Barcelona Tourmalet 2018 edition

Col du Tourmalet, the highlight of every trip!

Overall route

This is an amazing cycling trip along the Pyrenees, from 2018 June 30th to July 6th.

The challenge is reaching the most famous climb in the cycling world (Col du Tourmalet) from one of the the most beautiful cities all over Europe, Barcelona. On the way, you will get to know some of the big climbs in the Pyrenees, reaching over 2000 mts. Port de la Bonaigua, Col du Portillon, Col de Peyresourde, Val Louron-Azet, etc.

Our trip includes 8 nights at cozy hotels in the Pyrenees (dinner included), 7 cycling stages, cycling guide, supporting van, luggage transportation... You don't have to worry about anything but cycling and enjoying the landscapes!

More information here: https://roadcycling.barcelona/tours/barcelona-tourmalet/

 Stage 1. From Barcelona to Montseny mountains. Our guide will help you to get out of Barcelona and you will start with some climbing close to Barcelona. The amazing hotel you will be sleeping  is located half way the first big climb of the trip. Nice, solitaire, amazing spot and views...

Stage 2. Montseny to Joanetes. Great stage, with the amazing Coll Formic (1145 mts) at the start, then the passage through the Sau reservoir and the tiny road (with no traffic at all) to Coll de Condreu and possibly the approach to Sanctuary del Far, with amazing views. End in a cozy farmhouse with swimming pool. You will be at mum's house.

Stage 3. Joanetes to Puigcerdà. This is a tough start with Coll de Canes and then a long approach to Coll de la Creueta, to almost 2000 mts, great climb! The descent via Collada de Toses is a real pleasure on a very wide road with stunning views. Puigcerdà is the main city in La Cerdanya region, a wealthy town very know for skiers and mountain lovers. We are in the border with France.

Stage 4. From Puigcerdà to Rialp. The main climb of the day is Coll de Cantó, a true first category climb, with some very steep parts. On the other side, wide road, perfect surface, time to enjoy on the downhill and then sleep at Rialp.

 Stage 5. From Rialp to Bagneres de Luchon. This is really high mountain. Port de la Bonaigua is one of the classic climbs in the Pyrenees, reaching over 2000 mts. With a ski resort at the top, Bonaigua is the first road to be closed for snow in winter and the last one to be open in spring. Amazing lanscape. On arrival to Bagneres de Luchon, the strongest riders may climb to Superbagneres, a true hors category climb included in Tour de France several times.

Stage 6. From Bagneres de Luchon to Campan. The classic approach to Tourmalet would be climbing Peyresourde and Aspin. Our stage is a bit longer including Peyresourde, also Val Louron-Azet (the climb where Miguel Indurain started to win the 1991 Tour de France) and finally the very nice and solitaire Hourquette d'Ancizan instead of the more known Col d'Aspin.

Stage 7. Campan to Col du Tourmalet. Today is about enjoying Tourmalet. The idea is you to climb from both sides. Climb from Sta Marie de Campan, descent to Luz St Sauveur and then climbing again from that side (ideally the old road via Fignon). The main thing is enjoying the bar and the souvenir shop at the top. If weather conditions are poor then climbing from Sta Marie de Campan will be enough!

We take care about logistics, you just have to enjoy

Our van will transport your luggage and will bring some drink and food

In our Barcelona-Tourmalet trip you just have to focus on cycling. Do not worry about any other things. We take care of your luggage, which you will find at the destination hotel. We will have some drink and food at the top of the climbs. And we will also be around in case of any flat or mechanical problem. You will have the map and tracks (if you bring you gps device) andnavigating won't be a problem. When in doubt you just have to get the steeper road up!

Barcelona Tourmalet 2017, dates confirmed!!

Le Geant du Tourmalet, our goal!!

 After a successful trip on 2016 we want to share our Barcelona Tourmalet trip with more friends, and we have already the dates for 2017 edition, it will be from July 15th to July 21st. Meeting place will be Barcelona, as usual on July 14th, and transportation back to Barcelona will be on saturday July 22nd.

This is the beginning of the final climb, time to enjoy!!!

