VERDICT A young UCI qualifier with grown-up altitude and 7,500 feet of climbing in only 62 miles.
A training plan for Pyrénées Catalanes Gravel Tour—shaped to your fitness and the hours you have.
A high-altitude UCI qualifier built from three Pyrenean loops and a late trip to 2,006 metres.
The event debuted in Les Angles in 2025 and moved to Font-Romeu for its second UCI Gravel World Series edition. Founded in 2025. By The 66 Degrés Sud organizing team.
Reputation: A new high-altitude French UCI qualifier with immediate elite-field credibility.
A three-loop, high-altitude UCI qualifier from Font-Romeu. The eastern loop reaches Col du Calvaire and returns at 39 km; the southern loop adds a 10 km climb and returns at 76 km; the final northern loop reaches Pic de la Calma at 2,006 m before a downhill finish.
Signature challenge: Arriving at the final 25 km with enough climbing power left for Pic de la Calma, then descending cleanly to Font-Romeu after a day spent near 6,000 feet.
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A late-September race entirely above roughly 1,760 metres brings meaningful wind, cold-rain, and temperature-swing risk. The climate is a real preparation variable without being an inherently extreme-weather event.[1]
Font-Romeu is a mountain resort about 1 hour 40 minutes from Perpignan airport, with Carcassonne and Toulouse as alternatives. Resort lodging helps, but international riders still need a car or a carefully planned transfer into the Catalan Pyrenees.[2]
Three mountain loops link Mont-Louis, La Llagonne, Eyne 2600, and Pic de la Calma across the Cerdagne plateau. The high Pyrenean setting and late summit make the 100 km course feel larger than its distance.[1]
UCI Gravel World Series status gives the second edition international relevance, and Romain Bardet won the inaugural 2025 event. Two editions do not yet create the history or cultural weight required for national-icon scoring.[1]
Race it if UCI age-group stakes and a compact mountain course appeal to you. Skip it if you cannot arrive with either altitude exposure or a conservative pacing plan.
Research sources used to build this race profile. Always verify details with official race sources before making travel or registration decisions.