22–25 May 2027
L'Échappée: Paris to London Gravel Ultra
550km | Self-Supported | Boulogne to Dover by Sail
Paris to London by gravel. The long way round, with a sailing boat in the middle.
Échappée is cycling's word for the breakaway. This one leaves the Vélodrome Jacques Anquetil in Paris and heads north, onto the farm tracks and forgotten byways of Picardy.
From Boulogne you cross the Channel to Dover under sail.
Then back on the gravel to take on the North Downs in Kent, before the run into Herne Hill Velodrome. Around 550 kilometres, self-supported, and not the quickest way home. That's rather the point.
The Route
From La Cipale, the route escapes Paris through the Bois de Vincennes and heads north. Forest roads, riverside trails and the long open tracks of Picardy carry it toward the coast.
There will be long stretches where the kilometres come easily. But 550 kilometres is still 550 kilometres. Where you stop, how long you sleep and whether you reach Boulogne in time for your sailing will be up to you.
The final route is approximately 550 km. Full distance, climbing and surface details will be confirmed after the recce. The GPX file will be supplied to all riders before the event.
Dot Watching
Every rider carries a GPS tracker from La Cipale to Herne Hill. Friends, family and anyone else with a browser can watch the dots creep north across Picardy, pause in Boulogne, bob across the Channel and wind their way through Kent. It's strangely addictive. Fair warning to anyone who has to work that week.
We'll set up a dedicated page for friends and family with the live map, and share the link before the start. Results go up on the site later that week.
The Channel Crossing
The crossing is part of the adventure, not an interruption to it.
At Boulogne-sur-Mer you check in and board SailLink's catamaran for Dover. Two sailings are booked, provisionally on 24 and 25 May, with 12 riders on each. The first 12 to check in take the first boat. Everyone else sails the next day. That's why there are only 24 places. Small enough for me to ride it too, which is exactly what I'm going to do.
It isn't a matter of loading your bike and sitting down until France turns into England. If you want, the crew will let you help hoist the sails, take the helm and learn how they navigate one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. Or sit back. Nobody will be press-ganged into becoming crew after riding across Picardy.
The crossing is neutralised. Your French time stops at Boulogne and your British time starts in Dover. Your tracker stays on throughout. Land, sea, and land again.
Dover to Herne Hill
From Dover, the route crosses Kent and the North Downs through familiar Hidden Tracks territory before the final kilometres bring it home to Herne Hill Velodrome. When you get there depends on which boat you catch.
Fast, But Not Easy
This is not the relentless broken ground and accumulated brutality of The Wrecker. The trails through northern France are quicker, more open and less technical. There will be plenty of places where you can settle into a rhythm and watch the kilometres disappear.
That does not make it easy. You will need to manage more than 500 kilometres of riding, unpredictable surfaces, changing weather, food, navigation, mechanicals and sleep. You will also have a sailing to reach.
The fastest riders may treat the run to Boulogne as one long breakaway. Others will split the whole thing into three or four substantial days. The challenge is not simply following the route. It is deciding how you are going to ride it.
Self-Supported
There is no support vehicle, no luggage transfer and nobody waiting around the corner with your preferred energy gel. You are responsible for your bike, navigation, food, water, accommodation, mechanicals and reaching the sailing check-in on time.
You may use shops, cafés, hotels and bike shops available equally to every rider. Friends and personal support crews must not provide assistance along the route.
L'Échappée is for riders comfortable with:
- Riding long distances on consecutive days
- Navigating from a GPX file
- Riding alone and after dark
- Finding food, water and somewhere to sleep
- Dealing with routine mechanical problems
- Making sensible decisions when plans change
What's Included
- SailLink Channel crossing, Boulogne-sur-Mer to Dover
- Paris to Herne Hill GPX route
- Individual GPS tracker
- Live tracking page for friends and family
- Digital rider guide
- Pre-event rider briefing
- Event number
- Results published on the site.
Travel to Paris, food, accommodation, insurance and travel home after withdrawal (if you cannot make one of the Saillink Sailings) are not included. A refundable tracker deposit of £150 is payable on entry or two weeks before the event.
The Wrecker is a route you survive.
L'Échappée is a route you chase.
550 kilometres. Three or four days. Paris to London by gravel and sail.
FAQs
What does the entry include?
The entry fee is £250. That gets you:
- Your SailLink Channel crossing, Boulogne-sur-Mer to Dover
- The Paris to Herne Hill GPX route
- An individual GPS tracker
- A live tracking page for friends and family
- Digital rider guide and pre-event rider briefing
- Your event number
- Results published on the site, based on combined French and British riding times
- The finish at Herne Hill Velodrome
Travel to Paris, food, accommodation, insurance and getting home if you withdraw are down to you. The £150 tracker deposit is separate and refundable. Entries close 21 April 2027, or sooner if the 24 places go first.
Is there live tracking, and where are the results?
Yes, and it's half the fun. Every rider carries a GPS tracker from La Cipale to Herne Hill. Friends and family can watch the dots creep north across Picardy, pause in Boulogne, bob across the Channel and wind their way through Kent. It's strangely addictive.
We'll set up a dedicated page for friends and family with the live map, and share the link before the start. Send it to whoever's going to be refreshing it at 3am.
Results go up on the site later that week, with French time, British time and the combined total for every finisher.
How does the Channel crossing work?
Check in at the SailLink departure point when you reach Boulogne-sur-Mer. Two sailings are booked for L'Échappée, provisionally on 24 and 25 May. Each takes 12 riders and their bikes.
