Nights 1–3
Saint-Lary-Soulan
Mercure Saint-Lary Sensoria ★★★★ · 830 m
Pyrenees · 4 – 10 June 2027
The FrenchJob
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Six days and twelve cols, from Saint-Lary-Soulan to Lourdes. Tourmalet, Aubisque, Peyresourde, Hourquette d'Ancizan and the Cirque de Troumouse.
Activity levelAdvanced
BikesBring yours or rent ENVE · BMC
Group sizeUp to 16 riders
Duration7 days · 6 nights
6Riding days
≈540Kilometres
≈12,800Metres climbed
12Cols
2,115m · Col du Tourmalet
Overview
Two bases. Every legend.
We start in the Vallée d'Aure, where the Route des Lacs, Azet and the Col de Portet climb straight out of town. On day three we cross the range over the Tourmalet while your luggage travels by van to the second hotel. From Lourdes we ride into the Cirque de Troumouse, along the Aubisque balcony road and over the Col de Spandelles, and finish on Hautacam.
Most days are 80 to 120 km with 2,100 to 2,900 m of climbing, measured on the real routes, with optional extras like the Portet and Luz Ardiden for strong legs. The last day is a short ride before you travel home.
What's included
- 6 nights in two 4★ Mercure hotels
- Welcome pack: full Velodrom kit (jersey and bib shorts), a Scicon travel bag and a cap
- 6 guided rides with a Velodrom guide
- Support van with mechanic, spares and your extra kit
- Feed stations on every ride
- Luggage transfer between hotels
- GPX files for every day
- Trip photos: the full album afterwards
Why you'll love it
- Twelve cols in six days, from the Tourmalet to the Hourquette d'Ancizan
- The Tourmalet east to west, on the day you change hotels
- The Cirque de Troumouse, a dead-end road to 2,100 m
- The Cirque du Litor balcony road on the Aubisque
- The Col de Spandelles, the Tour's newest Pyrenean col
- Climb at your own pace, regroup at the top
Nights 4–6
Lourdes
Mercure Lourdes Impérial ★★★★ · 420 m
Itinerary
Day by day
Arrive in Saint-Lary on Friday 4 June, ride six days and finish in Lourdes on Thursday 10 June. Routes, distances and climbing come from the real roads. Select a day to see it on the map.
Route lines follow the real roads. Plane icons mark the nearest airports.
Select a day
The Tour gets here in July. You get here first.The Velodrom way to ride the Pyrenees
Why Velodrom
Not just a route and a hotel
We run our trips the way we like to ride: a van that is never far away, food worth stopping for and people who know these roads. This is what makes a Velodrom trip different.
Good company
Coffee stops, long dinners and people you'll want to ride with again. Most of our riders come back for the next trip.
Your pace, one group
Climb at your own pace. We regroup at set points along the route, and the van is never far away with spares and your extra layers.
Your trip, photographed
A photographer rides with us. You get the full album after the trip: you on the climbs, not just the view.
Feed stations, not gels
The van sets up a real feed stop on every ride: sandwiches, fruit, smoothies, crisps and cold drinks under the Velodrom tent.
Dinner together
Every evening at one table with the group and our guides, who ride these cols every summer and know where to stop.
Bikes worth riding
Bring your own or ride one from our fleet: ENVE, BMC and Aurum, built and fitted for you before day one.
Hotels
Two four-star bases
Three nights on each side of the Tourmalet. You unpack twice, and your luggage moves between hotels in the van while you ride.
Nights 1–3 · Fri 4 – Mon 7 June
Mercure Saint-Lary Sensoria ★★★★
- In the village centre, 50 m from the gondola
- Nuxe spa and the Sensoria thermal baths for tired legs
- La Mangeoire restaurant, local and seasonal
- Cap de Long, Azet, Portet and Aspin start from town
Nights 4–6 · Mon 7 – Thu 10 Jun
Mercure Lourdes Impérial ★★★★
- In the centre of Lourdes, a short walk from the Sanctuary
- Restaurant with views over the town
- 15 minutes from Lourdes-Tarbes airport
- Troumouse, Aubisque, Spandelles and Hautacam within reach
Equipment
Your bike or one of ours
Bring your own bike, or ride one from our Barcelona and Girona rental fleet. We build it, fit it and have it waiting at the hotel on Friday.
