I reckon that if Ken is keen to organise his tube hunt/winedrinking Spring tour of the Annecy region, he should leave plenty of time in the schedule to spend at least a day at the machining facility that MAVIC has established at Cran-Gevrier, about 4kms outside Annecy.
It was here that the first Mecanno-type gears and the 500 series hubs were machined..and since thiose days the facility has been extended. Not too far a drive away at St Trivier-sur-Moignans and nearby at Chatillon-sur-Chalaronne you have the rim-making facility, the research centre as well as the company's HQ. it was on the short drive between these two towns that the owner of MAVIC, Bruno Gourmand met his death in a car crash in 1985(?).
The last time I called in at the rim factory, about two years ago, there was some talk of possible relocation..so in the meantime all the activities might have been moved to Cran-Gevrier.
Of course once you are in this region generally you are not far from Lyon, St Etienne..and still a host of cycle companies beavering away to a greater or lesser extent down there.
Norris Lockley..Settle-sur-Ribble, UK