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!

We are offering two Raid Pyrenees trips in 2022, the first 4-11th June and the second 2-9th September.

The Raid Pyrenees follows a classic 740km 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, you will average 120km a day, and roughly 2,500m of climbing per day. The exact route we use for each trip may 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 a couple of our customers have written after completing the 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

Hi Stuart great trip with the right level of difficulty, hotels and food good. Ian David and Ed were superb leaders along with Ivan they went that extra mile to make it a most memorable week, having done this raid before the route ridden by us far exceeded my last experience so once again thanks and we’ll done to all. Steve

Please see our Testimonials for more customer feedback, and photos from our 2017, 2018 and 2019 trips.

Price

£1,195 per person based on sharing a twin room in the hotels.

Single occupancy is available for an additional £250, subject to availability.

What’s included

• Return airport transfers, 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
• Support cyclist on the road with you
• Luggage transfer between hotels
• Picnic lunches on riding days
• Full information pack and gpx files

Itinerary

Our first Raid runs from 4th – 11th June, with everyone arriving on the 4th to stay in Hendaye that night. There are then six days of riding, arriving on the Med on the 10th June, with return airport transfers on the 11th June.

The second Raid runs from 2nd – 9th September. Everyone arrives on September 2nd to stay overnight in Hendaye, rides 3-8th September arriving on the Med on the 8th September, with transfers to the airport on 9th September.

We break the route down as follows:

• 4th June or 2nd Sept: Arrival, 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
• 11th June or 9th September: Return transfer to airport

Bike hire

We offer full-carbon hire bikes for an additional charge of £95 for the week if you prefer not to fly with your bike. All our hire bikes come with Shimano 105 groupsets, 34/50 compact chainsets and 11/32 cassettes.

What should I expect… and am I fit enough?

The route we use covers 740km of stunning terrain, with around 15,000m of climbing encompassing many famous climbs from the Tour. While your legs may ache from time to time, we’re sure the scenery and descents will more than make up for it!

The photos from our 2017, 2018 and 2019 trips should give you a good flavour of what the trip is like. Our aim is to deliver a high quality riding experience which stretches you physically, but in a fun, relaxed and sociable environment. After a good day out on the bike, there is nothing better than sharing stories over a few drinks in the evening with like-minded cyclists!

The Raid 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. During the ride, the support vehicle will leapfrog the group throughout the day, and will be at junctions to make sure riders go the right way. Every rider will have the gpx files of the route (if they want them), but 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.

The route is designed to be challenging but very doable for a reasonably experienced cyclist. If you are a club or sportive rider and you put in the training, you will be fit enough. Stamina and determination are more important than speed because they are long days with lots of climbing, and you ride for six days consecutively. You don’t need to have prior experience riding in the mountains, but you have to be a competent descender and strong enough to climb for a couple of hours at a time.

The support vehicle is also always there, and so if you’re having an off-day or there is just one climb too many, you can always climb in the van.

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.

Flights and airport transfers

Arrivals:

Please contact us with your flight options before booking any flights so that we can ensure we can cater for the transfers.

You can fly into Biarritz, Lourdes or Toulouse airports. Arrivals into Toulouse must be before midday, although we can organise an airport hotel if you prefer to fly in the day before. Arrivals into Lourdes or Biarritz must be in the afternoon.

Departures:

Airports we can arrange return transfers to are Girona, Toulouse and possibly Perpignon. Departures from Toulouse must be in the afternoon.

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