The Algarve Brigade

December 2020 First contact with Jérôme Cousin, (thanks Seb for the introduction), then a pro at Total Direct Energies. The basic idea? Working on product development on Matchy. The contact is pretty good, we are quite "straight", which allows us to move forward without "bullshit". Living in Portugal, he extols the merits of this country for cycling. We have to be honest, at first we are not not very convinced. The discussion progresses, Fiona launches Echappée a few weeks later Portugal, the first images are nice and the possibility of doing gravel and/or road is attractive curiosity. May 2021 We managed to leave for Girona with 18 people, a real success. It was an enriching first experience for us, one that made us want to offer new trips to new destinations. Each step is a new learning experience, and we're keen to experience something new in a different way. We will refine all of this, It's always complicated to organize things in the middle of the season, which is a busy time. August 2021 The dates are set! We're ready to offer a new short format to our loyal La Brigade members. A three-day weekend, all on road bikes. October 2021 Early departure, the plane takes off at 6:10 a.m., the advantage is that with the time difference we land at 7:15 and we are in Loulé at 8:00. Time to have breakfast in town, learn your first words of Portuguese, and discover the cost of living with this very cheap breakfast. All this in a rising temperature, we're already missing the down jackets and jeans we wore in the morning. It must be said that we've gone from 3 degrees in Annecy a few hours earlier to already over 20 degrees. We collected our rooms and bikes, and at 11am we set off for this first day, 85 km and 1100 m of elevation gain, just to get our legs moving and explore the hilly hinterland. We don't Let's not lie, for us it's a real surprise, and surely a favorite. You remember when I told you that I wasn't convinced by the destination. That's surely what makes the discovery even better (a bit like Dewey, Malcolm reference "I expected nothing, but I was still disappointed", but the other way around) We take a break at a small local bike café; the weather is really nice and warm, so we end up having to buy water at the supermarket. A great start, we have time to relax by the pool on the way back, the rooms are clean and the hotel is in a great location. The stay starts off very well, especially when the aperitif is on the menu. Caneca (large beer) and grilled fish, ready for the second day. Second day, after a good breakfast at the hotel, including some pasteis de nata (cliché required) a little over 100 km On the agenda awaits us, including the ascent of THE local mountain, Malhao. We start the day with a visit to the local market, while we're at it, there's more to life than cycling. 108 km in total with almost 2200m of elevation gain, a very good program for an end-of-season ride. The goal is above all to spend quality time together and enjoy the mild weather while winter arrives far too quickly here! Two things in particular make cycling very enjoyable. The surface is just perfect, and the Loulé region is quite rich thanks to tourism, and all the roads are in very good condition.And the traffic, there's literally no one on the roads, and the few cars that pass by respect us. And any cyclist in 2021 is sensitive to that! In addition to that, the profile is varied and quite playful, it's a bit like a slide, which allows each brigadier to challenge our young guide Tomas in every turn. In addition, in the evening we are treated to small restaurants carefully chosen by Fiona, and local anecdotes from Jérôme. The Medrohno in particular (which varies from 35 degrees to 70 depending on the restaurant, be careful, danger). Last day already! A chance to vary the route again. A little flatter, heading towards the coast. This allows for a change, it's very pleasant. We discover in particular the beautiful village of Tavira where we stop to eat. "Tosta Mista," the local toast, we know how to order a beer and basic food, we could stay another week. Unfortunately, it's almost time to go back. We can enjoy the pool a little longer, a shandy. The memories are numerous because the stay was rich despite its length. The sun was a real source of energy. The cost of living, the welcome from the people, the roads, and the relationship with Fiona and Jérôme made this break very enjoyable. So, you too want to discover the Algarve from its best angle. Stay informed and subscribe to the newsletter to discover our travel offers for 2022!