Ô Gravel Occitanie 600

Ô Gravel Occitanie 600 is a self-supported bikepacking raid run by Ô Gravel, a gravel association from the Toulouse area whose members also meet through the year for family rides and longer 'special' rides. There is no timing and no ranking: everyone follows the same long trace at their own pace, day and night, with a GPS beacon so that friends at home can follow their progress.

The fourth edition, nicknamed 'Avec le loup', heads through the Tarn-et-Garonne, the Lot, the Aveyron and the Tarn on roads, tracks and paths, with Rocamadour on the menu and what the organisers call, by their own admittedly subjective verdict, the most beautiful rougier in the region. Gravel bikes and mountain bikes are welcome; road bikes and e-bikes are not.

The mood is friendly rather than competitive. Ultra riders set off on the Saturday evening after a traditional lasagne party and briefing, while a small Gravel Tourisme group leaves the next morning after breakfast, following the same trace split into five stages chosen with gîtes and hotels in mind. Every rider signs the club's charter for respectful riding in nature and commits to clean, leave-no-trace bivouacs.