Nearly all major professional cycling races have their own amateur versions, many maintaining their competitive nature, others, like in the North, opting for a non-competitive format to focus more on the local area and the conviviality of historic cycling venues. But what's happening around the Bordeaux-Paris is completely different. Here, history is being used as a starting point to focus directly on cycle tourism.
A historic event, rooted in cycling
To understand what we're talking about, we can't ignore what the Bordeaux-Paris race has meant to the world of cycling. We're talking about a classic unlike any other: in the last century, until its last edition 47 years ago, it was the alternative to the Giro d'Italia , the premier destination for those who chose not to participate in the Giro d'Italia but instead traveled to race this unique classic.
It is a race of over 600 kilometers and only a few could participate, because long stretches of the route were raced behind derny, thus following a motorized vehicle to develop greater speed . While in the heroic times even the greats of cycling chose to take part and even made it one of their goals, progressively, with the evolution of the technical means and the constant changes in the calendar (and also in the cycling environment itself), the allure of such a long race was lost. Thus the race gradually faded until it disappeared.
A relaunch in a different context
For years there had been talk of its revival in various forms and if on the one hand there had been a decision to change the target, no longer addressing professional cycling but amateur cycling, all ideas were continually fading in the face of prohibitive costs and a formula that had no equivalent. Until a complete change of perspective.
The Bordeaux-Paris was recently revived and will return this year, from May 22nd to 24th, as an event halfway between competitive cycling and cycle tourism , as is increasingly happening. It caters to those who love competition but also, and above all, to those who want to explore the region. This is somewhat similar to the idea behind the mother of all these events, the quadrennial Paris-Brest-Paris.
The many ways to participate
The 650-kilometer route, largely retraced along the old professional race routes, features 10 checkpoints along the way, some of which offer refreshments, in Montbron, Chateauroux, and Blois. The organizers have created various versions of this event, which can be ridden individually, in pairs with a mid-course changeover, or as a relay of four riders, or even a "light" 350-kilometer version.
The start is at 2:00 PM from the Bordeaux Velodrome on Friday, and it will be up to each participant to decide for themselves, just like at the PBP , choosing to cover the kilometers at full speed or to prefer a slow pace, enjoying the route, having the opportunity to rest at one of the scheduled checkpoints, with the sole goal of being at the finish line in Magny-les-Hameaux, about thirty kilometers southwest of the historic center of the capital, by 8:00 AM on Sunday.
A cue to return more calmly
You can participate on road or recumbent bikes, but also on pedal-assist bikes, which, based on registrations, seem to be the preferred option precisely because many want to tackle the event without the hassle of a stopwatch . Along the route, there are some rules to follow, including to comply with local road traffic regulations, such as the prohibition of riding in groups of more than 10 cyclists, and above all, no more than two parallel lines are permitted, considering that you'll be riding in open traffic.
Those who have already undertaken it say that it is a journey that brings you into close contact with the reality of the territory beyond the Alps, in its countryside, as it gradually approaches the great metropolis , starting from one of the paradises of the winemaking world not only in France but to change perspective kilometer after kilometer, also savouring the history and culture of the place, touching villages where you still have a sense of the history of the territory but also of its culture different from ours.
Three days to complete the route
Many came to ride these roads with competitive ambitions, but they were so enchanted by the area that they wanted to return later to experience it more closely, planning a true cycling holiday, enchanted by the colors that the climb up the heart of France offers at the end of May. They also came to understand why so many champions subjected themselves to such a grueling ordeal, tackling the entire route in a single day . But doing it without the pressure of the stopwatch and the rankings is much better...
