TGS Raid Pyrénéen - Day 0: Spanish warm-up

This year's annual TGS cycling trip was a break from the norm.

Unlike previous trips, we wouldn't be basing ourselves in one location and completing a series of out-and-backs or loops (or not as has been the case), returning each day to the comfort of a familiar hotel, rather we would be going point-to-point as we traversed the length of the Pyrenees between Cerbère on the Mediterranean coast and Hendaye on the Atlantic (ultimately ending up in Biarritz for a celebratory blow-out).

We were taking on the challenge of completing the Raid Pyrénéen – a 720 km route passing over 18+ cols to be completed in under 100 hours – and we had each contacted the Cyclo-Club Béarnais to obtain our official  "carnet", which we would get stamped at various control points (cafés or shops) along the route.

For many (read most) of the group the sheer volume (distance and ascent) of cycling, on back-to-back days, was something that they had not, or had the inclination to, undertake before. The levels of training reflected this and the group turned up at the Stansted Airport looking leaner and more prepared than ever before.

A set of kit for every day, naturally

Our departure from Stansted to Perpignan was at an uncharacteristically sociable hour for a sports trip and I even had time to spend the morning with Vicky and Edie (I would be leaving poor Vicky with our gorgeous 8 week old daughter for the duration of the 6 day trip – a very understanding wife – and I would miss them terribly) before driving to the airport. After an uneventful flight (with all bikes safely loaded onto the plane) we soon had a fab view of the beach/Mediterranean that we would be so briefly staying with and the foothills of the mountains we would soon be meeting.

More 'energy' than a man could need (and a slight OCD tendency)

On arriving in Cerbère we met up with Steve, who would be driving our support vehicle for the duration of the trip, and quickly put together our bikes to head out for a short test ride.

I am pretty sure the test ride was at Steve's suggestion as, having seen our woeful attempts to put together our bikes and the clear variation of ability levels in the group, he was no doubt slightly concerned about how long he would be out on the road with us for the next five days.

Thankfully our short climb up to the Spanish border did something at least to convince Steve that we could, in fact, ride bikes and that we were not complete jokers. Or he was simply too polite to say anything.

Cerbère - not much going on!

A huge carb loading dinner at our hotel (to compliment the pizzas we had snaffled an hour prior whilst building our bikes), was followed by a quick dip in the Med before we all headed to bed to get some much needed sleep.

Day 1 would be a big day (the longest) and storms were being predicted.