Nobody gets a boat in advance. The first 12 riders to check in before the cut-off take the first sailing. Everyone else takes the second, the following day. We'll confirm the cut-off in the rider briefing, once SailLink's 2027 timetable is set.
We expect departures around 3pm, but sailings run on wind, tide and weather, and the skipper has the final word. Any changes go in the L'Échappée WhatsApp group. Joining details are in the briefing. Check it as you get close to Boulogne. That part's on you. If SailLink has to cancel a sailing for weather, you get the SailLink part of your entry fee back.
Waiting and sailing time don't count. Your French time stops at check-in and your British time starts when you leave Dover.
The briefing also covers the departure point and where to wait. There's a free campsite near Boulogne, plus our pick of places to eat, drink and sleep.
Where is my bike stored during the crossing?
In the cabin, out of the wind and spray. The crew will show you how to load and secure it.
How do I get my bike to Paris from London without a bike box?
Eurostar won't take an assembled bike, so the easiest way is ferry and train via Calais. It's reliable, plenty of cyclists do it, and it takes a day. Here's how:
- Train from London St Pancras or Victoria to Dover, about 1h 20m.
- Ride about 2km from Dover station to Dover Eastern Docks.
- Buy a foot passenger and bike ticket to Calais at the port. About £35 each way, no need to book ahead.
- In Calais, a port vehicle escorts cyclists out of the port. Then it's about 3km through town to Calais Ville station.
- Take the TER train from Calais Ville to Paris Gare du Nord. Assembled bikes go free on the K16 line, but you must reserve a (free) bike space. Book on SNCF Connect or at the station.
- The train takes 1h 50m to 3h depending on the service. There are around six a day, the first at about 05:05 and the last around 20:14.
- From Gare du Nord, it's about 13km across Paris to the start at Vélodrome Jacques Anquetil.
Travel the day before the start. That gives you time to register, collect your tracker and get some sleep.
When will I finish in London?
That depends on your sailing. Riders on the first crossing should reach Herne Hill on 25 May. Riders on the second should get there on the 26th. The cut-off is midnight on Thursday 27 May, which leaves room in case the weather keeps a boat in port.
So keep 26 and 27 May free. Wind and tide have never once taken orders from anyone's diary. Ask King Canute.
What happens if I miss the last sailing?
Check in at Boulogne regardless. That stops your French time.
If there's room on SailLink's next crossing, the crew will try to get you on it. That's at their discretion, not ours.
Otherwise, sadly, it's a hoof up the coast to Calais and a DFDS or P&O ferry to Dover. The fare is about £35 with a bike, booked and paid for by you. Your British time starts when you rejoin the route at Dover.
What kind of event is L'Échappée?
L'Échappée is a self-supported gravel ultra from Paris to London, covering approximately 550 kilometres across northern France and southeast England. Riders start at the Vélodrome Jacques Anquetil in Paris, cross the Channel from Boulogne-sur-Mer to Dover under sail with SailLink, and finish at Herne Hill Velodrome in south London. It is one of the few bikepacking events in Europe to include a sailing crossing as part of the route.
Is L'Échappée a race?
It's a timed gravel ultra rather than a mass-start race. Riders leave Paris and make their own way north at their own pace. Your result is your French time plus your British time. The crossing doesn't count. Most riders will take three to four days. The cut-off is midnight on Thursday 27 May.
How difficult is the Paris to London gravel route?
L'Échappée is designed to move. The gravel roads through northern France are generally open and fast compared to more technical UK routes. There will be long sections where you can find a rhythm and cover ground quickly.
That said, 550 kilometres across two countries with a sailing to catch is not a casual ride. Riders need to be comfortable with long days in the saddle, self-navigation, overnight riding and making decisions when tired. Full climbing and surface details will be confirmed after the route recce.
What bike do I need for a Paris to London gravel ultra?
A gravel bike with 38mm+ tyres is recommended. The route through northern France uses forest roads, farm tracks, old railway lines and open agricultural trails, surfaces that reward a capable gravel setup rather than a road bike. The British leg crosses Kent and the North Downs on a mix of gravel tracks and quiet lanes.
Your bike should be in good mechanical condition before you start. There is no event mechanic and no support vehicle. Full route and surface details will be confirmed after the recce.
Is L'Échappée suitable for first-time bikepacking events?
L'Échappée is aimed at experienced gravel riders and bikepackers who are already comfortable riding long distances unsupported. If you are looking for your first multi-day gravel event, it may be worth building experience on shorter self-supported rides before entering.
You should be comfortable navigating from a GPX file, riding alone and after dark, sourcing food and accommodation independently and handling routine mechanical problems without support.
What is the tracker deposit?
A refundable deposit of £150 is required for every rider's GPS tracker. You can pay it when you enter or leave it until two weeks before the event. It's refunded once your tracker is back, handed in at Herne Hill Velodrome or posted in the return envelope.
One friendly but firm note: get it back to us within 10 days of the event finishing. After that, OpenTrack treats it as lost and the full £150 is forfeited. That's their policy, not ours, and we can't make exceptions. It's an easy deadline to hit. Just don't let it sit in a drawer.
What is the cancellation policy?
Cancellations made more than one month before the event start date (22 May 2027) will receive a partial refund of the entry fee minus an administration charge. Cancellations made within one month of the event are non-refundable.
The tracker deposit is refundable at any point provided the tracker is returned in good condition.