Complete one of cycling’s must-do trips for anyone passionate about climbing: the stunning 720km coast to coast ride traversing the French Pyrenees taking in many of the famous cols of the Tour!

The Raid Pyrenees follows a classic 720km route traversing the Pyrenees from Hendaye on the Atlantic coast to Cerbère on the Mediterranean just north of the Spanish border. En route, riders experience breath-taking vistas, exhilarating descents and, of course, the epic cols of the Pyrenees that have seen many of the greatest battles of the Tour de France, including the famous Tourmalet, Aspin, Marie-Blanque, Aubisque and Peyresourde.

For those who’ve been to Mallorca with us, you’ll know that we like nothing more than the local lanes with no traffic. We approach the Raid Pyrenees with the same ethos. Over the entire six days of riding you’ll hardly see a main road. The result is a truly memorable experience of the Pyrenees on two-wheels: the challenging giants of the Tour linked together by stunning routes along lanes with minimal traffic, but plenty of leg-testing climbs, little-known cols and fantastic views.

The price-tag: a few more kms, and a bit more climbing than the standard Raid route. As an indication, our September 2017 Raid averaged 130km per day with roughly 2,500m of climbing per day. The exact route we use for each trip is likely to vary since we’ll tailor it to the cyclists on the trip and weather conditions. And if you’re looking to make it into a tougher challenge, we can always add in some more climbing!

Here’s what one of our customers wrote after the 2017 Raid:

I just completed the Raid Pyrenees with Stuart Hall Cycling. This was Epic, with a capital ‘E’. Yes, no doubt, other tour companies can get you from Hendaye to Cerbere but not likely on the secondary roads, by-ways, lanes, and obscure Cols that only Stuart manages to discover. If you want a memorable adventure and an experience of a life-time, then, Stuart Hall’s Raid Pyrenees will deliver in spades. This is no easy ride; and requires one to be in peak aerobic condition, with legs of steel, a resolute mind, and a willing spirit. It’s just fabulous, and a worthy goal for any serious cyclist. It’s six days of concentrated effort; you’ll be tired, yes, but you won’t stop smiling. Harold

Price

£1,095 per person based on sharing a twin room in the hotels.

Single occupancy is available, subject to availability, for an additional charge (to be confirmed).

What’s included

• Return transfers to and from Toulouse airport, including bike transfer – see below for details of required flight times
• 7 nights half-board accommodation – bed, breakfast and evening meal
• Support vehicle throughout the trip
• Luggage transfer
• Packed lunches on riding days

 
In addition to the regular Stuart Hall Cycling crew, we are delighted that our Raid Pyrenees packages will be supported by Ian Turner of Plein Air Pyrenees. Ian, a very keen cyclist himself, has lived in the Pyrenees for nearly 15 years and has an in depth knowledge of cycling in the Pyrenees – not just the big climbs, but the best traffic-free lanes and cheeky additional cols that provide that little extra that makes your trip with us so special.

Itinerary

• Arrival day: Arrive Toulouse airport, transfer to Hendaye, build bikes, pre-ride briefing
• Ride Day 1: Hendaye to Montory, including Col Saint Ignace, Col d’Ispeguy
• Ride Day 2: Montory to Luz St Sauveur, including Col de Marie-Blanque, Col d’Aubisque, Col de Soulor
• Ride Day 3: Luz St Sauveur to Bagneres-de-Luchon, including Col du Tourmalet, Col d’Aspin, Col de Peyresourde
• Ride Day 4: Bagneres-de-Luchon to Tarascon, including Col des Ares, Col de Portet d’Aspet, Col de Port
• Ride Day 5: Tarascon to Prades, including Col de Pailhères
• Ride Day 6: Prades to Cerbère
• Departure day: Return transfers to Toulouse airport

Bike hire

We offer full-carbon hire bikes for an additional charge of £125 for the week if you prefer not to fly with your bike.

Flights and airport transfers

Arrivals:

On the arrival day, we will collect you and your bike from flights landing in Toulouse mid-morning or from Biarritz mid-afternoon or evening. Alternatively, if these flights do not work for you, for an additional £45 you can arrive in Toulouse the previous afternoon and we will provide you with an additional night’s accommodation and evening meal.

Departures:

On departure day, we will transfer you to Toulouse airport for the flight home. Please ensure you book flights that depart after 14:00. We may also be able to accommodate mid-morning departures from Girona.

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