Let us share with you our customers reviews, so you can figure out how was last year trip!:
"This was a fully supported trip and Montefusco Cycling organised everything for me including hire of an excellent Orbea bike, all accommodation and meals and support on the ride such as water, food and spare parts. The distance was around 100km per day with a lot of climbing, so it was a tough ride. Claudio and Macià looked after us all the way with one driving the van and one riding with us. Right from the start I knew I had made the right decision as Claudio just went out of his way to make everything work, from organising storage of my luggage in Barcelona to picking me up from the train station before I had the bike for transport. We were all very happy with the standard of the hotels and the standard of the food. In 7 days, eight people (plus Claudio and Macià) who were initially strangers, became good friends. If I return to Barcelona I would certainly look up Claudio and Montefusco Cycling again."

If you ever were at Tourmalet you will know this place...

We finished successfully our Barcelona Tourmalet 2016

We got it!!

Just a few days ago we finished our trip from Barcelona to Col du Tourmalet. Such a great experience. We won't forget it. The climbs and landscapes were amazing, the route was sometimes tough, but the best of all was sharing all this trip with our customers, who became our friends. We are so proud of helping you to achieve this challenge!!
We are already planning 2017 trip, next July, will you join us??
Picture by Sergi Ros de Mora www.rosdemora.com

Monument dedicated to Eugene Cristophe at Ste Marie de Campan

Statue dedicated to Eugene Cristophe

Plaque dedicated to Eugene Cristophe

1906 was the first time that Tour de France climbed to Tourmalet and 1913 edition entered in history as the one in which the leader Eugène Cristophe, the (stage from Luchon to Bayonne, 326 km!), was escaped on the climb to the Tourmalet, with more than 5 minutes of advantage over pursuers. on the way down, after a crash, he had to walk for 14 kilometers (some sections on the road, and occasionally cutting off-road) to Santa Marie de Campan to find a blacksmith where to repair the broken fork to be able to continue. By that time, the organisation did not allow the mechanical assistance or replacement of components. The entire operation of slab fork was made under the supervision of Henry Desgrange, the director of the Tour de france, which came to punish him with 10 minutes by asking a boy who assist him to stoke the fire of the forge. Cristophe, all courage, did not give up and came to the end of the stage.

In the year 2003, in the edition of the centenary of the Tour, was a plaque to remember the events that took place in 1913. As the plaque says: "on the occasion of the centenary of the Tour de France, tribute is paid to Eugène Cristophe which during the 1913 Tour repaired the fork of his bike in this forge of Sainte Marie de Campan. Eugène Cristophe, leader, lost here any chance of victory, but gave a formidable lesson of courage and tenacity. The Tour de France recalls with respect this exemplary behavior. 21 July 2003 ".

 

The place where Cristophe fixed his fork

Lately (July 2014), Ste Marie de Campan has a statue dedicated to Eugene Cristophe. Worth a stop and a picture to show respect to one of the pioneers of modern cycling!

Some news about Col du Portillon

A picture there is a must!

Today we learnt that we have some news about Col du Portillon, which we will cross in our trip towards Tourmalet. The "Conselh Generau d’Aran " installed a monolith at the viewpoint on top of Col du Portillon with the names of the seven spaniards having won Tour de France. In addition, each one of them will feature a milestone in each of seven major curves the Portillon aranese side, with their name and the date in which they proclaimed winners of the Tour.
We love this kind of memorials. A picture beside it, thumbs up, is a must!!

Some hidden villages, amazing places on the way to Tourmalet.

Our trip from Barcelona to Col du Tourmalet is not just climbing some of the most important mountains in the Pyrenees. It is also about discovering hidden places beside some solitaire roads which we suggest to ride.

Second stage from Viladrau to Ripoll includes some surprises, hidden places which you will be amazed to discover. One of them is Pantà de Sau (Sau Reservoir). This dam was completed in 1962 creating a reservoir with a storage capacity of 151.3 hm³ that covered the former town of Sant Romà de Sau. The Church of Sant Romà is still visible when the water level is low.

Pantà de Sau

Rupit is a small village lost in the catalan mountains. This village, normally named together with another nice tiny village nearby (Rupit i Pruit) looks like a fairy tale village, in which time stopped years ago... Worth a visit, worth a stop...

Rupit, a fairy tale village