The inaugural Euro Cycle Festival unfolded last weekend in the picturesque town of Millau, France, delivering a weekend packed with cycling excitement and breathtaking routes. More than just another cyclosportive in a stunning French locale, this festival presented an extended weekend celebration of all things cycling. Attendees enjoyed a bike show showcasing the latest products, two days dedicated to test riding new bikes from leading brands, a challenging gravel ride, an uphill time trial, and much more. Chris Selden from PezCyclingNews was there to experience the action firsthand and bring you this report.
My bike with the famous Millau viaduct in the background. At least my bike was ready for the race…me, not so much.
Initially learning about the Euro Cycle Festival around Christmas, it immediately struck me as an exceptional event and an ideal motivation to regain peak fitness. As I mentioned in my event preview, my physical condition might not have been ideal, but the festival’s diverse offerings extended far beyond the main 150km mountainous cyclosportive, ensuring a fantastic experience regardless of race performance.
Millau, situated in the Averyon region of Southern France, is simply a must-visit destination for cycling enthusiasts. The area boasts demanding climbs, enchanting valley roads, and truly spectacular scenery. The descent into Millau itself immediately sets the tone for the riding experience – expect hills, but prepare to be amazed by the views. Millau has frequently hosted the Tour de France, including the upcoming edition where Stage 15 will commence there, tackling the previously unfeatured Pic de Nore climb, which I previewed earlier for PezCyclingNews.
For the festival weekend, Millau, a city of 22,000 residents, welcomed an influx of 1,000 cyclists, organizers, and volunteers. The city’s central park transformed into the vibrant heart of the festival, hosting an impressive bike show.
This wasn’t your typical hands-off bike show; the Euro Cycle Festival show was designed for interaction. Cyclosportive participants had the unique opportunity to test ride the newest bike models from renowned manufacturers such as Cannondale, Look, Canyon, Giant, and several boutique brands. French brand S1neo particularly captured attention with their customizable and stylish bikes.
The S1neo 599 model, a collaboration with Mavic to complement their new ‘Allure’ clothing line, was a standout. This stunning machine featured a subtle yet elegant color scheme and, like all S1neo bikes, offered extensive customization. This particular model was equipped with Ultegra components, but customers could tailor specifications such as stem size, cassette, and wheels to their preferences.
Campagnolo also presented their latest innovation at the show – the new 12-speed groupset. This is double the gears I raced with 25 years ago! Read PEZ Cycling News’ review of the Campagnolo 12-speed drivetrain here.
Choosing to conserve my energy for the main race, I opted out of the planned gravel ride and the uphill time trial on the famous Pouncho climb, known for its paragliding launches. Instead, I ventured only a kilometer up this challenging climb to photograph a more daring cyclist.
A local cyclist takes on the initial section of the Pouncho climb, a 6.5km ascent at 6.9%. The record, previously held by Ag2r’s Alexandre Geniez at 21m55s, was broken during the festival by local triathlete Simon Dubocage in 21m28s.
Paragliders take flight from the Pouncho summit throughout the year.
A glimpse from the gravel ride event, featuring fantastic trails, ideal weather, and breathtaking scenery.
Race Day
After two enjoyable days exploring new cycling gear, the charming town of Millau, and engaging with fellow cycling enthusiasts, it was time for the main event – the 150km Ronde des Causses Cyclosportive. Unfortunately, the weather took a turn for the worse, becoming unexpectedly harsh.
Me at the starting line in approximately 5° Celsius and light rain. This was the best weather we experienced all day!
With forecasts predicting severe cold and wet conditions, the number of participants at the start line was considerably smaller than anticipated. The organizers wisely decided to shorten the route, removing one of the climbs, but we still faced 130km of riding in freezing temperatures. Having recently experienced heat and sun in my region just south of Millau, I hadn’t packed adequate winter gear. I was soon to discover that this lack of appropriate cold and wet weather clothing would be a significant challenge.
The initial pace was relaxed, and despite the rain and cold, I could appreciate the valley’s beauty and the meticulous organization of the race. The roads were 100% closed to traffic, with officials at every junction, motorcycle marshals ensuring safety, police maintaining road closures, and numerous volunteers – all enduring the freezing conditions. Hats off to these dedicated individuals; their efforts were truly appreciated.
Not being a natural climber, mountain ascents aren’t usually my highlight, but this race was an exception. I was actually looking forward to climbing to warm up a bit. When the first climb began after 20km, the almost 9km ascent was a welcome relief. However, my legs weren’t performing optimally, and I soon found myself dropped from the lead group but managed to join a good group of riders. Despite climbing to only 900m altitude, the temperature plummeted further. The combination of rain, sleet, and a fierce northerly wind quickly caused my hands to protest. I needed to stop, but my fingers were too numb to effectively operate the brakes!
Eventually, I stopped and after a 10-minute struggle, managed to extract my camera from my pocket. However, my fingers were too uncoordinated to work it properly, resulting in this blurry photo…
After jumping around and vigorously shaking my arms, I managed to regain some feeling in my hands and continued. This pattern of long stops to warm up, where my fingers were simply unusable, became a recurring theme throughout the day. With over 25 years of cycling experience, I can confidently say that I have never been so cold on a bike in my life!
I spent 25 minutes at one food stop, sheltering from the falling snow and drinking numerous cups of hot tea.
The scenery throughout the day was incredible, despite the weather. Unfortunately, operating my camera was too difficult to capture it properly. I did stop for 20 minutes during this cool switchback climb of the Cote de la Malene to warm up and eventually managed to take this photo.
These photos from the local weather service vividly illustrate the dramatic difference in conditions between Saturday and Sunday at higher altitudes!
It was either wet…
…or snowy during the race. Despite the weather, there were still smiles out there – or were they grimaces?
Hopefully, the exceptionally harsh weather won’t deter organizers and participants from future Euro Cycle Festivals. It was truly an unusual weather event, and it was a shame it coincided with race day. The organization, the scenery, and the roads were top-notch, and the Euro Cycle Festival has the potential to become a premier cycling event in France. I’m confident that those of us who endured the inaugural event this past Sunday will look back and laugh about it as the event grows in popularity.
If you’re considering a cyclosportive in France next year, in a stunning region with superb organization on closed roads, and with the added attractions of a test day, gravel ride, and hill climb time trial, then the EuroCycleFestival is a must. I know I’ll certainly be returning.
Chris Selden is an Australian, former racer with extensive global racing and riding experience. He has been writing for PezCyclingNews for 15 years. Follow his adventures on his Instagram page, learn more about his rental property in the South of France here, or contact him directly at [email protected] for inquiries regarding Readers’ Rigs, My Favorite Climb, or other features.
Enjoy PEZ? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for updates and cycling news!
[
