Haute Route Pyrenees
Riding Days
6
Number of Nights
6
Total Distance
550 km
Total Climbing
14,500 metres
Difficulty
5 - Most difficult/5
At a Glance
The Haute Route organisation repeat the 5-day format for 2024 Pyrenees event. The 5-day format is a popular choice, an action-packed 5-day event allows riders to experience more stages than the 3-day short weekend events but without the time dedicated needed for the long 7-day events.
Five incredible stages are guaranteed to take your breath away. From stunning climbs, untouched landscapes, and a point-to-point adventure into the unknown, the Haute Route Pyrenees course has it all.
With La Fuga you'll get to experience the event as if you were a professional rider with daily massages, a professional mechanic keeping your bike clean and in perfect order and a director sportive giving you all the information you need to prepare you for the stage. Enjoy the Haute Route Pyrenees with like-minded riders, a tough but exhilarating challenge.
Tour Highlights
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Asphalt
Ride the ultimate challenge with the best pro support. You’ll get our pro-level mechanics, soigneurs to bring legs back to life and experienced race leaders to brief you through each day in detail.
Book Tour
€1,850.00 – €5,274.00
Overview
Haute Route Pyrenees - About Region
In 1910 Octave Lapize was famously quoted as saying ‘Vous étes des Assasins’ – ‘You are murderers’ as he passed over the summit of the Col d’Aubisque during the Tour de France. The stage was a murderous 326km slog from Luchon to the coast at Bayonne tackling the Col de Peyresourde, Col d’Aspin, Col de Soulour, Col d’Aubisque and the highest pass in the Pyrenees the Col du Tourmalet. This was the very first-time mountains had been included in the Tour de France and the roads were not as we see them today, with dusty and rutted unsealed roads climbing these great Pyrenean mountains. The Col du Tourmalet was celebrated in the 2010 edition of the Tour de France by traversing both sides on consecutive stages with the final ascent finishing on the top of the Giant of the Pyrenees, Andy Schleck the victor over Alberto Contador during that stage.
During the five days riding in the Haute Route Pyrenees event, you’ll get a chance to ride the mountains known as the ‘circle of death’. The ‘circle of death’ is the name given to the mountains which surround the Col du Tourmalet and has seen many great cycling champions relinquish their reign to more youthful hopefuls. In 1991 Greg Lemond cracked on the Tourmalet with a young Miguel Indurain benefiting and claiming the yellow jersey in his first of five tour victories. Five years later it was Miguel Indurain’s turn to crack as Bjarne Riis used his brute strength to continually surge up the Hautacam and signal an end to the dominant Spaniards grip on the Tour.
Haute Route Pyrenees Typical Day
What can I expect my Haute Route Pyrenees experience to look like?
In order to have an idea for a typical day on the Haute Route, we’ve put together the following rough schedule of how a day on the Haute Route unfolds. Don’t forget that your La Fuga team are there to help you through every step of the way so all you have to do is pedal.
Depending on weather conditions and course conditions the La Fuga team will also lay on other stops to aid the change of clothes or additional feeding. This will be communicated to you the evening before.
At the end of each stage, you will find a La Fuga member to welcome you. You will receive a cold drink, recovery snacks, and your finish bag as well as directions to lunch and the location of the hotel, which is normally within a few hundred metres of the finish line.
La Fuga at the Haute Route Pyrenees
Open to a relatively small field of around 600 riders, the races promote a unique atmosphere of competition and camaraderie. With rider classifications and times posted on a daily basis, leaders jerseys, team prizes and a professional level of support the Haute Route is the closest experience amateur riders will have to a Grand Tour stage race. Whatever you aim for the Haute Route, it is the ultimate challenge for all riders who take their riding seriously and La Fuga will be providing comprehensive support packages to match.
At La Fuga we deliver an unparalleled Haute Route experience. Not only have we sourced the best accommodation for each stage but we will also provide swift transfers between starts and finishes; qualified mechanics and masseurs on hand; fresh riding kit every day; nutritional advice; exclusive refuel/kit drop zones during the race; route guidance and personalised ride strategy. Then at the end of each day there’s always great company and delicious dinners. Ride to your limit every day and get looked after like the Yellow Jersey wearer at the Tour de France by travelling with La Fuga.
We have 10 spots on our Haute Route package. As with all our other trips, we prefer to run trips with smaller groups of riders which lends to a more convivial and relaxed feel on our trips.
At the Haute Route we aim to give our riders the closest experience to being in a professional cycle team as possible; bikes serviced before each stage, bottles ready, refilled and in your cages before the off, next stage briefings each evening, massages every evening. The devil is in the detail and our experienced staff will be on hand at every step of the journey. So all you need to do is ride, relax and escape, and we’ll take care of all the rest!
Climate and Gearing
CLIMATE
Summer in the Pyrenees runs from June to September. During the day temperature can reach 30°C and higher, and thunderstorms are a frequent occurrence, especially in the afternoons and evenings. Meadows are filled with flowers, and the high, snow-capped peaks are visible, this is definitely the most visually spectacular time to visit. You will be climbing to over 2000 metres, storms may happen, meaning that you could be riding in sweltering heat one minute and then experience downpours the next. As always, it’s a good idea to pack some light rain gear just in case. A gilet and arm warmers should suffice to keep you warm on the descents if the temperatures are on the cooler side.
GEARING
The Pyrenees has a steady mountainous terrain with climbs ranging from 10km to 20km in length. Although the gradients are not as steep as say the Dolomites, a compact chainset (offering gearing of 34-50) with a 32 or 34 lowest gear on the cassette is recommended.
