Why the Raid Pyrenean?
The Raid Pyrenean is one of the 'must do' rides for any cycling enthusiast
- it is truly an epic!
The route across the Pyrenees from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean was established
in 1950 taking in most of the big cols en route. Then, as if this was not
hard enough the organizers introduced the rule that the route had
to be completed within 100 hours!
It is a challenge for sure, as any multi-day cycling event is,
however, it is also a chance to ride most of the famous cols in the
Pyrenees, including beasts such as the Tourmalet and Aubisque, and
to cycle the quiet and beautiful back roads and passes of France's
southernmost mountain range. The scenery is stunning, the road
surfaces good, and the occasional car drivers are extremely
courteous and respectful of cyclists.
Please feel free to look at and print out our trip
Itinerary. We will soon be adding more information re the
profiles of each day - watch this space.
Am I fit enough?
This is a concern for lots of people who are thinking about the
Raid. Certainly the Raid Pyrenean is a challenge, and you do
need to be a regular road cyclist in order to enjoy and get the most
out of this trip.
The majority of our riders are club cyclists or have done
cyclosportives or some longer distance rides, however by no means
all of them have, and we have had clients who have been very new to
road cycling who have done some training for the trip, and taken
their time, and successfully completed the route in the 100 hours.
The key to success on the Raid is pacing yourself, and we are
very keen to emphasize that you don't need to be cycling fast
in order to manage the daily routes. The absolute worst thing
is to push yourself to cycle beyond your normal pace on the cols, or
early on in the trip, which ends up becoming very tiring and can
cause problems on later days. With our 2 vehicles for support, we
are happy for you to take as long as it takes to do each days route,
and we will give you all the support and encouragement that you
need. All you need to do is eat, drink, cycle and sleep - we
will do the rest!

We do recommend that people coming on this trip do train prior to coming out, in order to give themselves the best chance of
completing the challenge in the 100hours, and to make it as
enjoyable as possible en route. It can be difficult finding
extended climbs for the training in the UK, but generally if you can
build up your comfort in doing long daily distances, and your
stamina, then you will really benefit when it comes to the holiday
itself.
If you are looking for more of a cycling 'holiday' rather than a
challenge they please look at our Classic Cols
trip which takes in most of the classic climbs but gives people the
chance to take in optional extras and gruelling stage endings,
making it possible to take on over 3000m of ascent per day.
One of our Raiders in Sept 2008 has posted an
article / blog (external website) on the
sportive central website -
this gives an impartial opinion about what the raid is all about. We
have also put together a
youtube
video! (external website)
Why Choose Marmot Tours for your Raid?
There are several companies offering a Raid Package so we thought
we would point out the benefits of doing the trip with us.
We are a small company (run by James and Cathy Thompson) focusing
on customer service and the personal touch -
- we help you arrange your travel including any extra nights etc
that you may want to have at the start or end,
- we are always available to answer any queries you may have or
discuss honestly with you, whether this is the trip for you.
Contact us by phone
or email with any questions
- we cater for various dietary requirements and supplement your
breakfasts with wholesome cereals and fruit to give you that kick
start in the morning (continental breakfasts aren't always the
best for cyclists!)
- we use small friendly and family run hotels that know us and
our needs (particularly regarding cyclists), and who make every
effort to make your trip comfortable and easy
- we even provide you with home made snacks en route - our
banana and walnut bread (the walnuts are from our garden!) and
flapjacks have a very good reputation!
- we limit our group sizes to 20 so you get the benefits of
being with enough other cyclists to find others who cycle at your
pace and to have a good laugh en route, but also so that you are
not just 'one' in a sea of faces who never get to know anyone else
in the group, or your leaders.
- we always have 2 support vehicles, generally driven by James
and Cathy. The front van offers support to the speedier
cyclists in the group, plus makes sure that everyone's bags are at
the hotel before they arrive. The back van stays on the road
with the second half of the group ensuring that they have support
for as long as it takes for them to complete the days ride.
This means that we can have a group with mixed cycling experience
and different paces, and still offer everyone the same, high level
of support. It also means that in the case of any
emergencies or mechanicals, a van is never far away.
- We provide comprehensive route cards with maps, altitude
profiles, directions, information of places to stop for food and
the odd bit of local / historical information.
- we live in the Pyrenees year round and speak French. We
know the cycle routes from the Atlantic to the Med very well and
so you can be sure that the information we give you on the routes
is up do date and accurate, as well as easy to follow.
- as cyclists ourselves, who have cycled most of the cols en
route, we know what it is you are going through on the climbs, and
when you are most likely to need support, snacks, water, or a wave
from Margo (our marmot mascot!)
- James is an excellent bike mechanic so is always available to
give you a hand with any problems en route (though it is helpful
if you are independent as regards punctures).
- Cathy is a qualified Swedish massage therapist, and so on
trips where she is the second leader, she will be on hand to offer
cyclist specific massage at the end of your hard days riding.
- we know that annual leave is like gold dust, and that you may
have family commitments that can make taking a trip like the Raid
difficult. We therefore make our Raid trip as short as
possible, starting on a Monday and finishing on the Saturday so
that you only use up 5 days of your holiday entitlement.
However, for those that want to extend their trip for extra nights
at the start or finish, we will arrange the accommodation etc for
you.
We also understand the need to follow the exact route of the
original Raid, to keep the ride official. This profile map
gives you a bit of a taster.. don't let it put you off
though!
Marmot Tours has been running road cycling holidays since its
conception over 7 years ago. James has been in the leisure
industry for even longer and so you can be sure that we will not
overlook any aspect of your trip, from the riding, to the travel
arrangements, to the accommodation.
