Tour Gravel Vosgien

The Tour Gravel Vosgien is bikepacking the Wild DOT way: routes that are beautiful but never easy, ridden self-reliant with a GPS track, a brevet card and whatever you can carry, in a deliberately small field of riders.

From Ensisheim, in Haut-Rhin, the gravel heads into the Vosges for mountain passes, hidden valleys and high lakes, then drops back through the classified vineyards of Alsace. Along the way riders pass typical Alsatian villages, medieval castles and abbeys, collect stamps at checkpoints and are encouraged to make the most of the local food, beer and wine.

Wild DOT is a volunteer-run association led by Pascal Chabanse, a rider from Soultz who found long-distance racing on the French Divide and the NorthCape4000 before launching the Tour du Massif Vosgien in 2021 and then this gravel sibling. His motto, roughly 'the worst is never certain', sets the tone, and a welcome aperitif and a bivouac at the start bring everyone together before they scatter into the mountains.