Outer Detours

The Audax Gravel starts in one week. Head to the website to find the roster, route preview and the Audax Pace details. Entries for the next Audax Road (28 February 2027) open tomorrow, Saturday the 14th. 99 slots are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, with 30 slots reserved to increase participation from women and non-binary riders. 📸 @ospreyimagery

head to the website to find the recap of the last AUDAX Road: a selection of the best pictures, the official results, and all the links to videos, blogs, and podcasts about the event. The new route proved to be both challenging and rewarding. Ultra-distance events are getting faster, and a few participants showed that the Audax pace remains achievable despite the extended course. Only minor changes are planned for next year’s edition, scheduled for the end of February 2027. 📸 @matminelli

The GranGuanche Audax Road starts on Sunday, 25 January at 8:00 am. Check the roster, the tracking map, and daily updates via the link in bio. This 5th edition will feature a new route in Gran Canaria, including for the first time iconic roads and epic climbs such as Tauro Pass and the remote GC-210. With 250 kilometres and 6,000 metres of climbing, Gran Canaria will be the longest ride between ferries. The routes on Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and Tenerife remain unchanged compared to all previous editions, while the loop on the final island, La Gomera, includes small changes at each edition. This year we’ll ride it anticlockwise: the long climb through the Garajonay rainforest is back on the route, and for the first time we’ll descend to Playa Santiago, avoiding the descent from Roque de Agando, which is often affected by strong winds. As always, the Audax pace is the fastest possible — and almost impossible — way to concatenate ferries along the route. Compared to previous editions, the Audax pace has been adjusted to accommodate the longer distance. The fastest riders will now rush to catch the last ferry to La Gomera on Monday evening at 20:00. After two days and one night on the bike, they will finally get some rest with a mandatory overnight stop, before riding the final loop on Tuesday morning. 📸 @matminelli

Pyrenean Rally: Las dos caras de los Pirineos Pyrenean Rally: The Two Faces of the Pyrenees @pyrenean.rally @outerdetours ESP: El 7 de junio 2026, el Pyrenean Rally toma forma de la mano del mismo equipo detrás de la GranGuanche. Una travesía de 1.800 km y 46.000 m+ que cruza los Pirineos dos veces y de dos maneras: gravel hacia el Atlántico, carretera de regreso al Mediterráneo. Un planteamiento que exige adaptación constante, más allá de la pura resistencia. ENG: On June 7, 2026, the Pyrenean Rally takes shape at the hands of the same team behind GranGuanche. A 1,800 km journey with 46,000 m+ that crosses the Pyrenees twice and in two different ways: gravel toward the Atlantic, road on the return to the Mediterranean. A concept that demands constant adaptation beyond pure endurance.

The fifth edition of the Audax Trail is in the books! Check our website for the updated tracking map, official results, a day-by-day recap, and the best pictures from the event. The sixth edition of the Audax Trail is scheduled for 28 March 2027, promising longer days and, hopefully, stable weather even in the mountains. Compared to other events in the Audax series, the Trail remains a small one, for some reason struggling to attract enough participants to make it worthwhile. But hey, it’s our favourite route, and participants are always enthusiastic about it — so we’re giving it another go! 📸 @matminelli

The Audax Trail starts this Sunday, the 23rd, at 11:30 AM, kicking off the 5th season of the GranGuanche Audax. Head to the link in bio to find the Audax roster, the tracking map, and our freshly revamped website. All the fun is in the mid-pack, but eight riders stated they’re chasing the fastest-possible and almost-impossible ferry schedule — what we call the Audax Pace. To make dotwatching easier, our friends at @followmychallenge customised their tracking system and added a snail on each island that will glide at this infamous pace. Our audacious wannabes will have to ride faster than the snail if they want to make the ferries. The Audax pace goes as follows: Sunday the Audax starts at 11:30 — Lanzarote 120km +2.450m » Next ferry in 8 hours ≈ Ferry to Fuerteventura: Sunday 20:00 (25min) — Fuerteventura 160km +2.600m » Next ferry in 10 hours ≈ Ferry to Gran Canaria: Monday 06:30 (120min) — Gran Canaria 210km +5.600m » Next ferry in 20 hours ≈ Ferry to Tenerife: Tuesday 06:00 (80min) — Tenerife 170km +4.600m » Next ferry in 10 hours ≈ Ferry to La Palma: Tuesday 19:15 (150min) — La Palma 190km +6.300m We stop for the night and start riding on Wednesday at 06:00 We expect the first riders to finish on Wednesday night. 📷 @matminelli

