L'Alpe d'Huez to Sarennes, France

This ride through the Rhône-Alpes in the eastern part of France leads you past the regions of Bourgogne (Burgundy) and Franche-Comté, Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. The highest peak around here is Mont Blanc, on the French-Italian border. The central part of the region comprises the river valleys of the Rhône and the Saône, with the confluence of these two rivers at Lyon. The western part of the region contains the start of the Massif Central mountain range. The region also borders or contains major lakes such as Lake Geneva and Lake Annecy. The Ardèche River flows through the southwest portion of the region, where it has carved the deepest gorge in Europe.