Lastly, we would ask you to have a quick look at what some of our
Raiders from the past couple of years have said, as it will help
give you an idea of how we run our trips...
client comments
DATES
Mon 8th June - Sat 13th June 2009 (trip code RFR I23)
Mon 15th June - Sat 20th June 2009 (trip code RFR I24)
Mon 22nd June - Sat 27th June 2009 (trip code RFR I25)
Mon 29th June - Sat 4th July 2009 (trip code RFR I26)
Mon 7th Sept - Sat 12th Sept 2009 (trip code RFR I36)
Mon 14th Sept - Sat 19th Sept 2009 (trip code RFR I37)
2010 Dates: (price to be confirmed in Sept 09)
Mon 7th June - Sat 12th June 2010 (trip code RFR J24)
Mon 14th June - Sat 19th June 2010 (trip code RFR J25)
Mon 21st June - Sat 26th June 2010 (trip code RFR J26)
Mon 6th Sept - Sat 11th Sept 2010 (trip code RFR J37)
Mon 20th Sept - Sat 25th Sept 2009 (trip code RFR J39)
We only run the raid in June and September as it can get too hot
during July and August, and some of the cols are not open before June
due to snow cover.
For all 2009 trips there is the option of staying in a hotel in
the small coastal town of Portbou, close to Cerbere on the Saturday night for an afternoon on the beach,
celebration and seafood dinner. We will then transfer you to the
airport on the Sunday morning. The cost of the extra night,
breakfast and transfer is £60 (twin share) or £85 (single room).
There are a limited number of places available, so please enquire
before booking.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
The cost costs £585, starting at Biarritz Airport and ending at
either Perpignian or Carcassonne Airports. Flights are not included but can be picked up very cheaply
if
booked in advance. Allow about £60 for lunches and daytime drinks that are not included (outlined below).
There is a supplement
of £125 if you would like to have your own room for the trip,
(please let us know on booking as there is limited availability). There are no other local payments or hidden costs.
Please note that we offer a 5% discount if you book more than 3
months before the departure date. We also offer
group and loyalty
discounts.
This price includes:
| 5 days supported rides. Route notes
and Maps. Entrance to the official "Raid Pyrenean".
Airport Transfers (at specified times). 'Marmot-tours'
cycling top. Medical and Mechanical support. 5 nights
accommodation. 5 evening meals. 5 breakfasts. Certificate
and badge on successful completion of the challenge. |
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WHERE DO WE STAY?
During this trip we stay in a range of 2 star hotels with ensuite facilities
except in Campan where we stay in a 1 star hotel.
Accommodation will be allocated on a twin share basic unless you
book a single room (supplement of £125). There is a garage / locked room
where we can store the bikes every night.
FOOD
We include 5 supplemented continental style breakfasts. The 5 evenings meals will be taken together either at the hotel or a
suitable restaurant in town. Table wine and after dinner teas
and coffees are also included. Lunch is not included
so you can choose your own diet while cycling. Vegetarians are welcome
and will be looked after very well. Cereal bars, cakes, banana's and
other snacks for during the day are
included and will be distributed by the support vans. You are
encouraged to bring your own favourite energy powders/gels/bars with
you as these will not be easily available en route.
GROUP
There is a maximum of 20 people plus two support drivers on this holiday.
Bookings from single people are welcome as activity holidays are a
great way to make new friends. People booking alone will be paired
up with someone unless you opt for a single room (see above)
BIKE INFO
If you do not want to have the hassle of bringing your own bike; you can
hire one from Marmot Tours. We have both Commencal
Colt and Specialized
Allez Sport bikes available. The hire charge is £100 for the
trip. This must be arranged in advance as there are limited bikes
(and sizes) available. For more information on hiring or packing up
your own bike for travel please see the Bike
Hire section.If you are bringing your own bike, you may have
some questions regarding gear ratios. One of our experienced
clients who has cycled the Raid suggested the following:
"The only really important thing to worry about is the lowest
gear: - all of our group had a lowest gear of 34" and they all
reckoned it worked perfectly given the gradients and length of time
going uphill. This can be obtained with the following combinations:
a) Small ring at front 34 tooth, large ring at rear 27 tooth
b) Small ring at front 36 tooth, large ring at rear 29 tooth
OR
If using a triple chainset then small ring at front 30 tooth,
large ring at rear 25 tooth."
He did also add that there was no substitute for training!
Any other bike related questions, then don't hesitate to email us.
HOW DO I GET THERE?
We offer airport transfers to tie in with the most appropriately
timed flights in and out of London Stansted. However, we appreciate
that there are other flights from regional UK airports which may be
more more convenient for you, so will endeavour to advise you on the
best ways of getting to and from the Raid. For all the details on
transfers and flights, please follow this link to the
Raid Transport section. Both Hendaye and Cerbere
are served by very good rail links, so it may be possible to use the
regional UK flights and transfer to the start / end hotels
independently.
Some people prefer to arrive a few days before and stay in vibrant
seaside town of Biarritz. In this case we may be able to meet you at
your hotel on the Monday morning and transfer you (or if you are
cycling, then your bags) to Hendaye.
At the end of the Raid we offer transfers on the Saturday afternoon
to Perpignan Airport. However we also offer people the opportunity to
spend an extra night in Cerbere and transfer to Carcassonne Airport
on the Sunday.
Please see the Raid Transport section
for more information on airlines, airport transfers, driving to the
start or taking the train from the UK. If you want advice of packing
/ transporting your own bike then see our bike
hire section.
Ryan Air currently charge £25 for the carriage of a bike and do
have a limited number of spaces for bikes on each flight (see
www.ryanair.com.
for more information).
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