As the dust settles over Pirenaica, it’s time to reveal our evil plans for the next edition… The @pyrenean.rally is set for June 7th, 2026 — and this time it’s coast to coast… and back. - A two-chapter odyssey across the pyrenees - from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic on a mixed-terrain route over endless Spanish pistas - and back to the Mediterranean on an all-paved route over legendary French cols. Riders swap tyres halfway through and agree to stop for an average of at least six hours per day. - The Tyre-Swap At CP2, participants will access their Gear Bag and a service area equipped with basic tools to change tyres before tackling the paved section. - The #6HoursAlliance Participants agree to stop for an average of at least six hours per day. Their personal GPS tracker will record moving and stopping times, and our friends at @fmchallenge will tweak the tracking system to display any remaining rest time needed to meet the requirement — making it easy to understand and follow for both riders and dot-watchers. At the finish line, if the stopping time falls short, we simply adjust the final result by adding the difference. No drama, no penalties — just fair and rested riding. The route adds up to 1,800 km and 46,000 m of climbing, to be completed within a two-week cut-off. It’s a long route with a gigantic elevation gain — but you can do hard stuff! Half-race tyre-swap with some decent rest? …why not. Afternoon hail storms, bus-stop bivies, gas-station resupplies, creepy single rooms? …oooh yes please — we can’t wait! Entries are open and flying. Check out our website for all the details about this weird new format, route notes that make it look easier than it is, and some questionable recommendations on what to ride and how to gear up. - 📸 @matminelli

The last of the riders have now left checkpoint one and we're pleased to say that all those still on the route made it before the cutoff.  Some were in and out in an instant but most opted for warm food and a bed before heading out under darkness with check point two firmly set in their sights.  With some colossal climbs in their way they've got their work cut out to make it there in time before cutoff tomorrow. Follow the dots at www.pirenaica.cc to see the battle they have on their hands. We've heard from a few riders that they're loving the words of encouragement here so feel free to cheer them on in the comments! 📸 @ospreyimagery

Most participants are now halfway on the way to the atlantic, riding deep into the heart of the mountain range and tackling the longest climbs and the highest pass of the route. Life in the mid-pack starts at 4 a.m. and carries on well past sunset. Riders push through roughly 200 km and 5,000 meters of climbing each day, stopping only briefly at grocery stores — and then doing it all again, day after day. Such a pace is out of reach for most cyclists, and the term ‘mid-pack’ hardly does justice to these hardcore riders. To reach this level, beyond natural talent, they must be well trained, wisely equipped, and — above all — truly driven by passion. 📸 @matminelli

“Don’t wait for me at CP2. I crashed on the last section of gravel. My quad hit a rock and now it’s totally useless. I can barely walk and putting power down is impossible. I’ll see how I feel tomorrow.” Fabien le Gallo – @chebaff – had been leading the Pyrenees climb-fest throughout day 2. Around midnight he crashed and had to stop near Campo, about 100 km before CP2. He’s now resting, and we hope he’ll be able to ride again tomorrow. Adrien Guilmin – @adrienglmn – spent the whole day chasing Fabien closely. He’s expected to reach CP2 in Ordesa in the early morning. After riding for more than 24 hours without a stop, he’ll likely take some rest at the checkpoint hostel before setting out on the final stretch. It’s still a long way to the Atlantic. The route includes plenty of challenging sections, and a crash or mechanical could change the lead at any moment. Fabian Wurm - @fl.ip - is riding a mountain bike and has kept a steady pace throughout and is now holding 3rd position, about 150 km behind Adrien. Maxi Unger – @curcumaxi – left her hotel at 4 a.m. for another long day in the saddle. She’s challenging for 4th position overall while firmly holding the women’s lead, with a solid 100 km gap over Katrien and Isabell. 📸 @matminelli

Maxi – @curcumaxi – has been leading the women’s field, consistently placing herself among the top ten riders. A steady climber, she lost some time on the rocky descents and had to revise her initial plan of reaching CP1 during the night. Instead, she opted for a few hours of hotel sleep before setting off again early this morning — she is now at CP1 as the first woman and 5th overall! Katrien, Isabelle, Julia, and Charlie also had a solid first day. By the time they found a place to rest late at night, they already had about 200 km and 6,000 meters of climbing in their legs. This morning, they’re back on the road and riding again! 📸 @matminelli

Fabien – @chebaff – was the first rider to check in at CP1. He’s only taken part in a few other bikepacking events, and many of us had never heard his name before — but he left everyone speechless. Fabien is a pure climber! Once at CP1, he had dinner and wisely decided to take a few hours of sleep at the hostel — it’s still a long way to go. One hour later, Adrien - @adrienglmn -arrived at CP1. He had dinner, took a warm shower, and also chose to sleep for a few hours. Markus - @vallyvallus - followed close behind. When he arrived at CP1, he could barely walk due to bad knee pain, so he immediately went to sleep. Fabien and Adrien left CP1 together early this morning and are now heading into the central part of the route, tackling the longest climb through some stunning scenery. Markus woke up later, still in pain. He’s now riding toward the next town, where he’ll decide whether to continue at an easy pace or scratch from the event — which would be a real hassle, as he still needs to reach a bigger town and arrange public transport. 📸 @matminelli