Desafio ACDL by ElevoAve

Desafio ACDL is a grassroots long-distance ride put on by the cultural and sports association of Lamelas, a parish in Santo Tirso. It is deliberately not a race: there are no rankings and no timing. The real test is self-management, with riders expected to cope with fatigue, weather and mechanicals on their own, while still free to help one another along the way.

The routes are unmarked and followed by GPS on open roads and tracks through the farmland and hills of northern Portugal, with the longest loop heading north past the Ermal reservoir and on to Ponte de Lima. There are no feed stations, so riders refill at village fountains, cafés and local homes, and the longer routes carry on into the night under lights. The organiser asks riders to respect the farmland and private property they pass through.