pyrenean
RAllY
1st Editon
PRN#1
07-June-2026
Accreditation
Llançà – Spain
Participants are briefed and accredited on a sunny afternoon on the Mediterranean shore at a campsite near Cap de Creus, Spain. After checking that they have all the required equipment to safely tackle the long route, they receive a gear bag to store their road tyres. They will find the bags later at CP2, on the other side of the Pyrenees, on the Atlantic coast. There, they will swap tyres before entering the long paved section that will lead them back to the Mediterranean.
The Pyrenean Rally starts tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. Ahead of the riders lie 1,800 kilometres and 46,000 metres of climbing. Ahead of them are quiet backroads, sublime double tracks, and iconic cols. Grocery store opening hours are anyone’s guess; afternoon thunderstorms, on the other hand, can be counted on to arrive every day.
The two-week cut-off sounds reasonable on paper. The next two weeks will prove anything but reasonable.
and off they are
into the Catalan Pyrenees
The riders quickly left the Mediterranean hills behind, battled through a few hours of afternoon heat, and finally found cooler air above 2,000 metres on the first mountain passes.
By mid-afternoon, with all the riders already deep in the Pyrenees, the blue sky had turned grey, and the peaks disappeared behind the clouds. But this time, the riders were spared, and the afternoon storm decided to strike somewhere else.
Joe and Lieven led the pack and gradually built a gap throughout the day before finally stopping for some sleep around midnight, exactly as planned.
Cornelia kept a steady pace until 8:00 p.m. After climbing 5,000 metres, she called it a day and found a hotel in the charming village of Setcases. It’s a long route. Patience pays.
Maarten and Robrecht steadily chased the two leaders well into the night before pitching their tent at around 2:00 a.m.
The tracking system is one of the most crucial aspects of a self-supported event. Following our 6 Hours Alliance, we wanted even greater accuracy. After just 60 kilometres, we set up our first checkpoint, waiting for the participants in front of the Romanesque church of Albanyà to check their GPS trackers and replace or reposition any malfunctioning devices. It was also an opportunity for the riders to make their first resupply stop.
CP1
Llavorsí, km 400
Lieven Schroyen is the first rider to reach CP1 in late afternoon of the second day, with Joe Jackson checking in just 15 minutes later.
Lieven stopped by the grocery store, picked up some instant noodles, cooked them in the checkpoint kitchen, and restocked for the next 100 kilometres. Joe opted for a warm meal at a restaurant before booking a hostel in the next town.
Their bike setups—and consequently their approaches to the Rally—could hardly be more different.
Lieven rides a rigid mountain bike and carries a complete sleep system, including a lightweight tent. His strategy is simple: “I’ll ride until midnight and find a place to camp.”
Joe, on the other hand, rides a gravel bike with a minimal setup that includes little more than the mandatory gear and an emergency bivy. The lighter bike helps him on the climbs, but it also means relying on accommodation every night. That takes time to book, often requires arranging late check-ins, and leaves little flexibility when accommodation options along the route are limited.
Robrecht and Maarten reached CP1 later that evening, around four hours behind the leaders. As they sat down for dinner, rain began to fall, making the decision to spend the night at the checkpoint an easy one.
They rolled out early the next morning, setting off on the long climb to Collado del Triador, an endless gravel road that is one of the most iconic sections of the route.
Cornelia Hug reached CP1 around midday on the third day. None of the riders looked as fresh, relaxed, and in such good spirits as Cornelia. She is riding with a light, minimal setup, which means she relies on accommodation each night. Her approach is all about early starts, a steady pace, and finishing each day well before dark, avoiding night riding and taking the time to enjoy the views.
There’s still a long route ahead, but she appeared right on schedule and in great shape for an ambitious 10-day finish.
CP2
Tyre Swap – Elizondo, km 900
Lieven Schroyen is the first rider to reach CP2, he checked in late at night on the fourth day of the Rally, enjoyed a warm meal, and spent the night at the checkpoint.
Early the next morning, he got to work on his bike, swapping his Thunder Burts for G-One Speed tyres, setting them up tubeless, and replacing his brake pads. The tyre swap took about an hour and was anything but straightforward, involving the usual amount of sealant spilled on the floor and tyres that seemed determined not to seat.
Joe Jackson rolled into CP2 on the morning of the fifth day, just a couple of hours after Lieven had left. In his own words, he was “happy not to have to ride any gravel for the next 900 kilometres.”
His tyre swap couldn’t have been more efficient. Everything had clearly been planned well in advance, and his gear bag was packed with all the tools he needed for the job. It took Joe just one hour to swap tyres, set them up tubeless, leave the service area spotless, restock at the supermarket, and head back out towards the Atlantic coast.
Joe swapped his 2.2″ Conti Dubnitals for 35 mm Conti Grand Prix tyres. His gravel bike should now give him an advantage over the next 900 kilometres of tarmac. From his bike choice to his setup, every aspect of his Rally has been carefully thought through, and so far his execution has been flawless.
Robrecht is keeping the gap to the two leaders under 24 hours. After four long days in the saddle, he is understandably tired, but still enthusiastic about the scenery.
We caught up with him early in the morning on the endless climb to Ordesa, one of the most beautiful sections of the route and home to one of the most iconic double tracks in the Pyrenees.
The trail climbs above the treeline and just keeps going and going, above 2,000 metres, along the edge of the Ordesa Canyon, before finally descending into the old town of Torla.
LE COLS
The French Pyrenees
It’s the sixth day of the Rally. Lieven, Joe, and Robrecht are heading into the heart of the French Pyrenees under a solid blue sky and temperatures above 30°C. By sunset, the day’s heat gives way to a chilly 5°C on the high cols.
It’s a day of the classics. By sunset, Lieven is on top of the Tourmalet, Joe is descending the Col d’Aubisque, and Robrecht is tackling the Col de Marie-Blanque. Less than 100 kilometres apart, they are taking on some of the Pyrenees’ most iconic climbs. If they keep up this pace, they should reach the finish line by Sunday evening after an impressive eight-day ride.
FINISH
Back to the Mediterranean
After 7 days and 14 hours, Lieven Schroyen is the first rider to make it back to the Mediterranean. He arrived before sunset and took a swim at the beach.
His approach and plan was simple: ride until midnight and find a place to camp – restock at grocery stores for the next 24 hours. He stopped for an average of 7 hours a day. It worked flawlessly.
Joe Jackson rolled in about two hours after Lieven. Similar finish times, but opposite approaches and bike setups. Joe is an experienced ultracyclist, but this was his first time tackling a route of this distance. He was always enthusiastic about the scenery, but he confessed that at some point those beautiful cols become just one less col to cross on the way to the finish – 1,800 km with 46,000 meters of climbing is a beast of a route, needless to say one of the toughest events around.
Cornelia Hug is back at the beach after 10 long days in the mountains.
As an experienced ultracyclist, she doesn’t mind pushing through the night, but on such a long route, she chose to get proper rest and ride mostly in daylight. To keep her setup as light as possible, she skipped any sleeping system and stayed in accommodation instead. But arranging late check-ins is not always possible, so she was usually up and riding by 5 in the morning, keeping it steady until 7 in the evening. Plenty of time to check in, have dinner, rest… and repeat.
She took on the long route through highs and lows, but still remembered to make the most of her holidays and the long summer days, spending most of her time riding in daylight. At first, she was aiming for an 11- or 12-day finish, but after swapping tyres and entering the paved section that brings riders back to the Mediterranean, she realised she was moving faster than expected. In the end, she made it back in just 10 days.
Chapeau, Cornelia!
