News Articles
View subject link Transpyrenees Receives the Rando d'Or Accolade
View subject link Tour de France 2012 in the Pyrenees
View subject link Velo Pyrenees Chickens in Self Sufficiency Magazines
View subject link A Beautiful Start to the Season - St Raphael Coupe de France VTT
View subject link New Nature Trail in the Barousse Valley
View subject link Lee becomes Champion of Haute Garonne 2010
View subject link Mondovelo L'Etape du Tour 2010: Pau to Tourmalet

View subject link bmibaby announces a new route from Manchester for 2010
View subject link On the Grapevine: Tour de France 2010 in Luchon
View subject link British Airways & Bike Boxes: New Policy
View subject link 50km Trail Run Race: Trail des Hautes Pyrenees
View subject link Ultra Distance Running: La Grand Raid des Pyrenees
 

Transpyrenees Receives the Rando d'Or Accolade
Rando D'Or logo

The 12th edition of the Transpyrenees (XC mountain bike race) takes place on 2nd September 2012 and will be a very special one for Lee's club, Cap Vert VTT. The FFC (Federation Francaise de Cyclisme) has awarded the race the title Rando d'Or (Rando of gold), making it one of only 14 MTB events with such a label in the whole of France.

The Rando d'Or is only granted to the most beautiful events in France with high quality off-road circuits which have been consistently improved every year and are excellently organised.

Organised by local club Cap Vert VTT, its members are deservedly proud with the news. President of the club Lucien Nicholas stated:

"We are rewarded for our efforts since the early days, with the volunteers and the support of local communities. Our territory of the Pyrenean foothills, the Comminges area, will provide a beautiful exhibition at the national level."

The event will now benefit from national media coverage provided by the Federation, the club hopes to gain participants and a large audience from across France. For further information on this event, please go to our events page.

Tour de France 2012 in the Pyrenees
Tour de France 2012 map

The Tour has been announced and we have news of 4 great stages in the Pyrenees.

On Saturday 30th June, the 99th edition of the Tour will depart from Liège, riding clockwise around France to finish with a potentially decisive 52km time trial the day before Paris. Passing the Alps first, the Pyrenees will be an important point of the race for the climbers and the GC.

Of the 25 mountain passes that feature in this tour, only 6 are in the Alps while 11 are in the Pyrenees. What makes this years Tour distinctive will be the steeper gradients more common in the Vuelta or Giro but previously not seen in the Tour de France. Of particular note, there are gradients of 18% in the Pyrenees (over the Mur de Péguère for the first time) and 20% elsewhere.

The Tour enters the Pyrenees with stage 14, on the 15th July, from the town of Limoux to climb over Col du Portel, Port de Lers and Mur de Péguère to finish in Foix.

Following a rest day, stage 16 departs Pau, climbs the Col d'Aubisque, Tourmalet, Col d'Aspin and finally the Col du Peyresourde to finish nearby in Luchon. Four respectable mountain passes over 197km will make this a tough route and one not to miss.

With no rest the pressure is applied the following day on stage 17 as the Tour leaves Luchon, climbs the Col de Mente, Col des Ares, Port de Bales, Peyresourde to finish at the mountain summit of Peyragudes. This will become two days of back-to-back mountain action and could potentially seal a victory for the yellow jersey. Perhaps this could be Andy Schleck's year if he enters the Pyrenees near the top of the GC and gains enough of a lead to take him through the final time trial?

The Stages in the Pyrenees:

  • Stage 14 on 15th July: Limoux > Foix 192km
  • Stage 15 on 16th July: Samatan >Pau 160km
  • Stage 16 on 18th July: Pau > Luchon 197km
  • Stage 17 on 19th July: Luchon > Peyragudes 144km
Go to link www.letour.fr
Velo Pyrenees Chickens in Self Sufficiency Magazines
Flock Fascination Article

Egg Article

Food, cycling and running are subjects that are close to our hearts. Living in France, It would be hard to ignore their renowned food culture, not that we would want to! It is an essential part of our everyday lives and key to a good lifestyle (healthy body, healthy mind) and performance in sport.

Julie is a regular contributor to several magazines on the subjects of gardening, poultry and self-sufficiency.

