The 9th and final edition of the French Divide. This one was unique from all previous editions, starting in Strasbourg, Alsace for the first time and finishing in the village of Mendionde, Pays-Basque.
This final edition was to be the longest, toughest, most extreme route and it didn’t disappoint in that regard. Over 2000km long with 40,000m of climbing, it threw everything at you. Long days and nights of heavy rain and thunderstorms in the North, freezing cold mist on the edge of the Cantal Mountains before emerging into Occitanie and the Cevenne Mountains for intense 36c heat and 7 hour climbs.
Riders faced days of slippery unrideable mud, flooded tracks, non-existent field trails, questionable routing along ancient overgrown mountain side deer tracks, through waterfalls and tricky river crossings, hike-a-bike down steep boulder-strewn hillsides and traversing some of France’s most desolate mountain ranges and plateaus.
Those that emerged victorious experienced breathtaking views, with mesmerising displays of colourful butterflies, curious new birdcall, elusive wildlife such as pine martens, muntjack and in my case a family of wild boar up close.
All knitted together by a network of excellent boulangeries, pizzerias, village shops & remote cafe-bars served by bewildered-looking staff. By the end I thought a more appropriate name to French Divide was La Grande Tournee de Boulangeries, such was the amount I visited!
The feeling of elation when I finally crossed the finish line was beyond words, the accumulation of intense determination, huge fatigue and pushing way beyond. A beer after six weeks without. And a few days rest in the fantastic region of Pays-Basque.
If someone continues this in the future, with a different route, I’ll find it difficult to say no.
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