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 an expert bike guide on the road 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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Spread your payments: Our payment plan is an interest-free payment method where you will have the opportunity to spread payment for your booking
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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
6 nights in comfortable 2-3* hotels
Transfer
To Bilbao and from Barcelona
Included Meals
All breakfast & dinners
Guided Rides
5 riding days with support vehicle
Mechanic
Expert mechanic on hand all week
Finishers Medal
Carnet and finishers medal included
Additional Extras
Bike Rental
Orbea Avant M30 carbon road bikes with Shimano 105 at £199
Raid Pyrenean Cycling Holiday
Itinerary
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Tuesday : Arrival into Hendaye
Join us directly at our hotel in Hendaye. If you are flying, we offer arrival airport transfers from Bilbao Airport. On departure, we offer an airport transfer from Barcelona.
Wednesday : Hendaye to Oloron
| Distance | Elevation | Difficulty | |
|---|---|---|---|
 Main Bunch |
153km | 1963m |
4/5
Plenty of climbing but suitable for most regular riders.
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We start the day with breakfast at 07:30, so we can roll out at 08:30. Today is an introduction to the Basque part of the Pyrenees. Expect quiet roads and a rolling route, with the one main climb, the Col d’Osquich, approximately 100km in. We finish our first day in Oloron and prepare for the 3 big days ahead.
Thursday : Oloron to La Mongie
| Distance | Elevation | Difficulty | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Bunch |
133km | 3713m |
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.
Friday : La Mongie to St Girons
| Distance | Elevation | Difficulty | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Bunch |
155km | 2781m |
4/5
Plenty of climbing but suitable for most regular riders.
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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.
Saturday : St Girons to Prades
| Distance | Elevation | Difficulty | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Bunch |
191km | 3563m |
5/5
A Queen Stage day: multiple classic climbs and an epic ride.
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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
Sunday : Prades to Cerbere
| Distance | Elevation | Difficulty | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Bunch |
92km | 643m |
1/5
A flat or short easy day.
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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!
Monday : Departure
On departure, we offer an airport transfer to Barcelona airport.
Key Climbs
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Col d'Aubisque
Col d'Aubisque
Distance 16.7km
Avg Grade 7%
Lowest Elevation 556m
Highest Elevation 1703m
Elev Difference 1147m
Climb Category HC
Col du Peyresourde (Avajan)
Col du Peyresourde (Avajan)
Distance 9.6km
Avg Grade 7%
Lowest Elevation 907m
Highest Elevation 1560m
Elev Difference 653m
Climb Category 1
Col du Tourmalet (Luz Saint Sauveur)
Col du Tourmalet (Luz Saint Sauveur)
Distance 19km
Avg Grade 7%
Lowest Elevation 731m
Highest Elevation 2,100m
Elev Difference 1,369m
Climb Category HC
The most ridden climb in the Tour de France, the highest pass in the French Pyrenees and an absolute must ride for all cyclists. Read More
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 Bilbao (BIQ) on arrival and to Barcelona (BCN) on return. Our guides will meet you in arrivals for the transfer to Hendaye, which includes bike boxes. The journey takes approximately 90 minutes on arrival. The return transfer takes approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes. If you need a private transfer outside of these times, please contact us for options. [email protected]
Dates & Book Now
2023 Raid Pyrenean dates Tuesday 6 - 12 June Tuesday 12 - 18 Sept 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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