Trans'Cévennes - A 5-Day Journey
Words: Mary Moncorge
Photos: Olivier Beart
This past week in South Central France, a lucky few took part in the Trans'Cévennes. In its second year, the rally brought its participants on a five-day point to point stage race across the Grands Causses Regional Park and Cévennes National Park. The Causses and Cévennes are part of the UNESCO World Heritage as a Mediterranean aggro-pastoral Cultural Landscape. It means that the people who have lived there for the past three millennia have adapted their way of raising livestock, mostly sheep with a few goats and donkeys, to the area and did not try to alter it. The landscape goes from a steppe-like limestone plateaus surrounded by Gorges on the Causses side to a low to mid-mountain range on the Cévennes side with quite the plants disparities on the cold north sides to the sun-battered south side. This eclectic and disparate landscape provided a gorgeous and unique playground to the riders.
From St George-de-Lévéjac to St Guilhem-le-désert, the riders had to tackle an average of 55km a day and more than 1800m of ascent daily. With two to four timed enduro stages per day for five days in a row, the participants had a nice adventure crossing several high-plateaus and a few mountain cols and tops. This rally has the most friendly atmosphere you will find in an enduro, not taking the competitive aspect too seriously as there is no podium or awards and focusing more on exploring a region where the population density is one of the scarcest in France. Riders spent more than 6 hours in the saddles mostly on singletracks, and were treated to some technical trails down to keep the stoked high. Once they reach camps, riders were greeted by an aperitif and the staff mechanic was taking care of the whips while the osteopath was soothing any soreness. They were then able to enjoy a homemade dinner every evening thanks to local farmer who was catering.
In addition to being treated to some amazing landscapes and trails, the participants also had the surprise of having Anne-Caroline Chausson taking up the adventure and therefore easing back into competition. She enjoyed the conviviality of the Trans’Cévennes and was able to test her fitness nonetheless. The event had everyone elated and there is not much more you would ask for at the end of such a great trip.
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 The route tended to stay away from civilization but when the riders had to go through a village it was of medieval architecture nestled in mountains |
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| There is a huge network of ancient trails used in the past of agricultural purposes but that is now shares with cyclists, hikers and equestrians |
There is no shortage of jaw-dropping views and riders took some time to enjoy it
Every time that you dropped from the top of a Causse on a stage, all the way down to the valley floor or the river bed, you dropped at least 400 meters
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| The riders had to cross several Causses, taking them through Aveyron, Lozere, Herault and Gard in South Central France |
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| The Cevennes and Causses parks hosts the water divide for the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea in France |
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| Leaving the Grands Causses for the Cevennes |
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| A Carlina, the symbol of the Cevennes |
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| Welcome to the Cevennes, bringing a rolling landscape to the route |
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| Cycling through the ruins of a Sheppard house is not a rarity in this neck of the wood |
More singletracks and more views on the Cevennes mountain range
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| The trails are a stone-throw from the edge whichever way you go which allows for some pretty nice views |
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| Nature is taking back its rights on a lot of the terraces and the participants were greeted by a lush riding area |
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| The organizers were super detailed oriented and on top of the safety for the riders, with the mountain staff on e-bikes so they were able to reach in riders in record time and without noise pollution |
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| The Causses are giving way to the Cevennes mountain range |
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| Transfers could be in luscious rolling areas ... |
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| ... or on more arid trails and with a more painful gradient ... |
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| ... but always with a gorgeous landscape |
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| Some of the trails are a bit too steep for pedaling and you have to hike-a-bike for a bit |
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| Catch your breath, enjoy the view and get pumped by the descents to come.What else can we ask for? |
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| Mandatory bike with a view pic. Also, there is no restriction on what bike you should bring to Trans'Cevennes and as long as you enjoyed the ride, it is all that mattered |
Lunch time and time to have a wee look at the map to see what has already been pedaled ...
... and what is left too
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| Everyone had their technique to pass the many switchbacks on tracks |
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| You did not always have the time to enjoy all the beauties that the local architecture had to offer |
Livestock pastures mixed with millennia trails meant quite a few gate crossing on the plateaus
Even the roads seem a long way from civilization
And at the end of the trail, in the bottom of the valley, you run into some humans ...
... but it was mostly sheep that were encountered during these five days
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| Wrapping up a good day on the bike with the aperitif! |
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| Trans'Cevennes had a mechanic on staff the whole week, so every participants had a professional working on their bikes in the evening, which meant more time to relax and enjoy the evening |
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| Everyone gathered at dinner, catered by a local farmer, to share their anecdotes of the day |
Homemade sausage cooked on the plancha
The local livestock are mostly sheep, which means lots of cheeses, and especially Roquefort (blue cheese)
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| The riders' home for the whole week of Trans'Cevennes |
Anne-Caroline Chausson is back on the bike and had a great time
Simon Andre being chased by Anne-Caroline Chausson
Trans Cevennes is produced by LGB Organisation and On-bike
MENTIONS: @marymoncorge
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Member since Jan 28, 2010
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