We start our ride from the pretty town of Mirepoix, in the Ariege.
Before setting off on your journey, take some time to explore this lovely little town.
Originally on the right bank of the Hers River, Mirepoix was destroyed by a violent flood in 1289.
It was rebuilt in 1290, on an elevated natural terrace on the other side of the river.
The layout of the town centre has not changed since the 13th century.
At the heart of Mirepoix is Les Couverts, one of the finest surviving arcaded market squares in France. The square is bordered by houses dating from the thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries.
Many of the buildings have their rafter-ends carved with of images of animals and monsters, and caricatures of mediaeval professions and social groups.
The Cathédrale Saint-Maurice de Mirepoix, next to the square, has the second widest Gothic arch in Europe (after Girona in Catalonia, Spain).

Leaving Mirepoix the route takes us south.
Just before Aigues-Vives, look for the international karting circuit on the right. The circuit was remodelled in 2001 to reach a length of 1,402 meters & is nationally and internationally approved.
After Lavelanet we head west to Saint Antoine and the Ariege valley.

A minor road beside the river leads to Pont du Diable, or Devils Bridge.
Built in 1896, and like many bridges with the same name, there is a legend or two!.
To facilitate trade, a merchant made a deal with the Devil. In exchange for a bridge, the Devil would take the soul of the first person to cross it.
But once the bridge was built, of course no one wanted to cross it. Someone had the idea of bringing a cat across.
The deceived Devil became angry and fell into the river.
Leaving the Devil behind, as you continue south beside the river to Tarascon-sur Ariege, the Tour du Castella comes into view on its high perch overlooking the town.
The present tower was built on the site of the former medieval keep, which was rectangular in shape. It was erected in the 18th century following the demolition of the Porte de Foix, from which much of the material, including the bell and clock, was reused for construction.
The Tour du Castella is now the town's landmark, offering the best view of the surrounding area.
After Tarascon, the routes picks up some of the many routes used on the Tour de France, and the ride becomes more challenging.

The Col de Port, at 1250m, links the Couserans and Ariège valleys.
There are some lovely views across the valley from the top & a useful Tourist Information Office during the high season.
The pass is used occasionally in the Tour de France & was last used on the 2021 Tour.
Col de la Core - 1395m. During the Second World War, the Franco-Spanish border became an escape route for many people fleeing the Nazi regime, or wanting to continue the fight within free France.
The path that took the Col de la Core was known as The Chemin de la Liberté (Freedom Path). A monument pays tribute to the many that crossed.
The hillsides are used as summer pastures for cattle and horses to graze in the historic Bethmale cheese area.
The Tour de France has used the Col eight times since 1984. Last used on the 2021 Tour.

Col de Portet Aspet - The pass, rising to 1069m, located in Haute Garonne, is the high crossing point of the GR78 long distance path, called the Chemin du Piedmont Pyrénées, which is a secondary route for the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.
Tragedy occurred here during the 1995 Tour de France when one of the greatest hopes of Italian cycling of that era, Fabio Casartelli, died in a fall.
Casartelli, who won the Olympic Games in 1992 at the age of 22 and was teammate to Lance Armstrong, was destined for a great career in cycling.
During this 15th stage, linking Saint Girons to Cauterets, in the descent from the Col du Portet d'Aspet several riders fall and some fall directly into the ravine.
Fabio Casartelli slipped and hit the parapet bordering the road.
At that time, wearing a helmet was not yet compulsory in racing...
Since October 1995, a stele in his memory has been erected at the scene of the tragedy and the Tour de France has become accustomed to stopping and respecting a minute of silence each time it passes this stele. It represents an angel's wing, a bicycle wheel and 5 Olympic rings.
Both the Col de Portet-d’Aspet & the following Col de Mente are included in Stage 15 of the 2024 Tour de France.

Soon you will start to scale the multiple hairpin bends to the 1369m crest of the the Col de Mente.
The Col de Menté has been used many times on the tour since its first inclusion in 1966.
At the top you will find stone memorial to Guy Lapébie.
Lapébie was a French cyclist, who won two gold and one silver medals at the 1936 Summer Olympics. After World War II he became a professional road racer.
Lapébie's elder brother was Tour de France winner Roger Lapébie. Guy's son Serge was also a professional cyclist.
On one of the hairpins of the descent you can find a plaque to TdF cyclist Luis Ocaña.
On stage 14 of the 1971 Tour de France Spanish cyclist Ocaña was in the Yellow Jersey of the Tour de France leader with an overall lead of 7 minutes on Eddy Merckx and they crossed the summit of the Col de Menté together in a storm, with streams of mud running across the road.
Merckx, an excellent descender, attacked as he descended dangerously down the mountain road.
To stay in contact with Merckx, Ocaña took many risks on the descent.
Flying through the corners, Merckx lost control and skidded into a low retaining wall at the side of the road.
Ocaña, trailing close behind, could not avoid the fallen Merckx and fell himself.
Merckx was up quickly and sped away, whilst Ocaña struggled to release his cleats from the toe clips and was struck by the pursuing Joop Zoetemelk.
Ocaña lay on the ground screaming with pain. Help arrived quickly and Ocaña was rushed by helicopter to the hospital in St. Gaudens. He recovered from his injuries, but his 1971 Tour dreams had come to an end.
The following day Merckx refused to wear the yellow jersey in order to pay tribute to Ocaña.
The memorial plaque sits at the scene of the accident on the western side of the Col de Menté.

