Tag: cycling Pyrenees

If you ever cycled the classical Transpyrenees, maybe you will be interested in the Spanish Transpyrenees. In this coast to coast cycling trip on the south side of the Pyrenees, there are three main advantages over the northern French side: better weather always on the southern Spanish side, milder gradients of the mountains, often no-so-steep as the french climbs, better quality of hotels and food in Spain compared to the French side (and better pricing at the same time!) Spanish Transpyrenees trip in 8 stages Stage 1 Hondarribia-Sant Jean de Pied de Port 108 km (1956 m elevation) with Aritxulegi, Agiña, and Izpegi. Even if there are three climbs in this stage, the starting stage is a doable warm-up stage. Fantastic Izpegi, as you all probably know. Stage 2 Sant Jean de Pied de Port - Isaba 87Km (2600 m elevation) with Burdinkurutxeta, Bagargi, and Port de Larrau. This stage is mainly on French territory, but at the top of Larrau is the border with Spain. Very interesting and demanding stage including the unpronounceable Burdinkurutxeta (which means iron cross in the Basque language), with very steep sections. Then the beautiful Bagargui (connected to the close-up Chalets de Iraty). In that part, the road goes through the fabulous Bosque de Iraty. After the steep descent the third climb of the day is Port de Larrau, one of the steepest in all of the Pyrenees. This climb was the battleground on Tour de France 1996 in a stage that ended in Pamplona. Stage 3 Isaba-Sabiñánigo 129 km (2257 m elevation) with Pierre St Martin (HC), Puerto de Somport (1C) This is a very interesting stage as both climbs included are not usual at all in any Transpyrenees coast to coast trip. At the top of both climbs it is the french-Spanish border.