The Velo Pyrenees chickens have made it into print with a three-page spread about the social behaviours of chickens based on our experience. The article was recently published in a dedicated poultry magazine with accompanying photographs of our boys and girls. The same magazine published an article about the different shades of yellow and orange found in egg yolks. The girls obliged by providing their normal vivid orange yolks for us to photograph, proving that their free-range lives, eating plenty of grass, bugs and worms really does coin the phrase 'you are what you eat.'

There are other articles that are in the publication pipeline, including a health article on hay fever which will be published shortly in a UK national cycling magazine.

A Beautiful Start to the Season - St Raphael Coupe de France VTT
Julien Absalon World Champion

For 2011 there are four events making up the Coupe de France VTT cross country. We went along to the first one held in St Raphael on 3rd April. The weather was superb with tempreatures touching 30 degrees, providing the perfect excuse to sample some real italian ice cream whilst enjoying the backdrop of a rugged coastline, sporadically dotted with sandy coves.

The race course was first class, very fast with 90% single tracks, mostly dry with plenty of rocks and regular technical sections. Despite holding regional titles, the organisers considered Lee an 'unknown' and allocated him a position at the rear of the start line. Having to battle through the 250 strong field, Lee took what opportunities he had to overtake on the tight course, with each lap getting closer to the leader. Lee finished 19th overall and 13th in his category - not fully content but hungry for more and looking forward to the next French Cup race in May.

In the pro category, the race was led out by current European Champion Marco Fontana (Italy), closely shadowed by current World Champion Julien Absalon (France). The race was interesting with the two main contenders swapping positions for the first half of the race. Marco is a powerful rider but in the second half Julien began to dominate the lead to a clear victory. It was great to see the Italian give it a go from the very start and challenge the world champion. On the finish line Marco and Julien shook hands and exchanged some comments about the race. In the post race interview Julien declared that Marco pushed him and he enjoyed the battle, whilst Marco was content and said he was happy with the result stating that 2nd is still a respectable positon.

New Nature Trail in the Barousse Valley
Nature trail at Sarp

The community of Sarp at the entrance to the Barousse valley has created an exciting new nature trail that is open to everyone. The trail is well signposted with information boards about the flora and fauna it passes. Discover the 'jardin des traces' where there are information points and plaster casts of animal foot prints and a herb garden.

There are several view points along the trail: the romanesque church of St Just; the medieval hill-top town of St-Bertrand-de-Comminges and an impressive view overlooking the Barousse valley, where a 'table d'orientation' with an engraved painting on rock detailing the peaks and villages before you. Picnic areas have been created at the departure point and within the shade of trees along the trail. This is a perfect choice for an easy walk after exploring or training in the higher mountains.

At the start of the trail there is a natural rock climbing wall with information and bolted routes (8 routes of grade 4 to 5C - ideal for young children). It is possible to join in with an organised guide who will provide all the necessary climbing equipment.

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Lee becomes Champion of Haute Garonne 2010

During the season of 2009, Lee made a conscious decision to focus on racing X-country mountain biking. Not only is the Pyrenees a superb place to cycle on the road but also off-road, whether at high altitudes or in the deeply wooded valleys below. On the 12th September Lee became the champion of the department Haute Garonne at the X-country race of St-Aventin/ Oô.

12th September St Aventin/ Lac d'Oô race report

The race departs from the village of St Aventin, positioned half way up the Col de Peyresourde and climbs most of the 16.5km to the finish line at Lac d'Oô at an altitude of 1,506m.

The weather was perfect in the mountains of my penultimate race of the year (to complete the Midi-Pyrenees cup series). My preparation was not ideal, one week hiking the "Carros de Foc" (about 70km at an average altitude of 2,500m), followed by a cold, and then it was time for a few specifically hard sessions before taper training for Trophee de Lac d'Oô!
 
On the morning, I had a good start and moments later on the first hill, I sprinted to lead the race. I maintained this position for the first quarter, splitting up the field of competitors to leave only five of us in the front group. Before the descent to the village of Oô positions changed in the peloton with Rémi Laffont, Emmanuel Cibat and Nicolas Bonnieu sharing the workload on the front.

When we reached the Granges of Astau, for me the race had been concluded as the positions were unlikely to change despite only 10 second gaps. This section of the race is the most interesting and challenging. The Granges of Astau sit at the foot of the final ascent to Lac d'Oô and we climbed on a popular hiking trail that is also part of the famous GR10, with all the rocks and switchbacks you would expect. I finished in 5th place, 0:19 seconds behind Charlelie Cantaloube 2:21 behind the winner (Nicolas Bonnieu).

