France
Is This Trip For Me?
Our Raid Pyrenean is the classic 100-hour challenge done over 5 riding days. The stats are impressive; 720 km, 18 mountain passes, 11,000 metres of altitude gain to be completed in 100 hours maximum. To complete the ride and earn the official medal and diploma, you must get your official route card stamped along the way. With expert guides supporting you and a pro-level mechanic in the support van, regular feed stops and social post-ride evenings, this is one of the best weeks possible on a bike.
Tour Highlights
Tour Highlights
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Climb the Tourmalet: One of the giants of world cycling, the Tourmalet is the last climb of day two.
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Complete the ultimate bucket list challenge: The 100 hr Raid Pyrenean challenge has been running since 1950 and completing it is an incredible achievement.
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Ride quiet passes in the stunning Pyrenees: Much more remote than the Alps or Dolomites, the Pyrenees is a beautiful area packed with quiet mountain passes.
| Avg Daily Distance | Avg Daily Elevation | Difficulty |
|---|
What's Included
Accommodation
Six nights in comfortable 2-3* hotels
Transfer
Return transfers from Biarritz (BIQ) / Toulouse (TLS)
Included Meals
All breakfast & dinners
Guided Rides
5 riding days with support vehicle
Mechanic
Expert mechanic on hand all week
Raid Pyrenean Cycling Holiday
Raid Pyrenean 6-Nights Package Experience the famous point to point cycling challenge, Raid Pyrenean. This prestigious event was introduced in 1950. To complete the ride you must have your official route card (carnet) stamped along the way and complete within 100 hours. The ride stretches across 5-days beginning nearby to the Spanish border, just south of Biarritz where you will ride onto the famous Pyrenees climbs. Join a Sportive Breaks trip and enjoy small group rides with expert local guides and mechanical support, allowing you to focus solely on conquering this epic challenge. The trip includes daily ride briefs along with breakfast and dinner. The Raid Pyrenean cycling route Take in dramatic scenery changes with quiet roads filled with livestock and gloriously rustic views. Our Raid Pyrenean tour will conquer legendary passes such as the Aubisque, Tourmalet and Aspin, as we ride from the Basque Pyrenees to the Mediterranean. Every 25km we have dedicated feed stations, stocked with cold drinks and snacks to boost your energy throughout the ride. Our team will deliver your luggage to each hotel.
Itinerary
Expand All
Day 1 : Hendaye
Join us directly at our hotel in Hendaye on Monday. If you are flying, we offer arrival airport transfers from Biarritz. On departure, we offer an airport transfer from Toulouse. Arrival airport transfers from Toulouse can be provided at a supplement.
Day 2 : Hendaye to Oloron
| Distance | Elevation | Difficulty | |
|---|---|---|---|
 Main Bunch |
153km | 1963m |
4/5
Plenty of climbing but suitable for most regular riders.
|
A massive day of riding lies ahead. After a hearty breakfast, we head off for a 35km false flat where we all stay together. After a quick feed stop, we are onto our first of the Pyrenees beasts, the mighty Col d'Aubisque. From here we descend down into Argeles Gazost for another long false flat to the foot of the Tourmalet. We have lunch 10km before the Tourmalet, where it’ll be your turn to battle the mountain. Get your photos at the summit with a cool Coca-Cola, once done we have a short descent to our base for the night.
Day 3 : Oloron to La Mongie
| Distance | Elevation | Difficulty | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Bunch |
133km | 3713m |
4/5
Plenty of climbing but suitable for most regular riders.
|
We gather for breakfast at 7:30 am. Our ride starts by descending the majority of the Tourmalet After 20km we will hit the Tourmalet’s little brother - the Aspin. The views here are spectacular and the descent is quick and fun. The climbs come thick and fast as we quickly arrive at the Peyresourde before descending into the popular Tour de France stage town, Luchon. We end our ride with two great climbs, the Col de Mente and then the Col de Portet d'Aspet.
Day 4 : La Mongie to St Girons
| Distance | Elevation | Difficulty | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Bunch |
155km | 2781m |
4/5
Plenty of climbing but suitable for most regular riders.
|
We gather for breakfast at 7:30am. Our ride starts by descending the majority of the Tourmalet After 20km we will hit the Tourmalet’s little brother - the Aspin. The views here are spectacular and the descent is quick and fun. The climbs come thick and fast as we quickly arrive at the Peyresourde before descending into the popular Tour de France stage town, Luchon. We end our ride with two great climbs, the Col de Mente and then the Col de Portet d'Aspet.
Day 5 : St Girons to Prades
| Distance | Elevation | Difficulty | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Bunch |
191km | 3563m |
5/5
A Queen Stage day: multiple classic climbs and an epic ride.
|
An early start with a big breakfast for the long day of cycling ahead. We roll out by 8am, tackling the first 100km as easily as possible. The morning’s challenge will be The Col de Port filled with other scenic climbs We then finish less than 100km from the Mediterranean
Day 6 : Prades to Cerbere
| Distance | Elevation | Difficulty | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Bunch |
92km | 643m |
1/5
A flat or short easy day.
|
The final day begins with breakfast. Today is a much easier & short day with a couple of lumps to get over before a descent & ride to the coast. We will finish in the town of Cerbere for a late lunch. We will now get the last stamp in our Raid Pyrenean carnet, and with this it’s time to celebrate!
Day 7 : Departure
On departure, we offer an airport transfer to Toulouse.
Accommodation
Raid Pyrenean Hotels
Hendaye, Oloron, La Mongie, St Girons, Prades, Cerbere
We stay in a mix of 2 to 4* hotels throughout our stay as a lot of the villages we stay in are far off the tourist trail with few hotels. Each of our hotels fits into the local area with a traditional Basque hotel to start and a mix of remote and town centre hotels until we stay overlooking the Med in Cerbere. Hotel Bellevue Hendaye // Alysson Hotel Oloron // La Mandia La Mongie // La Eychenne St Girons // Best Western Le Vauban Prades // La Vigie Cerbere
Airport Transfers
Airport collections are from Toulouse (TLS). Our guides will meet you in arrivals for the transfer to Hendaye, which includes bike boxes. The journey takes approximately 3 hours. The return transfer takes approx 2 hours. If you need a private transfer outside of these times, please contact us for options.
We will run one transfer from the airport today at 17.00. Please allow an hour from your flight landing time to your transfer time, to allow you to get through passport control and collect your luggage. The transfer takes approximately 1 hour so we will get to Hendaye for about 18.00.
Toulouse Airport Transfer: optional extra
If you would like to join us by car, or your flight arrives in Toulouse, we offer a transfer from Toulouse Airport, where our departure transfer will bring you back to.
Our transfer will depart from Toulouse at 13.30, you should arrive by 12.30 in order to be ready to leave at 13.30.
One last breakfast before an early transfer to Toulouse Blagnac Airport. We will depart from the hotel at 09.00 for arrival at Toulouse by midday.
Please book flights to depart from Toulouse after 14.00
Dates & Book Now
Sportive Breaks is part of the Destination Sport Experiences group. When clicking on the booking link below, you will be taken to the Destination Sport Experiences booking engine. If you have any questions, please do contact our team [email protected]
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