Race Across France 2026: the route in detail
Course designed by Race Across, traced and recognized by Pascal Bride.
All our routes are still subject to modification following ongoing prefectoral authorizations and reconnaissance carried out up to a few weeks before the race.
Please note that these routes are subject to change: the definitive GPX files will be sent 30 days before the event.
start of the race across France 1000km from Anglet, photo: @jennifernguyen.p
The roads change, but the spirit remains the same
In 2026, the Race Across France renews all its departures, but retains its legendary finish in Mandelieu-la-Napoule.
This final point is not just a destination: it's a symbol. It's a symbol of achievement, of the Mediterranean as a reward after days of struggle and light.
And this year, the finish will take on a new dimension, coupled with the Outdoor Cycling Festival, a weekend-long celebration of cycling and the ultra community.
The spirit of Race Across France 2026
Every summer, the Race Across France brings together those looking to measure themselves. It's an adventure, yes, but it's also a race against oneself and against time.
Ten days, four days, forty-eight hours... the distance doesn't matter: what counts is getting to the end.
Every year, athletes from all over the world redefine what it means to "do ultra". They push back fatigue, doubts and sometimes the limits of their bodies to cross the line in Mandelieu.
Five formats for 2026 :
2500 km - La grande traversée intégrale
1000 km - Central and southern mountains
500 km - The purest alpine experience
300 km - The Ventoux as supreme judge
200 km By Night - A unique nocturnal adventure
RAF 2500 km - From the Atlantic to the Mediterranean
Departure point: Hendaye, Basque Country
Ascent: 28,600 m D+ (gradient)
Departure date: 18/06/2026
Maximum lead time: 10 days - 240 hours
Dropbags: Orléans, BollÚne
Bases: Créon (km 517), Orléans (km 1145), Albertville (km 1846), BollÚne (km 2159)
Major difficulties: Pays Basque, Aubisque pass, Soulor pass, Grand Colombier pass, Mont Ventoux
The RAF 2026 route
A legendary diagonal
The RAF 2500 km is the founding distance, linking France from coast to coast. A complete crossing, rich in contrasts, of 20 départements and 28 Cents Cols. A 2026 edition slightly softened in terms of altitude, but still with a formidable intensity.
Start from Hendaye - Race Across France 2500km - photo: @pascalbride
Phase 1: Atlantic and Pyrénées Atlantiques (0-250 km)
From Hendaye onwards, the sea quickly fades behind the first foothills of the Pyrenees and the fearsome Pays Basques Français.
The climbs of the Col d'Aubisque (1709 m, 16.6 km at 7.2%) and the Soulor set the tone: the RAF leaves no time to warm up until the famous basilica of Lourdes. Breathtaking panoramas, historic Tour de France routes, and already the first internal battles. In the history of the "Tour de France", the Col d'Aubisque has been one of the legendary climbs of the Grande Boucle since its first appearance in 1910, and has been on the program of the Tour since 74 times on this most difficult slope via Laruns. Henri Desgranges, founder of the Grande Boucle, put it this way: "There's nothing in the world more hypocritical than the Aubisque. It's ugly, tortuous and often muddy. Well, when it's not a storm of dust and stones." Breathtaking panoramas, but its location can make the climb chaotic because of the weather!!!!
Aubisque Soulor in the mist - photo @pascalbride
Phase 2: Southwest valleys and the Loire (250-1150 km)
The route then crosses the Gers and the Gascon bastides before reaching CrĂ©on (km 500), the first Basecamp: an oasis of calm and comfort, often synonymous with the first real sleep. Then on to the vineyards of Saint-Ămilion, the banks of the Gironde and the majestic Loire Valley. But watch out for the Charente river crossing, which can be quite surprising at times, with its succession of plateaus and more rolling hills than it looks on paper... Crossing the PNR "Loire Anjou Touraine" is a pure wonder of solitude, and when you reach the road to the Loire Castles, the magic is complete. Between Saumur, Champchevrier, Chaumont sur Loire and Chambord, the castles go by, the legs go round, and the mind goes wild.
Chateau de Chambord - KM1085 - photo @pascalbride
Phase 3: The mountainous heartland (1150-1850 km)
At Orléans (km 1145), the second Basecamp marks the symbolic passage to the second half of the crossing, and the real difficulties of the RAF begin. An essential pause before entering the Morvan Regional Park and its traps. A granite island in the heart of Burgundy, the Morvan is a small, rounded mountain range offering magnificent views of unspoilt nature. The streams and large lakes that dot the massif are omnipresent.
