There is no prize money and no physical prizes to be won. Your single and most beautiful reward is crossing the finish line at the summit to validate your personal challenge. While some participants will naturally aim for the fastest scratch time, all finishers share the exact same prestige: having pushed themselves to their absolute limits to conquer the route.

When registering, you must keep the following core principles in mind:

Responsibility: The organization provides the structure, the route, and safety tracking, but it will never replace your own common sense. You take the start entirely at your own risk and under your own responsibility.

Independence: You experience this adventure as an independent journey. You are the sole master of your ride, guided entirely by your own choices, decisions, and strategy.

Yes, the Sea To Peak enforces a final time limit.

To officially earn the title of finisher, you must cross the very last Checkpoint (CP) in Saint-Véran before Sunday, August 2nd, 2026, at 8:00 PM.

If you complete your journey after this deadline, you will be classified as “outside the time limit” (hors délais). This total time limit of 16 full days is calculated to let you manage your rest stops while maintaining a steady, consistent ultra-distance pace.

Yes, but it strictly depends on the category you choose during registration:

👥 The DUO Category: This is the one and only way to legally ride the entire route with another person. You form an inseparable pair. Please note: if your partner drops out, you are allowed to continue the adventure, but your classification will change to “Outside the Event” (Hors Épreuve).

👤 The SOLO Category: Registration is strictly individual. You must be 100% self-sufficient and carry all your own gear (bivouac, tools, repair kits, etc.). Sharing equipment between Solo riders is prohibited.

Crucial rules if you are riding in the Solo category:

The Pace Trap: On such a long event, trying to stay grouped at all costs is often counterproductive. Differences in physical shape, sleep management, or mechanical issues can severely delay you and push you outside the time limit.

⛔ No Pace-Makers or Companions: It is strictly forbidden for anyone outside the event (friends, family, local cyclists) to ride along with you, even for just a few kilometers.

Temporary Groups: We do not forbid sharing a stretch of trail together if circumstances naturally allow it, but you must not ride the entire route in concert with someone else.

The principle of being “unsupported” (self-sufficient) is the golden rule of the Sea To Peak.

It means you must complete the entire route entirely by your own means, without any planned external assistance. The organization, your loved ones, your friends, or your acquaintances cannot help you logistically or technically under any circumstances.

You must be able to fend for yourself when it comes to:

• Accommodation: Finding your bivouac spots or hotels day by day (advance bookings are strictly prohibited).
• Resupply: Managing your food and water supplies using public commercial services available along your route.
• Mechanical & Physical Issues: Repairing your bike in case of a breakdown (or finding a local bike shop) and taking care of your own minor physical ailments.

⚠️ In short: Anything accessible to every single participant (shops, hotels, public water fountains) is allowed. Anything that stems from a private privilege (a friend bringing you a mechanical part, food, or a sleeping bag on the route) is strictly forbidden and grounds for disqualification. By registering, you sign a pact of loyalty to yourself and to the other riders.

The complete guide summarizes these rules – reading it is mandatory.

There is no single perfect bike, but Mountain Bikes (MTBs) and Monster Cross bikes remain the absolute kings of this event.

Keep in mind that the Sea To Peak is an off-road event that crosses highly diverse environments: you will transition from small asphalt backroads to forest tracks, all the way to technical, rocky, and unforgiving mountain singletracks.

To make your choice, you need to analyze your own technical strengths and weaknesses:

• The MTB (Hardtail or Full-Suspension): This is the choice made by the majority of participants. It provides the essential comfort needed to endure the distance, protects your upper body, and is highly forgiving of riding errors on technical downhills in mid- and high-mountain areas.
• The Monster Cross (Gravel handlebars / Wide MTB tires): An excellent compromise. It gives you the aerodynamics and efficiency of a drop bar on rolling sections, while maintaining great traction and comfort thanks to large, MTB-sized tires.
• The Classic Gravel Bike: While it is incredibly fast and efficient on smooth tracks and transitional gravel roads, it will prove much more demanding, exhausting, and sometimes “borderline” in technical and rocky sections. It requires excellent technical handling skills.

