Mike In The Mountains

Our very own Mike "Shell Sheldrake is currently competing in the https://transpyrenees.cc/tprno3 ultra endurance race. Wish him luck on instragram and follow his live dot at https://www.dotwatcher.cc/race/transpyrenees-2023

Riders return for a third time to make the journey from the cold, sandy beaches of the Atlantic to the warm, craggy cliffs of the Mediterranean and back again. Verdant countryside gives way to steep valleys and seemingly endless mountain passes, as racers journey through and over some of the most famous locations in the region as well as exploring hidden treasures of the ever-changing Pyrenean landscape.

Departing from Saint Jean de Luz, and seeking to escape the blustery winds of the Bay of Biscay, riders will encounter, enjoy, and endure countless summits as the route criss-crosses the central Pyrenees. Passing through France, Spain and the mountain principality of Andorra, before reaching the warm seas of the Catalonian coastline on the Costa Brava.

Having passed the halfway point of the Race, the riders will begin their return journey, but the challenge is far from over. Much of the return route is based on the famous Le Raid Pyrénéen Randonneur, created in 1950 by the Cyclo Club Béarnais, climbing some of the most famous mountains in the Pyrenees including the Cols of Aubisque, Tourmalet and Aspin. Used in the first two editions of TPR, the parcours is synonymous with the mental and physical challenges our riders endure as they head back to the Basque coast to finish where they started.

Riders will be on their own from the moment they cross the line, until their return. Pitting bodies, minds, and ingenuity against the elements and their fellow riders, for most finishing alone is victory enough.