The Rebout pass, the Bibracte oppidum, then Autun and its Roman gates are a reminder that inland France has a breath of its own. And what can we say about that dreaded crossing of the Ain? A few moments totally out of time with the small roads of the Jura foothills, the Vouglans dam and its green lake and the famous "BelvédÚre des Aigles" above the Lac de Coiselet .....Les merveilles du Jura before the difficult ascent of the "Grand Colombier" via Lochieux (13 km at 7%) before returning to a classic passage through the Massif des Bauges, the door to which opens with the discreet Col de Chambotte above the Lac du Bourget.
Phase 4: The Alps and Ventoux (1800-2470 km)
seen during the descent of the Grand Colombier - Lac du bourget - RhĂŽne - photo: @pascalbride
At Albertville (km 1850), the third Basecamp opens the gates to the Alps.
It's time to take a breather, repair, and set off again for the high mountains. The cornice of the Drac and the crossing of the Diois via the Triéves are really a succession of sumptuous little passes. Then the heat of the DrÎme heralds the transition to the south.
At BollĂšne (km 2160), the last Basecamp before the Mediterranean, we're already breathing in Provence.
Then there's Mont Ventoux via MalaucĂšne, its 21.2 km at 7.2%, then the passage over the Col des TempĂȘtes before the triumphant descent to Mandelieu.
RAF 1000 km - Through the heart of the mountains
The RAF 1000KM course
Ascent: 15,000 m D+ (gradient)
Departure point: Orléans
Departure date: 06/24/2026
Maximum lead time: 4 days - 96 hours
Dropbag: BollĂšne
Bases: Gueugnon (km 330), BollĂšne (km 760)
Major difficulties: Morvan Massif, Col du Rebout, Col de MĂ©zilhac, Gorges de l'ArdĂšche, Mont Ventoux
The 1,000-km route starts inOrléans and heads for the Basecamp in Gueugnon on a relatively rolling course.
Then it's on to the Monts d'ArdĂšche, offering breathtaking panoramas before plunging into the RhĂŽne valley and BollĂšne. As with the 2,500 km, the rest of the route leads to Mont Ventoux, before the final descent to the Mediterranean. The RAF 1000 km begins in the gentle Loire Valley before plunging southwards towards the hills. A condensed diagonal, where each region marks a new chapter.
Ultra-distance condensed
The RAF 1000 km begins in the gentle Loire Valley before plunging southwards into the mountains.
A condensed diagonal, where each region marks a new chapter.
Phase 1: From the Loire to Morvan (0-330 km)
lac de Chaumeçon on the Morvan roads - photo @pascalbride
Before reaching it, the route follows the gentle, rolling Loire Valley. Cyclists leave the plains of Orléans to follow the meandering river through the emblematic landscapes of central France. Between discreet chateaux, pale stone villages and Loire vineyards, this section allows you to find the right tempo before the first real climbs. The light here is distinctive - golden, low-angled - and the Loire accompanies the riders like a guiding thread to the first hills.
Gradually, the scenery changes, the roads become narrower, the forests denser: welcome to the Morvan, a wild and sincere territory.
Long straights give way to a succession of bumps, valleys and forgotten passes. The Col du Rebout and Lac de Chaumeçon form a formidable duo, already demanding for the legs but splendid for the eyes.
And that's when Gueugnon, a small town nestled at the gateway to the Massif Central, comes into view as a welcome interlude.
This first Basecamp marks a real break in the adventure: time to breathe, to eat, to check the bike... and above all, to feel the human warmth specific to these places that make up the soul of the Race Across France.
And Gueugnon is not a stage like the others.
It's a town dear to our founder, the one that saw him grow up, ride his first bikes and dream of the great outdoors. So yes, we often joke that we "pass through Gueugnon a little too often" đ But when you see the welcome reserved for the riders, you understand why. Between the ever-smiling volunteers, the shared meals and the simple conviviality of the place, Gueugnon is much more than a Basecamp : it's a return to its roots.
Phase 2: From Charolais to Massif Central (330-760 km)
From Gueugnon, the road rises slowly, as if to test the determination of the riders.
The landscapes gradually change: plains give way to forests, villages become more spaced out, the relief more assertive. We enter the Monts du Pilat, where the road undulates without ever really resting. Deep gorges, rolling passes and long wooded stretches remind us that the Race Across France is as much a mental adventure as a physical one. Each bend reveals a new setting: a perched hamlet, a river below, or a lonely road that seems to reach for the sky.