  Lee leading from the start line

It was a great result and I am very happy to finish 5th Scratch, but 2nd in the master 1 category and also the champion of Haute Garonne 2010.  

Congratulations to my team mate Nico for his effort to finish second in the Cadets.

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Mondovelo L'Etape du Tour 2010: Pau to Tourmalet

Celebrating the centenary of the Pyrenees in the Tour de France, the Etape du Tour route includes some of the first Pyrenean climbs to feature in Tour history. Departing from Pau on 18th July, the riders will climb the Col de Marie-Blanque and Col du Soulor before finishing at the summit of the most famous mountain in Tour history, the Col du Tourmalet.

In the 1910 Stage, Octave Lapize (the eventual winner of the Tour) reached the top of the Tourmalet first, followed by Gustave Garrigou. Garrigou was the only cyclist to reach the top without dismounting and received an extra 100 francs.

Go to link www.letapedutour.com/

 
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bmibaby announces a new route from Manchester for 2010

bmibaby has announced a new route for Summer 2010 from Manchester to Lourdes. The summer service, operating on Mondays and Fridays, commences on 30th April 2010 until 1st October 2010. Prices start from £39.99 one way, including taxes.

This announcement increases the accessibility to this region of the Pyrenees.  Lourdes airport is our closest airport, being only a 45 minute drive from us.

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On the Grapevine: Tour de France 2010 in Luchon

A recent newspaper article has speculated that Luchon will feature in the 2010 Tour de France as either a Stage Start or Stage Finish, marking the centenary of Luchon's first appearance as a Stage Finish and Start town in Tour history. The 1910 Stage Finish was won by Frenchman Lapize who went on to win the overall Tour and 5,000 francs for his efforts.

The report also cites that the Tour has booked out hotels in nearby St Gaudens for three consecutive nights in July, indicating that the Tour will stay within the Hautes Pyrenees region. Perhaps the organisers are keen to ensure the Tourmalet features once again as 2010 will mark the centenary of the first passage of the Tour here.

We will know more at the official presentation of the 2010 Tour on 14 October in Paris.

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British Airways & Bike Boxes: New Policy

British Airways, currently one of the few airlines not to charge for the carriage of bike boxes, will implement changes to their Baggage Policy which take effect from 7th October. From this date, sporting equipment will still be included as part of your free checked baggage allowance, as long as the following criteria are met:

  • Your bike box is the only hold luggage that you check-in;
  • The weight of the bike box is less than 23kg and
  • The dimensions of your bike box do not exceed the new reduced maximum
    dimensions of 190cm x 75cm x 65cm (75in x 29.5in x 25.5in).

 

The crucial dimension is the height (75cm) of the box which appears to be less than the height of the majority of bike boxes currently manufactured.

If you wish to check-in another bag for the hold, you will be charged the excess baggage rate for each additional bag.

If your bike box weighs more than 23kg but is less than or equal to 32kg, you will be charged £30 per flight at check-in.

If you fly with BA, we recommend that you check your bike box dimensions and weight carefully to avoid incurring an additional £60 excess baggage fee when you arrive at the airport.

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Trail des Haute Pyrenees
13th June 2010
Go to link www.trailhautespyrenees.fr
 

Take part in the second edition of this challenging 50km trail run amidst the wild and beautiful mountain landscapes of the Barousse, Neste and Louron valleys - a paradise for any fell runner. The race starts 4km from us at Mauleon Barousse and finishes at the lakeside of Lac Genos.

Enter the race as an individual or a team of two or three. With 3,800m of ascending, including 10 summits or mountain passes above 2,000m, the course follows a mix of forest trails, open mountain tracks and ridge paths across varied terrain.

Split into three stages, with two refreshment points, it is possible to complete the race either as an individual or a relay team.

Stage 1: Mauleon Barousse to Nistos 15.5km, 1,725m climbing, 700m descending

Ascending through the Barousse valley

Departing from Maison des Sources, runners are immediately faced with a short, but steep climb to the village of Ourde. Continuing to climb through open mountainside and forest, runners reach the first col.