💡 Our Advice: Always prioritize comfort and reliability over pure speed. After several consecutive days in the saddle in total self-sufficiency, a bike that preserves your body will make all the difference in successfully reaching Saint-Véran.

The golden rule here is: spin easy and aim for the smallest gears possible!

As soon as you leave the Monts d’Ambazac (in the Haute-Vienne region) and throughout the entire second half of the route, the Sea To Peak becomes a true mid- and high-mountain event with massive elevation gain. You will face long, continuous climbs and occasionally very steep gradients on loose, unstable terrain.

When choosing your drivetrain configuration, never forget these three crucial factors:

• Total Weight: You are not riding an empty bike. Your bicycle will be loaded down with your bikepacking bags, bivouac gear, tools, water reserves, and food.
• Accumulated Fatigue: After several long days in the saddle and short nights, your muscular power will decrease. A gear ratio that is too big will force you to grind out the climbs, risking knee or tendon injuries.
• The Terrain: When riding off-road, you need to maintain traction by staying seated on steep slopes to prevent your rear tire from slipping.

💡 Our Gear Ratio Recommendations:

• On an MTB (1x Single Chainring): Opt for a 30T or 32T chainring at most up front, paired with a 10-51T or 10-52T cassette at the back.
• On a Gravel / Monster Cross Bike: A “sub-compact” double or a 1x setup with a ratio well below 1:1 is absolutely mandatory. Aim for something like a 36T or 38T front chainring with an 11-42T or 10-44T cassette (or even a “Mullet” build combining road shifters with an MTB derailleur and a 10-52T cassette).

In short, do not overestimate your strength. Line up at the start with a gear setup that allows you to “spin” your legs comfortably in any situation!

A complete overhaul, proven gear, and absolute technical self-sufficiency.

Chaining such a long distance along off-road tracks, through three mountain ranges, and under sometimes dantesque weather conditions puts a massive strain on your equipment. Even brand-new or freshly serviced gear will suffer from dust, mud, moisture, and continuous vibrations. You must be absolutely capable of diagnosing and repairing common mechanical breakdowns on your own.

Here are the golden rules to follow before the start:

• Zero Improvisation: Set off with a bike that has been thoroughly serviced from top to bottom (cables, housing, bearings, brake bleeds). Never test a major new component (saddle, shoes, drivetrain) directly on the day of the start. Every single piece of gear must have been thoroughly tested and validated on long training rides.
• Key Wear-and-Tear Parts: Brake pads and your drivetrain (chain, cassette, chainring) must be in excellent condition. In the mountains, if the weather turns to heavy rain or deep mud, your brake pads can wear down to nothing in just two days. Anticipate this by carrying spare pads specifically designed for your brake model.
• Minimum Mechanical Survival Kit: You are required to carry everything needed to fix classic trailside incidents:
  • Punctures: Tubeless repair plugs (bacon strips), a pump, spare inner tubes (and the tools to unseat your tire), a valve core tool, and extra sealant.
  • Drivetrain: A chain breaker tool, quick-links (Powerlink) matching your speed count, and a spare derailleur hanger specific to your frame (an absolute lifesaver in case of an impact with a rock or branch).
  • Comprehensive Multitool: Featuring all the necessary keys to retighten components loosened by vibrations.
  • Lubrication: A bottle of chain lubricant suited to weather conditions, to be applied regularly.

🛠️ Rule Reminder: The organization provides no mechanical assistance on the route or at the Checkpoints. If a mechanical issue exceeds your skills or your stock of spare parts, you will have to find a local bike shop along your route entirely by your own means. Take care of your rig—it is your only ally to make it all the way to Saint-Véran!

The Sea To Peak is a purely off-road oriented route.