Phase 3: ArdĂšche, Ventoux and Mediterranean (760-1075 km)
the ardĂšche gorges on the RAF 1000 2026 route - photo @pascalbride
Then comes the rugged Haute-Loire, where the wind often blows head-on. Here, silence is total - interrupted only by the sound of wheels on asphalt. The winding roads stretch between high-altitude meadows and sleepy villages, before the road swings into the Monts d'ArdĂšche.
This massif, a veritable playground for hardy cyclists, offers a blend of emotion and endurance. Hanging roads, stone villages, windswept plateaus and panoramic views as far as the eye can see: every climb is a reward. The road winds between forests and ridges, and with each descent, the south becomes a little more apparent. In the Rhone valley, the light changes - warmer, more golden, more Mediterranean. The ArdĂšche gorges and the Pont d'Arc mark the transition to the Baronnies and lavender fields.
The Ventoux via MalaucĂšne closes this exceptional diagonal before the descent to Mandelieu. The last 300 km are shared with the RAF 2500 route.
RAF 500 km - Ultra-mountaineering
Ascent: 8,500 m D+ (gradient)
Departure point: Albertville
Departure date: 26/06/2026
Maximum lead time: 48 hours
Basecamp : Barcelonnette (km 245)
Major difficulties: Col du Télégraphe, Col du Galibier, Col de Vars, Col d'Allos, Col du Tanneron
The RAF 500KM Course
The Alpine monster
It's a shorter course... but also the most unforgiving. With 8500 m of D+, the 500 km is the most mountainous event in the series.
A route that plunges into the Alps, climbs towards the clouds, then plunges towards the sea.
Starting in Albertville, the 500 km course plunges straight into the heart of the Alps. Despite its shorter distance, it offers an impressive vertical drop, with the Galibier,Izoard, Vars and Col d'Allos in succession. More than 8,000 meters of positive vertical drop to overcome, for an experience as demanding as it is spectacular.
Ideal for those wishing to take up ultracycling over a significant distance, with a shorter format than the 1000 km but a significant altitude difference, mainly between km 100 and km 300. Even if the route is only 500 km long, the altitude/distance ratio is still significant, with some mythical passes.
Col du Galibier - photo @pascalbride
Phase 1: Maurienne and major passes (0-245 km)
The first few kilometers quickly leave Albertville and enter the Maurienne valley, and the road soon begins to climb. The riders have no time to warm up: the Col du Télégraphe (1566 m) is already looming up, a long ribbon of shaded asphalt winding through the fir trees.
The slope is steady but sustained, and the view of the valley below gives a first idea of what lies ahead.
No sooner had they reached the summit than the descent to Valloire heralded their entry into the realm of the high mountains. The air becomes colder, the breath shorter, and before them rises the Col du Galibier (2642 m) - a cycling myth, a legend of stone and wind. Laces follow one another in a lunar, mineral setting, where each pedal stroke seems suspended between heaven and earth. The mountains here are no picnic: slopes often flirt with 9%, oxygen is scarce, and the weather can change in a matter of minutes. But at the summit, the reward is immense.
The panorama opens up to 360°, with the Ăcrins on one side, the Vanoise on the other - and above all, the unique sensation of having tamed a giant.
The descent to Briançon is a relief... before the effort begins again. The road continues on toIzoard, Vars andAllos, a succession of mythical passes and suspended valleys, where the history of cycling was written. It's a world apart, raw and magnificent, where nature sets the pace.
At the heart of this landscape, the BarcelonnetteBasecamp (km 245) awaits riders - a veritable Alpine oasis. Nestled in the Ubaye valley, surrounded by mountains, it offers a striking contrast after so many mountain passes. Here, faces relax, bikes settle down and time seems to slow down. Volunteers welcome participants with warmth and kindness: a hot meal, a cup of coffee, a word of encouragement... all the little things that give you the energy to set off again. It's a rare moment of respite, calm and humanity, before tackling the second half of the route, which is more southern, more Mediterranean. -Beware, limited beds in Barcelonnette: plan your sleep strategy accordingly-..
Phase 2: From Ubaye to the sea (245-440 km)
After Barcelonnette, the Vars, Allos and Saint-Barnabé passes follow. The vegetation changes, pines replace larches, and the blue of the Mediterranean appears on the horizon. But we still have to tame the Tanneron, the final barrier before Mandelieu.
RAF 300 km - Le Ventoux in majesty
Altitude gain: 5327 M+.
