MOUNTAIN ULTRA CYCLING CHALLENGE
The ultra bikepacking series for cyclists who love to climb mountains
Two ultimate mountain cycling challenges:
Catalan Pursuit
&
Basque Pursuit
Only the best cycling roads
Ready for a rollercoaster of emotion, challenge, and adventure?
When a cycling guide, tour operator, and ultra bikepacking racer native to the French Pyrenees designs a Pyrenees ultra bikepacking challenge, you know it will combine intimate native knowledge with the fine attention to detail only a local expert can provide. When that same cycling guide is also a world explorer and an award-winning adventure travel author featured in travel and adventure magazines across three continents, you know you’re destined for an incredible adventure.
ULTRA BIKE PURSUIT SERIES — THE PYRENEES
Welcome to Jean-Philippe’s native Pyrenees. He has carefully designed a challenge that offers:
• a visually spectacular route
• stunning and diverse landscapes
• a formidable bikepacking challenge
• a ride free of flat, dull roads
• a stunning combination of all the legendary Tour de France climbs
These itineraries will equally please both road and gravel cyclists
For the roadies, you can cycle 100% on asphalted roads perfect for slick tires and carbon wheels. For Gravel fans, a choice of mixed itineraries with superb optional gravel sections to shortcut road distances, adding off-road challenge that yields spectacular mountain views. The best of both worlds and you can choose as you ride, so you can enjoy pure cycling pleasure.
CATALAN PURSUIT
Departure Date: September 17, 2023* / 8:00 AM
Location: Central & Eastern Pyrenees (France, Spain & Andorra)
The Catalan Pursuit begins in the heart of the Hautes-Pyrenees, travels to the Mediterranean coast, and returns to the Hautes-Pyrenees. You'll finish with the legendary climb of Tourmalet which has been featured in more Tour de France events than any other climb. This route includes many iconic French climbs such as Aspin, Peyresourde, Port-de-Bales, Col-de-Pailheres; famous Andorran climbs such as Arcalis, and several Vuelta climbs, including one of Alberto Contador’s all-time favorites. You have three distances to choose from, and the option to ride them all on asphalt or with gravel sections.
Could you imagine any challenge matching this?
In creating the Basque Pursuit, Jean-Philippe designed the perfect counterpart: a Western Pyrenees ride that proves to be equally spectacular and challenging.
BASQUE PURSUIT
Departure Date: September 18, 2022* / 8:00 AM
Location: Central & Western Pyrenees (France & Spain)
The Basque Pursuit also starts and finishes in the heart of the Haute-Pyrenees. It will take you west to the Atlantic coast and back. You will cycle many iconic climbs of the Tour de France such as Soulor, Aubisque, Marie-Blanque, La Pierre-St-Martin, Luz-Ardiden, Tourmalet (from the other side), and Col du Portet (the new Giant of the Pyrenees). Hautacam, one of the most amazing Tour de France mountain finishes of all, will mark your final climb. You’ll discover many off-the-beaten-path climbs and routes all over France and Spain and dive deep into the colorful culture and excellent cuisine of the Basque Country. You have three distances to choose from, and the option to ride them all on asphalt or with gravel sections.
Are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime?
Choose between 500km, 1000km and 1350km
of pure road or mixed gravel cycling pleasure!
The Ultra Bike "Catalan" and "Basque" Pursuits will satisfy your sense of adventure, overwhelm you with pleasure and pain, and provide you with an incredible feeling of accomplishment, as well as more bragging rights than any other road cycling events. We know ultra bikepackers are a hardcore group of cyclists and adventurers who love to test their limits. Either of these two challenges will ensure you hit yours.
Are you looking for more challenge? This is why you can ride the Catalan and Basque Pursuits back to back in a single 2700km event. We call it the Ultimate Pyrenees. You will love the scenery, but the masochist in you will enjoy suffering like you’ve never suffered.
Ultimate Pyrenees = Catalan + Basque Pursuits
Ultra Bike Pursuit
The World's Toughest Ultra‑Cycling Road Challenges
and luckily there are also short-loop options!
ULTIMATE PYRENEES PURSUIT — THE ENTIRE PYRENEES
Departure Date: September 17, 2023* / 8:00 AM
If you believe you could be a Climbing God, we challenge you to complete the longest Hardcore loops of both challenges back-to-back (a feat only Pierre Charles achieved in 2020).
Finish the Ultimate Pyrenees Ultra Bike Pursuit, and you’ll become a legend, for you’ll have accomplished what no others have even attempted.
Are you up to the challenge?
* September 2022 - COVID UPDATE
The mountain challenge of these events provides a natural selection which limits them to only the most passionate ultra-endurance and bikepacking adventure lovers. The COVID pandemic makes travels and border-crossing impossible to predict and we can’t offer our September events with the risk to suffer another financial loss. We may postpone these events to September 2023. However, if we receive enough interest for the Basque Pursuit, we may run it with a start date of September 18, 2022. Please contact us now to express your interest for 2022 or 2023.
Our June 11-12 event “Pyrenees 36 - Your Best 36 Hours” is confirmed and registrations are now open.
Find out more information here: Pyrenees 36 - Your Best 26 Hours!
A Must-Read book for all cyclists!
From the event organizer who is also an award-winning author writing under various pen names.
Two Wheels and a Will
The motivational story of ultra-cyclists exploring their limits on the ultimate bikepacking adventure.
“Full of great information for any level of rider, well written, easy to follow.”
“I found “Two Wheels And A Will” a fantastic read, it is very well written and everything is explained so well that you don’t have to be a cyclist to enjoy this book. There’s no doubt the author knows his stuff and although what happens is bordering on the crazy, it is written with honesty and truth without over embellishment which I like.”
“As a lifetime endurance athlete, I found TWO WHEELS AND A WILL compelling and mesmerizing. Colin's passion for bikepacking jumps off the page. He writes with clarity and depth of feeling.
Despite my background on the bike, I picked up nuggets about the bike that were fascinating, e.g. the impact of tire pressure, gearing. The book is both instructional and inspiring.”
“Ultra endurance cycling defined and explained”
- John P. Sprock
eBook $5.99 / £: 3.99
Paperback: $16.99 / £: 12.99
Note about our 2022 September events:
Due to the COVID, we have not yet decided whether we’ll offer the three September events of Catalan, Basque and Ultimate Pyrenees Pursuits in 2022.
Our June Pyrenees 36 - Your Best 36 Hours event is confirmed and registrations are now open. Find out more information here: Pyrenees 36 - Your Best 26 Hours!
Because of the current rise of Omicron and new variants, we may postpone this event to September 2023. However, if we receive enough interest for the Basque Pursuit, we may run it with a start date of September 18, 2022. Please contact us now to express your interest for our 2022 or 2023 Basque, Catalan and Ultimate Pyrenees Pursuit events.
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