Most popular
Race bike with power
BMC Teammachine R01SRAM Force AXS 2×12 · SRAM power meterFrom €85 per daySee details
Bringing your own?No extra cost. Bring it boxed and we'll build it on Friday. Fit an 11–34 or easier cassette for the Portet.
Last light on the descent.
From past Velodrom trips
What you'll see
Getting there
Flights & transfers
The trip starts in Saint-Lary-Soulan and ends in Lourdes, so the easiest plan is to fly in and out of Lourdes-Tarbes, or fly into Toulouse.
| Airport / station | To Saint-Lary | From Lourdes |
|---|---|---|
| Lourdes-Tarbes-PyrénéesLDE · closest airport | ≈1 h 15 | ≈15 min |
| Toulouse-BlagnacTLS · most international flights | ≈2 h | ≈2 h |
| Pau-PyrénéesPUF | ≈1 h 45 | ≈45 min |
| Barcelona-El PratBCN · home of Velodrom | ≈4 h 30 | ≈5 h |
| Lourdes stationTrains from Paris, Toulouse and Bordeaux | ≈1 h 15 | in town |
Drive times are approximate and depend on traffic.
Our advice for flights
- Arrive on Friday 4 June by mid-afternoon to build your bike before dinner.
- Fly home from Lourdes-Tarbes or take the train on the evening of Thursday 10 June.
- Book a flexible fare and send us your flight times.
- We help organise shared transfers for the group.
Flights are not included in the trip price.
Weather
What to expect
Early June is summer in the valleys and still cool on the high cols. Expect warm afternoons in Lourdes, cold summits and the odd shower: always carry a rain jacket in your pocket, plus a gilet for the descents.
Monthly averages · trip months highlighted
Averages for 2015–2024 from Open-Meteo (ERA5-Land temperatures, ERA5 rainfall). Mountain weather changes fast, so check the forecast the week before.
Know before you go
Good to know
What to expect from the riding, and what to pack.
Who it's for
Riders comfortable with back-to-back days of 80–120 km and 2,100–2,900 m, with optional extras for strong legs. The climbs are long, typically 10–20 km at 6–8 %.
Early season
Quiet roads, green valleys and snow on the peaks. If a high road is still closed, we ride the planned alternative: Pla d'Adet instead of the Portet or Cap de Long, Gavarnie instead of the Cirque de Troumouse.
What to bring
Climbing gears (34×30 or easier), a rain jacket, arm warmers and a gilet for the descents. It can be 5 °C on the Tourmalet when it's 20 °C in Lourdes.
Groups & dates
Your group, your dates
If 4 June doesn't work, bring your own group of 6 to 16 riders and pick a date from 15 July onwards. We skip August (crowded roads, Tour traffic and heat) and stop at the end of September, before the high cols get cold and close.
6–11 riders+20% per person
12–15 riders+10% per person
16 ridersSame price as the open trip
Custom groups only
The French Job, 3 stages
- Day 2 · Hourquette, Aspin, Peyresourde and Azet
- Day 3 · Over the Tourmalet to Lourdes
- Day 5 · Col de Spandelles, Soulor and Aubisque
3 nights (2 in Saint-Lary, 1 in Lourdes). The three days that define the trip, with the same support and feed stops. Available for private groups of 6 or more; the 4 June departure is the full six-stage trip.
See you at the top
4 – 10 June 2027 · Shared double €3,299 · Single room €3,699. Hold your place with a €500 deposit.
See dates & pricesThe French Job · Pyrenees
4 – 10 Jun 2027 · from €3,299 · €500 deposit
Routes from OpenStreetMap via BRouter. Distances and climbing are measured on those routes and confirmed with the final GPX files. Hotel photos © Accor.