The Federal Cycle Touring Week takes place every year in a different place in France and is the largest gathering of cyclists in Europe. In 2018, Épinal is hosting the 12,000 participants from 5th to 12th August. It invites hikers and cyclists to discover the county of the Vosges as well as its beautiful diverse landscapes and the richness of its cultural heritage in many facets.
This event takes place thanks to the involvement of thousands of volunteers who provide their assistance throughout the week in sectors such as catering, information, logistics and stewardship. Each position has its importance and everyone's help is precious.
The Épinal Convention Centre is the meeting point throughout this week for all cyclists. Numerous stands will be set up for specialized brands in the discipline, tourist destinations within the county, local products and the indispensable presence of the town who is going to welcome the event next year. Throughout the week, many activities are also offered around Épinal such as sightseeing tours, coach trips to destinations further afield such as the towns of Grand or Nancy in order to discover the riches of our Region.
Every day during this special week, 4 or 5 new marked circuits and mountain bike trails are proposed to discover the Region. These different routes are represented by flower petals of different colours that can be followed from the Congress Centre. The different circuits range from 40 to 150 kilometres and some are reported on. Different pit stops are available to the participants during their outings.
For road cyclists this is the opportunity to discover the Vosges thanks to the following circuits:
- Monday: Charmes and its hilly surroundings
- Tuesday : the town of Gérardmer as well as the valley of the lakes
- Wednesday : The Vosges Saônoise (on the southern side of the Vosges)
- Thursday : The town of Capavenir Vosges, where a giant picnic lunch will take place near The Rotonde
- Friday : The Thermal Spa towns
- Saturday: The Abbeys and Déodatie.
Mountain bikers can have the opportunity to discover the following over a few days:
- The Tendon waterfalls
- Lake Bouzey, passing near the Avière Canal
- The numerous hillsides and ponds which are near Épinal
- The Vôge and the Mount de Faucille
- The various forests in the Vosges
- Follow in the footsteps of Julien Absalon (one of our great Champions)
These different circuits are marked and accessible to all cyclists whether amateur or experienced. For this Federal Cycling Week the aerodrome in Dogneville is going to be transformed into a giant campsite where thousands of people are expected to gather. It will accommodate nearly 8,000 participants, whether they are in tents, motorhomes or caravans.
