Cycling is more than a sport. This week, it is also an alpine crossing on gravel, three hundred to eight hundred kilometres long, and one former road racer turned ultra-trail legend lining up on a bike again.
From July 14 to 19, 2026, GRAAALPS returns to the Alps: an ultra-distance gravel bikepacking event linking Mandelieu-la-Napoule, on the Mediterranean, to Crans-Montana, in Switzerland, through France and Italy. Three routes, three ways to read the same mountain range. And on the start line of the 500 km: Julien Chorier, VELOR ambassador and one of the most decorated ultra-trail runners France has produced.
What is GRAAALPS? Gravel bikepacking, ultra-distance racing, and semi-autonomy explained
Photo @robin issartel
GRAAALPS belongs to a growing category of racing that does not look like racing at all: no closed roads, no peloton, no support car. It is gravel bikepacking: multi-day, self-supported riding on a mix of asphalt and unpaved tracks, carrying everything you need between the basecamps spaced along the route.
Riders call this format ultra-distance. It rewards the same qualities as ultra-trail running: pacing, autonomy, the ability to keep making good decisions after twenty hours in the saddle. Which is exactly why an ultra-trail runner belongs here.
Three routes across three countries
GRAAALPS 2026 offers three distances, all finishing in Crans-Montana on July 19:
- 800 km, roughly 21,000 m of elevation — Mandelieu-la-Napoule to Crans-Montana, departing July 14. The full crossing: the Southern Alps, the Italian military tracks of the Strada dell'Assietta and Colle delle Finestre, the Great St Bernard Pass, and a finish in Switzerland.
- 500 km, roughly 12,500 m of elevation — a loop from Crans-Montana, departing July 16, built around the Tour du Mont Blanc. The most direct way into high alpine gravel without the full length of the 800.
- 300 km, roughly 7,500 m of elevation — a shorter loop from Crans-Montana, departing July 17, for riders discovering the format.
All three share the same rule: semi-autonomy. Riders manage their own food, repairs, and pacing, with basecamps and refuelling points along the way, not a soigneur waiting at the roadside.
Julien Chorier: back on the bike he left twenty years ago
Before Julien Chorier became one of French ultra-trail running's defining names, double winner of the Diagonale des Fous, winner of the Hardrock 100, fourth at UTMB, and still winning at 45 after his Four Trails Challenge victory in Hong Kong earlier this year, he was a road cyclist. A national-level racer with Chambéry Cyclisme Compétition, Rhône-Alpes road champion in 2004, before he ever ran a trail race.
This year, he lines up for the GRAAALPS 500 km as a VELOR ambassador. Same mountains he has crossed on foot for two decades. Different machine.
It is a fitting match for an event built for people who move through the Alps under their own power, on whatever surface gets them there.
Riding the heat, riding the climb: the kit for it
Between the southern French valleys and the Italian military roads, GRAAALPS riders spend long days exposed to full sun before the cold hits at altitude. Two things matter most: staying cool in the heat, and not carrying more than you need.
Our Jersey Dunes is built for exactly this: quick-drying, highly breathable fabric, 83% recycled, designed to disappear once you're on the bike. For riders after the full circular option, the RELOV jersey adds built-in UPF50+ sun protection and is made from 85% recycled end-of-life cycling apparel, no virgin polyester.
For a full breakdown of what to wear when the temperature climbs, our guide on how to dress for cycling in summer covers jerseys, sun protection, arm sleeves, and the best hours to ride.
Why VELOR is on the start line
GRAAALPS is not a detour for VELOR. The Alps and the Rhône-Alpes region are where a growing part of our community already rides, races, and tests gear, from Nathalie Baillon's ultra-endurance kilometres to the gravel events we support across the French mountains. It's also where we're anchoring more of our own presence in the seasons ahead.
Same principle as everything we build: technical apparel made from recycled materials, designed to be ridden hard and ridden long, not replaced every season. Stop buying. Start reloving.
Photo: @robin Issartel
Follow the race
GRAAALPS 2026 runs July 14 to 19. Full routes, tracking, and event details are on the official GRAAALPS page. We'll be following Julien Chorier's 500 km, and sharing the story here and on Instagram.
