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In the southern French region of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, between the lightly buzzing violet fields of lavender, pine forests and craggy Alpine cliffs, lies the ancient town of Banon. Dating back to pre-history, the tiny hilltop village is home to a population of just over 1,000. But every September, the population more than triples as they welcome quite possibly the most French sporting event you've ever heard of: .
There's no easy way to translate the name — Google says it's "the Cheese Trail", which is more correct in spirit than in practice – but essentially, the premise is this: a mountain bike race through the Provençal countryside with designated stops along the way to snack on the town's eponymous cheese, Banon.
Much like champagne can only be called champagne if produced in the Champagne region of France, Banon is an AOP-designated cheese – l'appellation d’origine protégée, or ‘protected destination of origin’ — meaning it can only be produced in Banon and its surrounds.
La Rando du Fromage is a cycling event in France every foodie needs to know.
These flavours can vary a lot, depending on how old it is and whether producers have dunked their Banons in marc or grappa.
"But I kind of like that," says Emily. "It means that when you untie the little raffia bow holding the chestnut leaves in place, it feels like you’re opening a surprise gift!"
As an Australian living in France, La Rando du Fromage brings to mind the quintessential Aussie walk-a-thons of my Sydneysider youth, with stops along the way for cool cordial and sweet orange wedges.
"Actually, that's exactly what it sounds like," laughs Romain, a local who has participated in the past. "They have these little stands where you can grab water, something to drink and something to eat. As part of that, they try to make sure they have local things on the menu, like the Banon cheese, but also honey and other products from the area."
When you untie the little raffia bow holding the chestnut leaves in place, it feels like you’re opening a surprise gift!
The race, along with Banon's Cheese Festival, Fête du Fromage à Banon, is designed to help raise awareness of local production, explains Christian Loeillet, the organiser of the event. "The race is very well known because it is old and it offers beautiful routes in Haute-Provence [the region in which Banon belongs]. The snack stops along the way with generous serves of cheese help!"
"It's definitely one of the events that puts the town on the map," agrees Romain. "It seems to be very popular. When I did it, several years ago now, there were probably a couple thousand of participants, and that really puts quite a crowd in a tiny village like this!"
The circuit changes each year, offering fresh views for returning competitors.
"The landscape is a big part of the enjoyment of this," says Romain. "For me, that's the main part of it, because these are landscapes that I really love and are dear to my heart, because I grew up here at the foothills of the Alps. You've got gorgeous landscapes and some wilderness. It's not a densely populated area, and they have a knack for finding really enjoyable tracks. They're usually very good because they are single-file paths which are really fun to ride on."
The race is open to anyone interested in mountain biking and the pretty Provençal terrain – and, of course, the cheese, bien sûr – but it comes as no surprise that this event is pretty popular and like most good things, it's best to book early.
Love the story? Follow the author here: X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram . Photographs by Chloé Braithwaite and courtesy of Christian Loeillet.