You will cross France through all of its geological diversity. The route is therefore extremely varied by nature, and its profile evolves from one region to another:

• The Core of the Route (Off-Road): You will transition from wide, fast-rolling forest tracks to narrow, technical, rocky, and unforgiving mountain singletracks.
• Transition Zones: To allow you to spin your legs and give your body a bit of rest, the route integrates some quieter sections, such as greenways, canal towpaths, and forgotten country backroads.

What to expect depending on the region: Each region has its own signature: some sections will feel fluid and fast, while others will put your handling skills and your patience to the test.

Managing the elevation gain:

• In the plains and rolling hills (first half): The climbs are usually short but can turn out to be very steep and punchy.
• In the mountain ranges and high altitudes (second half): The elevation gain becomes colossal. The climbs are much longer (sometimes several hours of continuous climbing) and the average gradient remains high.

⛰️ A Note from the Organization: Do not underestimate the technicality of this route. This is not a smooth Gravel course. The fatigue accumulated over the days can turn an otherwise “ordinary” technical section into a real physical challenge. Stay sharp, keep your wits about you, and adapt your speed!

Navigation is done exclusively via a GPS track, in absolute self-sufficiency.

To preserve the spirit of adventure and keep an element of surprise, the official and finalized GPX tracks will be sent to you by email no earlier than 10 days before the grand start.

Here is what you must absolutely master:

• Total Command of Your Gear: You need to know your navigation setup (dedicated cycling GPS computer or smartphone with a specific app) inside out. The organization will not provide any technical assistance to configure your devices.
• Independent Route-Finding: You must be able to read the track, zoom in and out efficiently, find your way back if you make a mistake, and manage your battery life (recharging via power banks or a dynamo hub).
• The Classic Trap: Every single year, we see too many riders take the start without fully understanding how their GPS works. This is the number one cause of route errors, unnecessary stress, and a massive waste of time and energy.

💡 Our Advice: Navigation training is just as important as your physical preparation. Test your GPS setup at night, in the heavy rain, and learn how to load a backup track in the middle of nowhere. You cannot improvise on the Sea To Peak… The event and the terrain will not forgive a lack of preparation!

The choice is entirely yours, as long as you respect the regulations! Since booking accommodations before the start is strictly prohibited, you must choose your strategy:

The Bivouac Option (Tent, Tarp, or Bivy): This option offers total freedom to stop whenever and wherever you want, especially in the remote areas of the Massif Central or the Alps. However, you must strictly respect the regulations of the natural parks you cross.

The Hotel / Guesthouse / Campsite Option: For those who prioritize comfort and optimal recovery. You will need to search for and book your spots each day on the go, depending on your progress.

Power management is a fundamental pillar of ultra-distance cycling. Since the clock never stops, you must be entirely self-sufficient in recharging your safety and navigation devices. You have two main options:

Using a dynamo hub (such as a SON hub) paired with a USB charger, which is the ideal setup for long-distance self-sufficiency.

Carrying one or more high-capacity power banks (minimum 10,000 to 20,000 mAh), which you can recharge during your stops at shops, restaurants, or hotels.

Scratching is a reality of ultra-endurance, but it must be managed properly. If you decide to call it quits, you must imperatively:

Be Fully Self-Sufficient for Your Return: The organization does not handle the repatriation of riders or their bikes. You must find your own way to the nearest train station (TGV) to get back home.

Return the GPS Tracker: The return procedures (either via mail or by dropping it off at a checkpoint) will be detailed in the rider guide.

Immediately Notify the Organization: Contact us right away via phone call or text message. The race director’s phone number is provided in your physical roadbook.

Expect all extremes! You will be crossing the entire country of France. You could easily transition from a suffocating heatwave in the Poitou region or the Rhône Valley (well over 35°C / 95°F) to near-freezing temperatures near 0°C (32°F) with risks of frost, violent thunderstorms, or hail at altitudes of 2,400 meters in the Alps. Your clothing and gear setup must be fully capable of handling both of these extremes.