29th April 2019
FURTHER
Further the concept, to me, is not far. It’s about making a decision to ride somewhere you’ve never been before, somewhere that makes you curious for whatever reason, somewhere that presents a physical challenge, somewhere that is a point of interest. The interesting places are usually hard to get to, that’s the way the world is these days.
Camille McMillan, Cafe Du Cycliste (2019)
A NEW FRONTIER IN ADVENTURE CYCLING
23-24-25-26 August 2019.
We seek emotion. Of the race, of the experience of wide open spaces, a slow dawn, a raucous night. We race, adventure and have fun.
This is the first year of FURTHER. Working together with our friends at Hunt Bike Wheels and for the first time with Café Du Cycliste, to support Camille McMillan's new multi-disciplinary project. No, this is significant - it's more a 'movement' than project.
FURTHER celebrates adventure, art and culture via bicycle. It is a long-overdue communion for ultra-riders, artists, adventurers and curious minds. A medium for these hopefully-wild wanderers - Adventure Cyclists - to go where no one has been.
First, we have FURTHER Race and Rally. Set in the wildest department of the French Pyrénées - Ariège. Traditional, unspoilt and bucolic France. Both borderland and heartland simultaneously, a place of refuge and resistance in history, and a regular destination for Le Tour. Ariège terrain is mountainous, forested, unpredictable. Here be wild boar, wolves and bears.
Ultimately, FURTHER will take form as Journal that explores the poetry in sport, adventure via bicycle and artists intrisic to these things. With a palmares of Un-Lost, Circus and Le Metier, Camille's vision for FURTHER is something we're super excited about.
Although 2019 is the inaugural FURTHER Race and Rally, a strong history between FURTHER and Mason exists already. Hungry for adventure and in search of further challenges, after winning TCR Josh Ibbett and his Definition pushed the limits of #FastFar riding. The need for larger tyres, increased load-carrying capacity all designed within a fast frame design signified the future of adventure cycling. In the austere and bucolic lands where FURTHER is based - Ariège - the seed for Bokeh was sown.
Camille has made many of Mason’s most important images and captured improtant moments of our journey including Josh’s TCR ride and the beginnings of Bokeh.
We’re inspired by a mixture of things and recognise that we can experience winning in different ways. That’s why our focus is on having the best experience rather than being the fastest, strongest and most ultra. If ultra is your thing that’s great, but our events can be experienced in different ways.
JOSH AND HIS DEFINITION, IN 2015 WHEN 33MM TYRES WERE BIG, BUT NOT BIG ENOUGH.
RACE
An eye on the past and an eye on the future. The race wishes to dissolve the boundaries of landscapes and cycling disciplines.
The inaugural race is over mountainous mixed terrain and is electronically tracked via way-points through the French Pyrénées and the borderlands of Andorra and Spain.
20 racers, 4 days of cross-border racing. It will be very, very hard. In its first year the race is invitational-only and competed by 10 women and 10 men. Race starts on Friday, ends on Monday. They must finish by Monday, but they can quit whenever they like. There are checkpoints, but not all of them are attended.
Borderlands are made unique by their diversity, and this will be true for all aspects this race. One things surely on the the competitors’ minds will be wheel/tyre choice. We can say in actual fact that there is no perfect tyre for this race. There will be hike-a-bike, there will be tarmac, there will be heavy gravel, and there will be mountain bike territoty. Perhaps a change of wheels mid-race will be an option.
This race will challenge mind and body unlike any other ultra-cycling race. More than a competition, the racers ride test themselves against the forces of nature as they catch coo with Ariège.
RALLY
Hosted by Zero Neuf Gaudiès.
A place to meet share ideas and dreams, a space for adventure cyclists.
Further Rally will provide a chance to relax in and enjoy late August in South West France with its tranquillity and pure evening air. Wild camping is encouraged. There will be a cinema, a swimming pool, music and occasional Chanson singing. Bar and coffee, camping & cookup. Of course, big-screen race tracking and following Further Race will form a key element of the daily activities.
For those who are not racing, the Rally is an opportunity to learn, commune, share experiences and make friends. You are free to explore the undiscovered Ariège by bicycle or foot and daily rides can be facilitated.
We bring Adventure Cycling to people all over the world by finding amazing places where we create routes to explore together. We celebrate culture around each route through rallies - a festival for the community, families and all generations. We continually seek authenticity and connections where we cycle and our wider community.
Getting There
Further Rally is located about 1hr from Toulouse or Carcassone airports, and easily accessible by train or car.
We seek emotion. Of the race, of the experience of wide open spaces, a slow dawn, a raucous night. We race, adventure and have fun.
Now, we’ve reached a new frontier where we are working in collaboration with Camille to push the envelope with FURTHER.
A fully capable and uniquely specced bicyle is required for the final stages of race route preparation. Fulfilling these requirements totally is our InSearchOf design, and this is exactly what Camille & Co. will be using for their PathFinding missions and for their final explorations of Ariège. Stay tuned for features covering the full details of these excursions alongside beautiful images from FURTHER.
Learn More
For the latest information you should head to Frthr.Co and follow:
Our friends at HUNT have a blog entry here and Café Du Cycliste spoke with Camille here.
Cal will be visiting FURTHER in May so you can be sure to see some PathFinder features coming very soon.