A must-do ride for those who love the climbs of the French Pyrenees. Based primarily in Bagneres de Luchon and Argeles Gazost, on this trip you'll tackles multiple famous Tour de France climbs every day.

New for 2027, the Polkadot Pyrenees is a week of climbing in the French Pyrenees, designed to complement our traditional Raid Pyrenees trip. Every day we’ll tackle two or three famous Pyrenean climbs from the Tour de France, including some firm favourites like the Tourmalet and Peyresourde, as well as other less well known but equally challenging climbs such as La Hourquette d’Ancizan, the Spandelles, Superbagnères and the Azet.

We start by spending three nights based in Bagnères-de-Luchon and rides on the first two days are loops from the hotel there. We then head across to Argelès-Gazost for the final three nights, stopping in Saint-Lary-Soulan for a night on the way.

In six days of riding, the total distance is about 675km, with 17,000m of climbing, so an average of 110km with 2,850m of climbing per day. Some of the climbs are out and back and so can be optional to make a given day easier.

The group is supported at all times by both a support vehicle and support rider. Accommodation will be half-board with picnic lunches and fully supported with a guide on the road and a support vehicle.

Price

The price is £1670 per person based on sharing a twin room in the hotels.

Single occupancy will be available, subject to availability, for an additional £425.

What’s included

• Transfers to and from Toulouse airport – see below for details of required flight times
• 7 nights half-board accommodation – bed, breakfast and evening meal
• Support vehicle throughout the trip
• Support cyclist on the road with you
• Luggage transfer between hotels
• Picnic lunches on riding days
• Full information pack and gpx files

Bike hire

We offer full-carbon hire bikes for £225 including damage cover if you prefer not to fly with your bike. The hire bikes we use as standard for our trips are Moda Vivo disc brake bikes with 12-speed Shimano Di2 gears:

Moda Vivo disc with Di2 gears 12/34 cassette, 34/50 compact chainset 12-speed Shimano Di2 gears Hydraulic disc brakes Weight ~8.5kg 28mm tyres

 
These bikes proved very popular during our summer trips in 2026 for their performance, comfort and reliability.

If you prefer to bring your own bike, we will transfer your bike box from the start to finish for you for £75 (size restrictions apply). Please ensure if you do bring your own bike that it is suitable for riding multiple days in the mountains and that you have suitable spares. Over the last couple of years, an increasing number of customers have unfortunately experienced failures in their bike equipment which risks curtailing their holiday. If you aren’t sure whether your bike is suitable, please ask us!

Itinerary

The trip runs from 19 – 26 June 2027. We collect you from your flight arriving in Toulouse on 19th June, the ride starts on 20th June and takes 6 days, and then you depart from Toulouse airport on (or after) 26th June:

• Arrival day: Arrive Toulouse airport, transfer to Bagnères-de-Luchon, build bikes, pre-ride briefing
• Ride Day 1: Luchon loop including Port de Balès and the Peyresourde
• Ride Day 2: Superbagnères and then a loop into Spain via the Portillon
• Ride Day 3: Luchon to Saint-Lary-Soulan via the Peyresourde and Azet, finishing with the Route des Lacs and the option of Pla d’Adet
• Ride Day 4: Saint-Lary-Soulan to Argelès-Gazost via the Hourquette d’Ancizan and Tourmalet, and a side trip to Gavarnie
• Ride Day 5: The Hautacam and then a loop over the Spandelles and back over the Col de Soulour
• Ride Day 6: Final day of riding from Argelès-Gazost, taking in the Cauterets and Luz Ardiden
• Departure day: Return transfers to Toulouse airport

What should I expect… and am I fit enough?

The route is designed to be challenging and is aimed at experienced cyclists who have previously completed multi-day climbing trips to the Pyrenees or other similar mountain ranges. If you have any questions about the recommended level of fitness or would like advice on a training plan, then please contact us and we will be happy to provide you with guidance.

The Polkadot Pyrenees is a supported ride, and there will be a support vehicle and a support rider at all times to guide you through the route. We stop every day for a picnic lunch, and on some days an additional stop at a café may be possible for a coffee, crepes etc. Every rider will have the gpx files of the route, and we recommend that the group rides together for the bulk of the flat/rolling terrain. It’s more sociable and enjoyable to ride with other people, and then everyone rides at their own pace on the climbs, regrouping at the top/bottom depending on the weather and temperature. Clothing, snacks, gels etc can be left in the support vehicle and collected as needed throughout the day.

Flights and airport transfers

Arrivals:

On the arrival day, we will collect you and your bike from flights landing in Toulouse mid-morning.

Departures:

On departure day, we will transfer you to Toulouse airport for flights departing from 12:00.

For alternative flights, please check with us before booking to ensure we can accommodate the arrival/departure times.