G727

The g727 is a gravel bikepacking Grand Départ from Poussan, near Sète, that heads out across Hérault and Occitanie towards the Pyrenees and loops back home. Between the Mediterranean and the foothills of the Massif Central the route strings together beaches, lagoons, vineyards, garrigue, forests and high plateaus.

It is explicitly a ride, not a race: there is no time limit, everyone travels at their own rhythm, and the organisers put mutual help and fraternity first. Shortcuts let riders trim the loop to suit their legs, and the main reward is a drink with the others if you roll back into Poussan while the café is still open.

The 727 routes are drawn by writer and rider Thierry Crouzet and shared under a free licence, and the Grand Départs are run by volunteers of the EC Poussan club as an association rather than a business, with an entry fee that only covers insurance, a snack at the start and that drink at the finish.