28-September-2025
The PRENAICA served as the zero edition of the Pyrenean Rally, testing the coast-to-coast mixed-terrain route across the Pyrenees, establish the foundations, validate checkpoints, and gather route feedback.
accreditation
Llançà
About 50 riders completed accreditation at the tourist office in Llançà. Bikepackers from all over the world are ready to set off on an epic ride across the Pyrenees. The route ahead covers 1,000 km with 25,000 metres of climbing, mostly on fast-rolling double tracks and secondary roads, with some rocky trails and just enough hike-a-bike to connect everything. Most of the participants embraced the latest trend in gravel bikes, fitting the widest tyres their frames could take. Others are riding Salsa Cutthroats, while some tackle the route on hardtail mountain bikes
– DotWatcher.cc –
The first autumn front arrived in the week before departure, bringing snow above 1,000 metres and a noticeable chill. The forecast for the week ahead looks steady, though nights in the high mountains may still dip below zero.
Tomorrow morning, Sunday 28 September, we will meet at Sant Silvestre de Valleta — a small medieval church on the hills outside town. Departure is scheduled just before sunrise.
CP1
km300 // Tuixent, Cadí-Moixeró
They all set off at a fast pace, as usual, rolling out of the Mediterranean hills and already heading into the mountains by the afternoon. Alta Garrotxa welcomed them with the first long climb, a relentless ascent from the Muga valley that pulled them deeper into the mountains. One climb after another, they reached the Ter valley and the first mountain passes above the tree line.
By the time night arrived, Fabien Le Gallo, Adrien Guilmin, and Markus Valentin had built a considerable gap, keeping it steady, one climb after the other, to finally reach CP1 in Tuixent late in the evening. Three hundred kilometres had already been processed — a third of the route — in just over 12 hours. They are welcomed with warm soup and grilled chicken, they decide to take a warm shower and get some sleep. Markus arrives a few hours later, slowed by tendon pain that suddenly appeared on the last climb. He considers scratching but decides to rest and give it a go the next morning. Around three in the morning, they have breakfast. Outside, it is still freezing cold, and they prepare to leave the hostel.
Maxi Unger signs in at CP1 as the first female rider. She arrives on the morning of the second day after 24 hours on the route. She never really rushed; she never really stopped. She gets her brevet card stamped, has breakfast, and prepares to leave. Most participants arrive throughout the afternoon and evening, with the majority spending the night in the hostel.
CP2
km650 // Torla-Ordea
Markus leaves CP1 in pain, and after a few pedal strokes it becomes clear that he has to scratch. He pedals 40 km to the next town, La Seu, finds accommodation, and begins arranging his withdrawal. Scratching from this route in these small mountain towns is never straightforward — it often means riding to a larger town, packing the bike onto a bus to a city, and finally catching a train to the finish line.
Fabien leads all through day two. He is a climber. A roady by trade, he rides off-piste for the first time. His gravel frame holds only 40 mm tyres — underbiked for this route. He keeps a steady pace until midnight, when descending a rocky trail — proper MTB terrain, probably the most technical section of the route — he crashes. “Don’t wait for me at CP2. I crashed on the last section of gravel. My quad hit a rock and is totally useless. I can barely walk, and putting power on the pedals is impossible.”
Adrien chases Fabien all day, climb after climb, riding close behind. When night falls, he finds himself alone in the lead. He keeps riding in the dark, heading into Ordesa National Park, and reaches CP2 in the early morning, with a 150 km gap to the second rider, Fabien.
Maxi is the first female rider to reach CP2. She is in good spirits, still stoked by the views from the mountain pass above Ordesa Canyon. She has maintained a steady pace, managing resupply and taking some reasonable rest. After three days and 650 km, she looks unstoppable.
finish line
km1.000 // Hondarribia
After a thousand kilometers, Adrien Guilmin reaches the other side of the Pyrenees ad the first man. Visibly beaten yet still supple on the pedals, making it look almost effortless while he rolls into the beautiful Basque hills. He reaches the ocean just before sunset on the fourth day. He has been fast. He has been resilient. Enduring the long route while avoiding crashes and mechanicals, always managing some rest and steering clear of exhaustion. Chapó, Adrien.
Maxi Unger is the first woman and 7th overall to reach Hondarribia, completing the full crossing of the Pyrenees in just about five days. She only started cycling six months ago and quickly got hooked on bikepacking. Maxi is clearly a gifted and committed rider, but what’s truly impressive is how, without any outdoor background, she has already mastered skills that usually take years to perfect: knowing what to pack and what to leave behind to stay light and safe, fixing mechanicals, managing long days in the mountains, planning resupplies, and striking the right balance between effort and rest. Look out for her name in many ultracycling seasons to come!
Outer Detours
Tour Operator
I-AV-0004875.1