Continuing the descent into the Garonne valley at Saint-Beat takes you south east to the French Spanish border, before entering the Vielha Tunnel.
The need for a tunnel here was identified in the 19th century, as access paths over the 2450m summit were impassable in winter. The path to Vielha was for pedestrians and horses or mules, but no vehicles could use it.
in 1830 two French engineers were commissioned to study the project, which would not be carried out for technical and economic reasons.
In 1924, following the visit of King Alfonso XIII, a new project was launched, unfortunately, the political instability of the time, then the Civil War, delayed its construction until 1948
The drilling work, with multiple interruptions, lasted 22 years. The tunnel is named after Alfonso XIII.
It was then the first road tunnel in Europe and it held the record for the longest road tunnel in the world until 1964.
After many years of use, the Alphonse XIII tunnel had become one of the most dangerous in the Pyrenees.
Peak traffic there was more than 6,000 vehicles per day, including more than 700 trucks, many transporting hazardous materials. There were no parking areas, the emergency telephones were not isolated from noise, there was no signage inside the tunnel, the evacuation galleries were neither signposted nor lit, finally there was no emergency management
In the 1980s, the Vielha tunnel did not meet any of the safety directives and the need for a new tunnel became more and more pressing.
In 1989, a study was launched to double the tunnel.
After the Mont-Blanc tunnel accident in 1999, the final project was completed and work began in 2002. After two years of delay, the new tunnel, named after King Juan Carlos I, was inaugurated on December 4th 2007.
The new tunnel is now one of the safest in the world, with a length of 5,230 m and a width of 12 m.

After the tunnel you will follow the Noguera Ribagorzana river which forms the administrative boundary between Catalonia and Aragon. Its source is high above Vielha at about 2400m.
Later you join a road popular with motorcyclists, the N-260, also known as the Pyrenean Axis, is the northernmost east–west national road in Spain.
In contrast to the majority of Spanish national roads, which were specially constructed during the mid-20th century, the route for this highway was established in the 1980s over several previously existing secondary (or even local) roads.
It starts in Portbou and ends 500km later in the town of Sabiñanigo.

At the 1407m summit of the Coll de Espina you will find one of the best panoramic viewpoints of the Shire of Ribagorza.
It is in an area of biological transition between the Mediterranean region (with more or less dry summers) and the Euro-Siberian region with wetter summers.
Hence the variety of landscapes with different species of flora and fauna that can be seen in this area.
Below the viewpoint & at the foot of the hill there is a slab with a lot of history (although aesthetically no big deal) called The Stone of the Three Bishops.
It is because at this point converged formerly the Diocese of Barbastro, Lleida and La Seu d'Urgell, and was a meeting place for the three bishops to discuss their dioceses but each remaining within limits of their own jurisdiction.

Continuing to follow the N-260 south to El Run, where you will enter the impressive Congosto de Ventamilla.
The Ventamillo gorge is a narrow canyon, with vertical walls of up to 300 meters.
Almost 40,000 years ago, the site of the Ventamilla gorge was buried by the Ésera glacier, which was up to 36km long and 800m wide in certain places.
During the melting of this glacier, the water eroded the rock to create this unique passage.
The Ventamillo Gorge is a beautiful and imposing ravine traced by the Ésera River. 40,000 years ago, the gigantic glacier of the same name was located here; the melting and erosion of the limestone rock outlined the magnificent landscape seen today.
Ainsa is the former capital of the old kingdom of Sobrarbe, which became part of the kingdom of Aragon in the 11th century, the town is a magnificent example of medieval city design.
The original town of Aínsa, has a harmonious old quarter with a series of closely packed, uniform houses, the slender tower of the Collegiate Church and the enormous castle enclosure – almost as big as the rest of the village. The walls that surround it are almost completely preserved, and it is full of monuments going back to the Middle Ages.
In September, to commemorate the reconquest of the town, they hold what they call La Morisma, a representation of the battle between Moors and Christians.

The small modern town of Ainsa sits below the castle, at the junction of two rivers, the Rio Art & the Rio Cinca.
The area is known for its many large birds of prey.
Close to the town there is a specific feeding station for scavenger birds, with good acceptance by griffon vultures, Egyptian vultures, and red kites. Two pairs of bearded vultures visit it regularly.

MRA RouteXperts have previously used two local hotels, both with large secure garages for motorcycles.
Hotel Sanchez near the town centre & Hotel Turmo, about 4km north of Ainsa in Labuerda.