Rapha Cent Cols Challange

[Bendy Bianchi]

Hi. Has anyone done this? Just trying to decide whether to do this or the Raid Alpine. Any comments etc on the trip?

Rapha Cent Cols Challenge - The Ultimate Sportive: A new ten-stage cyclosportive event for the serious amateur cyclist

[Billy Weir]

Not done the CCC, but it appears to offer you more "classic" climbs than the Raid Alpine (which I have done).  It also looks a magnitude harder (more days and each is longer with more climb).

Probably reflected in the cost.  A Raid will cost around £750-£1,000 plus flights with a tour company.  I did originally think £1,800 (plus transfers and flights) was too much for a supported bike ride in Europe.  But on reflection, this was probably me being anti-Rapha rather than it representing particularly poor value.

As an aside, I did both my Pyrenean and Alpine rides with Marmot Tours, who were very good.

[Panoramix]

Or you can go for the real thing:

Site du Club des Cent Cols

[Bendy Bianchi]

Yes, I saw that - very handily in French, Italian and Esperanto!

Or you can go for the real thing:

Site du Club des Cent Cols

[Tom B]

very handily in French, Italian and Esperanto

Did our Ivo have a part in that, I wonder? 

[Panoramix]

Yes, I saw that - very handily in French, Italian and Esperanto!

Or you can go for the real thing:

Site du Club des Cent Cols

In a nutshell, you need to climb 100 approved cols to become part of the fellowship. THey also propose 15 different permanent each featuring at least 100 cols.

[unrest]

Bendy,

I completed the Alpine Cent Cols Challenge last year and signed up for more pain life changing experiences this year in the Pyrennes. It is an order of magnitude harder than any of the Raids put together and could best be described as pretty brutal

Although probably one of the hardest sportive events on the calendar (think 10 back to back Etapes) I believe it to be one of the best organised and most rewarding on offer.

Go for it...you wont be disappointed.

[Bendy Bianchi]

Thanks. I know there is no official pace and that they've now removed the timing etc but what was the pace compared to say, the Etape? I'm pretty happy I can do 10 Etapes back to back at say 80 - 85% of an Etape pace, but not at 100% of pace.

Bendy,

I completed the Alpine Cent Cols Challenge last year and signed up for more pain life changing experiences this year in the Pyrennes. It is an order of magnitude harder than any of the Raids put together and could best be described as pretty brutal

Although probably one of the hardest sportive events on the calendar (think 10 back to back Etapes) I believe it to be one of the best organised and most rewarding on offer.

Go for it...you wont be disappointed.

[unrest]

Last year the event started off as a race but within 3days all timed stages were abolished as a result of the growing number of accidents.The event is now basically an endurance event so as as long as you can cycle between 170 to230km (including 3700 to 5300m climbing ) a day then you will have no probs. The alps event was an average of 190km/day + 4100m climbing.
The daily time limit is mainly dictated by daylight hours so you will normally have up to 12 hours a day to complete each stage.
The event organiser Phil Deeker clasifies all riders as SEs i.e. Super Elites or Steady Eddies so you probably are one or the other!

There are a number of hyperlinks to ride reports on the Cent Cols Challenge web site so I would recommend you read them before making your final mind up.
See you in September?

[salar55]

The Cent Cols Randonnees are dirt cheap, mind its just a routesheet and a card for controls  .   Only 5 euros and 8 for a couple .  We have just completed our 2nd,   Cent Cols sur la linge de partage des eaux Atlantique-Mediterranee. 1112 kms   Goes from Cluny near Macon to the Port de Pailheres , good for the Bike bus.  First time we thought we could do two , the Ardeche one and then Haut Languedoc then cross country for the Semaime Federale  at Olorone st Marie in the western pyrenees    No chance of that, it was a hot year and we do these on tandem with camping gear so only the Ardeche. to leave time getting to the Semaime.   They are all 100cols+  and min 800 kms .     You sometimes have to go off route for camping, gite or hotel . Have done a few wild camps up high for nice views.