Climbing steadily along the ridge, the conical peak of Pic de Douly is reached. A small descent to the next col is rewarded with another climb to the final peak and highest point of this stage, Pic de Mont Aspet (1,849m). It is then downhill to the first feed station at the xc-ski station of Nistos.

Stage 2: Nistos to Port de Pierrefitte 13.2km, 1,250m climbing, 945m descending

The Trail des Haute Pyrenees
 

Although stage 2 is the shortest stage, it is very challenging and includes 4 summits or cols over 2,000m together with the highest point of the race, Mont Ne (2,147m). Running through mountain pastureland, the trail climbs steadily to the picturesque Col de l'Aouet.

Taking a more technical and rocky path, runners conquer the first 2,000m peak of Montagne d'Areng. Following a ridge track, two other 2,000m summits are passed before the steep final climb of the stage to Mont Ne.

From here, there are superb 360 degree views of the Barousse, Neste and Louron valleys. A steep descent leads to the second feed station at the stone circle of Port de Pierrefitte.

Stage 3: Port de Pierrefitte to Lac Genos 18.3km, 980m climbing, 1,880m descending

Lac Borderes

The stage starts by following a beautiful single track down to the stunning Lac Borderes. A gradual climb on a grassy track through ferns leads to the Col du Lion. After a short, sharp climb, runners reach the Pic du Lion where you can take a last look at Lac Borderes before a gradual descent to the Col de Louron.

There is a short climb to pick up a ridge path before a long descent to the finish at the lakeside of Lac Genos.

The finish at Lac Genos

Further information can be found on the Trail des Hautes Pyrenees website.

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La Grand Raid des Pyrénées
22nd - 26th August 2012
Go to link www.grandraidpyrenees.com
 

The fifth edition of this challenging Ultra distance event passes through some of the most beautiful and spectacular wilder reaches of the central Pyrenees. There is the choice of two courses for individuals: the Ultra and the Grand Trail. New for 2012 is a 240km Raid for teams of three or four runners. All trails start and finish at Vielle Aure which is a 50km drive from our base.

The Ultra Trail is 160km with 10,000m of ascending including 6 mountain passes above 2,300m. The majority of the fairly technical course follows the popular GR10 walking route. Leaving Vielle Aure at 5am on 24th August, runners will soon be ascending the first col and following the GR10 walking trail through the beautiful Bastan valley to Artigues.

From here, runners will head towards Pic du Midi, before taking a track to pass Lac d’Onset and the picturesque Lac Bleu before reaching the ski station of Hautacam, a stage finish in the 2008 Tour de France. Following a 13km descent to Pierrefitte, there is a stiff climb to the summit of Cabaliros (2,334m) where 360 degree views abound and then a steep downhill to Cauterets. Re-joining the GR10, runners pass the ski resort of Luz-Ardiden before descending to the town of Luz-St-Sauveur.

Turning in the direction of the col du Tourmalet, runners start a long climb, passing many beautiful lakes before attaining the Hourquette d’Aubert (2,498m). From this saddle, there are far-reaching views into the Reserve Naturelle de Neouvielle of glistening mountain lakes and tarns, amidst a backdrop of granite peaks which give the area its beauty and charm. Descending to Lac d’Aumar, runners then re-join the GR10 back to the finish at Vielle Aure.

 

There is a cut-off time of 50 hours. Entry limit is 850 and cost is €120. Entries open 12th January and close 30th June unless race limit is reached beforehand.

The Grand Trail is 80km with 5,000m of ascending, including 3 mountain passes above 2,300m. Starting at Vielle Aure at 5am on 25th August, the Grand Trail follows the same the route as the Ultra Trail until Lac d’Oncet. From here, runners will head down towards Super Bareges to rejoin the Ultra Trail route back through the Reserve Naturelle de Neouvielle to the finish at Vielle Aure.

There is a cut-off time of 25 hours. Entry limit is 850 and cost is €80. Entries open 12th January and close 30th June unless race limit is reached beforehand.

It is compulsory to carry at least 1.5 litres of water, two lamps with spare batteries, survival blanket, waterproofs and food reserves for either race.

The Raid is 240km with 15,000m of ascending. The Raid is open to teams of three or four runners - the team captain must have completed three or more mountain races of 150km or longer. This course is unmarked. The first-leg runners leave Vielle Aure at 9am on 22nd August. Entry is limited to 30 teams.

Further information can be found on the Grand Raid Pyrenees race website.

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