Departure point: BollĂšne, in the heart of Provence.
Departure date: 27/06/2026
Maximum lead time: 24 hours
Major difficulties: Mont Ventoux
A more accessible route for cyclists looking for a one-day challenge, culminating in the Giant of Provence.
Map of the 300km Race Across France 2026
The breath of the Ventoux
The 300 km is an express adventure, concentrated in intensity and beauty.
It's a journey from the RhĂŽne to the sea, dominated by the giant of Provence.
Phase 1: BollĂšne to MalaucĂšne (0-120 km)
A gradual warm-up through vineyards and Provencal villages to MalaucĂšne, at the foot of the Ventoux.
The dreaded Mont Ventoux awaits you for an incredible 21km ascent.
Some fellow passengers on the RAF - photo @edouardHanotte
Phase 2: Mont Ventoux (120-160 km)
The ascent of Mont Ventoux via MalaucĂšne is an experience in a class of its own.
More discreet and wilder than the south face from BĂ©doin, the first few kilometers of the climb are spent in dense forest, shaded by pine and chestnut trees. For 21 km at 7.5%, the gradient is almost never gentle: it's a succession of irregular ramps, tight bends and long, never-ending straights. It's a rawer, more sincere Ventoux, without artifice.
6 kilometers from the summit, the Chalet Liotard comes into view, the last landmark before the lunar zone.
It's an emblematic place: a small café suspended on the mountainside, where the smell of hot coffee mingles with that of pine trees.
But beware: this is not a Basecamp ! đ
The Race Across volunteers aren't there, and neither is the siesta tent. Here, politeness and kindness are de rigueur - the passage is mythical, but it has to be earned.
Beyond the Chalet, the road suddenly opens onto the void.
The vegetation disappears, the wind invites itself in, and the landscape becomes mineral. The Col des TempĂȘtes is aptly named: it heralds the summit, the tipping point, the light. Up there, Provence stretches as far as the eye can see, and on a clear day, you can make out the pale blue of the Mediterranean in the distance. Your heart races, your legs tremble, but the sea is no longer a dream: Mandelieu is there, at the very bottom, somewhere between two waves and an emotion.
The incomparable view of Mont Ventoux - photo @pascalbride
Phase 3: Descent to the sea (160-324 km)
The route glides towards Lac de Sainte-Croix, crossing the hills of the Var and Tanneron before the final deliverance at Mandelieu.
The first spray, the blue that grows with every turn... and the pure joy of touching the Mediterranean.
RAF 200 km By Night - The challenge under the stars
Difference in altitude: 3,800 M+.
Departure point: Mandelieu-la-Napoule
Departure date: 27/06/2026
Maximum lead time: 12 hours
Route available soon
The RAF 200 km By Night is a unique gateway to the world of Race Across France. A complete loop starting and finishing in Mandelieu-la-Napoule, designed to experience the magic of ultra - at night. Under the starry skies of the CĂŽte d'Azur, cyclists set off at dusk for a journey as silent as it is intense.
No infernal stopwatch here, but the same spirit as on the long distances: manage your effort, your light, your energy.
The demanding but accessible course offers a succession of gentle climbs and flowing descents through the Var hinterland.
The roads are empty, the sea sparkles in the distance, and only the light of the lighthouses cuts through the darkness.
The experience is at once technical, sensory and human. We discover what it really means to ride for a long time, alone or with others, with only the clatter of the chain for company. Conversations light up at the turn of a bend, smiles can be discerned in the night - a community of enthusiasts sharing the same desire: to go a little further.
At daybreak, the loop gently takes participants back to Mandelieu. The sea reappears, the colors change, and the emotion grows.
It's often there, on those last kilometers bathed in light, that many realize: they've just experienced their first real ultra-distance adventure.
Arrival in Mandelieu: the ultra party
All routes converge on Mandelieu-la-Napoule, the cradle and symbol of the Race Across France.
The roads of the Alps, Jura, Massif Central and Ventoux meet there like veins carrying emotion back to the sea.
Finishers share a unique moment - raw joy, sea spray, southern light.
And this year, the Outdoor Cycling Festival will extend the party around the ultra community.
the often intense emotion of families on arrival - photo @jennifernguyen
A 300km runner at the finish in Mandelieu - photo @jennifernguyen
Relaxation and conviviality between finishers in Mandelieu - photo @jennifernguyen
Runners finishing the race across france 2025 in Mandelieu - photo @jennifernguyen
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