From for a while, We wanted to invite cyclists we admire for their authenticity to come and discover our playground and our products. This is how the MATCHY ESCAPE DAYS were born.

After a few email exchanges, we now have a group of guests assembled. It consists of:

• Luisa, ultra-cyclist with a victory in the Atlas Mountain Race and the Italy Divide to his credit…
• Fanny aka @sportivresse, avid cyclist and founder of the @watt_cc team
• Jess, ultra-trail runner, skier and cyclist from the US
• Yann, artistic director and ultra-endurance practitioner
• Stéphane, journalist for Gravel and Bike, the 1st French-speaking Gravel YouTube channel
• Julian, photographer and member of @parischillracing @pcrgravier @steelcoffeeshop

The meeting is scheduled for Saturday, May 13th at Matchy Cyclist Clubhouse, The brand's headquarters and a meeting place for cyclists. We're off for two days of gravel riding around Lake Annecy and then in the Aravis mountains, with a night in a mountain chalet.

It is 9 o'clock when our small team meets at Clubhouse. The weather is gloomy outside, but it doesn't seem to be affecting morale. We meet over coffee and begin introductions. We'll be getting to know our guests, and they'll be discovering our products. Since we'll be riding both trails and roads this weekend, we've decided to mix and match our product lines. Our guests will therefore be wearing outfits from both ranges. Gravel and road. But enough lingering, it's already time to leave for the first day of cycling.

The plan was to ride along Lake Annecy counter-clockwise, climb the Col de l'Arpettaz, cycle along the Route de la Soif (Road of Thirst), and finish with the Col des Aravis before descending back to our chalet in Saint-Jean-de-Sixt. An 80-kilometer route with nearly 2,000 meters of elevation gain that the team tackled in truly dreadful conditions.

The ride began by exploring the gravel paths that run alongside Lake Annecy. Relatively flat, they allowed us to warm up nicely without getting bored on the cycle path. If being bored is even acceptable when you're riding in such a unique setting. Having reached the end of the lake, we enjoyed a lunch break in the sun. The sky had decided to clear up for the occasion.

The respite is short-lived, and the day takes a turn for the worse on the Arpettaz pass with its endless switchbacks. A storm catches up with the team, who find themselves riding in the rain and 2-degree weather. On the "road of thirst," at 1600 meters, they don't see a soul; they're freezing. They begin to doubt they'll even be able to reach the finish line in these conditions.

At the Col des Aravis, we find a bit of civilization again. As if to remind us not to forget it, the rain starts falling again on the descent towards our chalet in Saint-Jean-de-Sixt.

On Strava, Fanny summed up the day well:

In the evening, we sleep at Chalet-Sixtine in Saint-Jean-de-Sixt.On We relive the day over a drink and warm up with a veggie croziflette prepared by Flore, who is as good a cook as she is a textile designer. On a bike, it's these kinds of emotions that we seek. Riding until we sometimes suffer during the day allows us to better savor the moments of life that come after.

…

The second stage is, according to his profile, more relaxed.

We simply need to descend from the chalet to tackle the Col des Glières, the only real challenge of the day. Afterwards, we can reach Annecy by following roads and trails. That's without even considering the conditions, today too, and the average gradient of the climb to Glières. Stéphane, who joined us the day before, is the first to tackle the climb, camera in hand. As talkative as he usually is, his words become less frequent on the ascent.

We reach the top of Glières, stop for a group photo, and set off again without lingering too long. It's not warm up there. On the plateau, the course resembles cyclocross. We try to ride on the sodden trails, but it's so slippery that we end up running alongside our bikes.
Once past this challenge, we descend back into the valley by road. With the wet tarmac and the cars, it's more frightening than on the gravel. Cycling brings us back to reality: Sure, you're more likely to lose your balance on a gravel bike, but on the road, falls are uncontrollable and often serious.

When we reach the valley, the sun reappears. We take off our jackets and pick up the pace on the trails. But the route still has a few surprises in store. Bumps and technical sections add a challenge to the adventure. Yann, a former mountain biker, is pulling ahead. Jess, used to American gravel roads, is handling the technical sections well. Before Saint-Martin-de-Bellevue, we tackle one last good climb before stopping for a sandwich. Come on, 15 kilometers to go! Clubhouse And that's it.

…

After a tour of “BIKE WASH”, we finally arrive at Clubhouse. The team gathers for drinks to debrief. We've forged bonds, created friendships, and our guests tell us they're happy with the weekend and their outfits. Mission accomplished.

As after every bike ride, we're a little forgetful: We've finally reached the end of our ordeal and we already want to do it again… Shall we do it again in 2024?