Haute Route Pyrenees 2024 - Overview
The 5-day Haute Route Pyrenees is a point-to-point course:
Details
What's Included
** Meals are included up to a specific budget after which a supplement will be applied
What's not Included
Itinerary
Your La Fuga guides will meet you at the airport to collect you and transfer you to the hotel. Our expert mechanic will unpack your bike and give it a thorough check ahead of the event.
You’ll have some lunch before heading over to the event village to sign on, collect your numbers and your race pack and meet fellow competitors.
The first official race briefing will take place close to the event village and then it will be time to head back to the hotel to fuel up for the next day stage. Your La Fuga guide will further brief you over dinner on important aspects such as the location of our private feed zones and run through any other important stage information. Then it’s early to bed ready for the first stage.
Abbaye Escaladieu, Pont de Balès (1 755m)
THE BIG THREE
For the first time in 2024, the edition of the Haute Route Pyrenees will use a circular route from Pau back to Pau. The event kicks off with a punchy stage which takes you over two climbs of the Abbaye Escaladieu and the Port de Balès to finish in Bagnères-de-Luchon.
The Port de Balès only featured in the Tour de France for the first time in 2007 as previous to this it wasn’t event a fully paved road. It has featured in the the Tour de France a total of 6 times since it’s debut and was the scene of a spectacular stage in 2010 when Alberto Contador attached Andy Schleck when Schleck experienced a mechanical problem with his chain. With your bikes being looked after by our professional mechanic you won’t need to worry about any mechanical issues as you climb the mountain and descend into Luchon for a cool drink.
Col de Peyresourde (1 569m), Col d’Azet (1 580m), Cap de Long (2 117m)
AIMING HIGH
On day two, get set for the shortest stage of the race heading for a mountain top finish at Cap de Long.
The race route enjoys some classic Pyrenean climbs as you ride what is known as the circle of death. This name has been captured in cycling folklore as the group of the mountains which surround the mighty Col du Tourmalet. The classic and steady climbs of Col de Peyresourde and Col d’Azet provide a warm up to the 22km long climb of Cap de Long. You’ll be treated to an easy start as the gradient doesn’t go over 5% but the last 13km hold a sting in the tail with regular pitches at 9 and 10%. You’ll descend back down to Saint-Lary where you will stay for two nights.
Col de Beyredes (1 417m), Col de Hourquette-Ancizan (1 564m), Col du Portet (2 215m)
Another short stage packs three classic Pyrenean climbs. You’ll be riding a loop out of Saint-Lary Soulan taking in a ride through the town after two climbs to complete the stage with another mountain top finish on the top of the Col du Portet. The Col d’Aspin is a firm Tour de France favourite with it being included almost every time the Tour passes through the Pyreneees. It offers specatcular views of the valley below as you climb high. The Hourquette-Ancizan also offers amazing scenery as you climb through grazing cattle fields in a scene which could be at home in the English countryside. A narrow descent then leads you back to Saint-Lary before tackling the final 16km up the challenging Col du Portet which has regular 10% gradients.
Col d’Aspin (1 489m), Col du Tourmalet (2 117m)
THE QUEEN STAGE
The penultimate stage of the Haute Route Pyrenees 2024 is all about the legends. Since it first featured in the Tour de France in 1910, the Col du Tourmalet has earned a sacred status as one of the most important climbs in cycling history. That’s why it had to feature in the 2024 edition of the Haute Route Pyrenees. Setting out from Saint-Lary, the peloton will take on the stunning ascent to Col d’Aspin before heading into the legendary climb to Col du Tourmalet. Reaching the summit at 2115m, riders will have the chance to admire the spectacular view and grab a photo with the iconic statue of Octave Lapize before a flat run back to Pau. where the finish line for the day will await.
Col d’Aubisque (1 709m), Col du Soulor(1 474m)
THE LEGEND
Climbing into the high mountains of the Pyrenees, the 127km ride on a cicular route from Pau back to Pau will be one to remember. The two cols on today menu are a double header or legendary and classic cols. The Col d’Aubisque closely followed by the Col du Soulour is a classic Pyrenean route. As you climb up the Col d’Aubisque you’ll be weaving past the famous horses and cattle that call the col home and heading into the breathtaking traverse to Col du Soulor, closely followed by the legendary Col d’Aubisque. This ride is Pyrenee’s dream. As you climb through the incredible Cirque du Litor, take a moment to appreciate the stunning vistas ahead. From here, riders will enjoy a plethora of rollercoaster roads crossing into the Jurançon vineyards. Finally, this incredible 5-day adventure will come to an end in the stunning city of Pau.
Your bike will be packed by our La Fuga mechanic, and you’ll have the chance to relax and unwind with breakfast and one final stroll around the town. Your legs will be tired, but what an accomplishment having completed the Haute Route Pyrenees 2024.
We’ll run a shuttle back to the airport in plenty of time to catch your flight.
Accommodation
Beautiful Hotel Parc Beaumont is located in the heart of Pau.
Bordering the Beaumont Garden, where charm and history meet, adding its own personal charm and warmth, the Hotel Parc Beaumont is in harmony with its environment. Cosy, elegant rooms and suites, a gourmet restaurant, shaded terrace, as well as a personal luminous spa.
The Hotel Mercure Saint-Lary is perfectly integrated in the typical village of Saint-Lary thanks to its traditional architecture of the Pyrenees.
The hotel benefits from a Nuxe Spa facilities so you can relax and unwind after a hard day on the bike. The restaurant La Mangeoire offer local dishes perfect for fuelling your next ride.