its itinerary every year while remaining faithful to the wild peaks of the Alpine passes across the border between Italy and France, for this edition has completely changed its soundtrack, offering a more panoramic alternative than usual to the mountain roads we usually climb favoring surreal landscape created by centuries of erosion. We had already been here a few years ago, on the occasion of the unforgettable trip at the wheel of the McLaren 720S, for our “The Great Escape” book and then again recently, with the new Jaguar F-Type Convertible, for one of the episodes that you will read on the new “Alpinist” book, out in December this year. And this is one of those ingredients that makes a driving tour even more special, the fact of having discovered the most scenic bits of the area, stopping in the most representative spots and being able to lead a group of spirited drivers – old and new faces – in one of the most incredible place of our planet.
We left with just a few minutes delay on the schedule and after an immediate refueling stop, we drove towards Vence, to then abandon almost any sign of civilization and take the first of the roads for which it was worth waking up so early. The Col de Vence, despite not even reaching 1,000 meters above sea level, is a succession of bends and hairpins, perfect tarmac and a vegetation made even more bare than usual, thanks to the imminent arrival of the autumn season. Each stage worked perfectly, the group always compact and no one lost even a shred of the intense driving experience that the curves towards Gréolières can give, those that lead to that treasure of rare beauty called Route de Gentelly, with its tunnels dug into the rock and with the most strange shapes you could possibly imagine. You really have to stop here for a while, without even thinking twice.
Back on board along the Route de Thorenc and then passing Castellane, a town that has played the important role of a mid-way stop, introducing the distinctive feature of this edition, the Gorges du Verdon. We first took on the Rive droit (right bank) – which would then be the northern one – undoubtedly the richest in glimpses, pitches and balconies that overlook the heart of the gorges, stopping at the most iconic point of the entire area and letting the participants filled their eyes with the total emptiness in front of them, feeling almost sheltered by the towering rocks behind. A moment of silence, in which the noises of the sports cars here gave way to the words of enthusiasts who use their cars for what they have been created: driving and thus creating exciting memories. The Ford Mustang delegation is strong today, almost entirely part of the Mustang Club of Monaco, not to mention the inevitable Porsches, Maserati and the agile hot-hatches Abarth, Golf GTI, a Mazda MX-5 and the ultimate super-SUV, the Audi RS Q8 used as our official staff car, as well as cover car of this same issue in the exciting journey over the French mountains, but that’s another story.
Time to leave and after entering the final leg of the tour, a few drops of rain peep out, forcing us to slow down the pace, without for this reason weighing on a driving day that has already given us intense moments. We arrive on the shores of Lake Sainte-Croix, which despite a grumpy weather does not hide the blue of its wonderful waters, then crossing the Pont du Galetas and aim engines and horses towards the Rive gauche (left bank), climbing towards Aiguines for the last stop on the Pont de l’Artuby, not suitable for those suffering from vertigo. Last kilometers and we’re back in Castellane, taking a seat for lunch only 50 minutes later than expected. L’Escapade is the place to be if you hang around here and see the happy, albeit tired, faces of the participants is the best way to end a day dedicated to the quintessence of automotive passion. But that’s not the end of it actually. Thanks to a providential detour on the way back, we were able to take the Route de Gentelly again, make another stop and take a deep breath in this wonderful place we already miss so much. The least alpine Alpine Grand Prix ever has been another day for dreaming with eyes wide open.