Quebrantahuesos Gran Fondo 2026

The route

The Quebrantahuesos reaches its 35th edition in 2026 and remains Spain's most important cyclosportive. With over 10,000 riders, 200 km, 3,500 metres of climbing and three Pyrenean passes, it is many cyclists' main target of the year. Places are allocated by ballot, and in some years the waiting list is three times the number of available bibs. Sabiñánigo, in the Aragonese Pyrenees, becomes the centre of Spanish amateur cycling every third Saturday of June.

The route first climbs to the Col de Somport (1,632 m) through the Aragón valley, crosses into France, summits the Col Marie Blanche (1,035 m) and returns to Spain over the Col du Portalet (1,794 m), the hardest climb of the day and the one that breaks the race apart. The descent back into Aragón is long and technical. The final 35 km to Sabiñánigo looks flat on the map but wind can turn it into another invisible climb. The Treparriscos, a parallel 85 km event starting in Biescas, is the option for those without a Quebrantahuesos bib or looking for a more accessible challenge.

The Pyrenees have their own wind system and the Quebrantahuesos feels it. On race day in late June, the typical pattern is calm air in the valley at the early start, crosswinds on the Somport flanks and highly variable conditions on the Portalet, which due to its altitude and orientation can see gusts of 30 to 50 km/h on the north face. The return leg along the Aragón river valley runs roughly east-west, meaning the wind can be head-on or a tailwind depending on the day. This is the segment where checking the forecast in advance makes the biggest practical difference.

How to prepare for the Quebrantahuesos

• Early start. Departure 07:00 from Sabiñánigo, you need to be in the pen by 06:30. For an average amateur (~4 W/kg, 23-25 km/h average), arrival is between 14:00 and 16:00 — that's 7-9 hours in the saddle including feed stops. Eat dinner early and sleep near Sabiñánigo or Jaca if you can.
• Layers, not heavy clothing. Cool start (12-15 °C in the valley at 07:00) but climbs warm you up fast and the afternoon valley sun hits 28-30 °C. Short-sleeve jersey + bibs with removable arm warmers. Packable vest or windproof for the Portalet descent — it's long and the wind chill can drop 10 °C in minutes.
• Light rain jacket, almost always. The Portalet (1,794 m) has its own climate: fog, wind or local rain even with a sunny valley. A packable jacket in your back pocket weighs nothing and saves your day if you need to descend in the wet. The 2022 edition (rescheduled to Sept 24 due to extreme heat) ended with rain and cold on the Portalet — riders without a windproof suffered.
• Hydration for valley heat. June in Aragón can start at 25 °C and rise to 30 °C on the return leg. Iso bottle from the start + water bottle, refill at every feed stop. Drink steadily from km 0 — don't wait until you're thirsty on the Somport.
• Pocket food. Plan 3-4 bars and 2-3 gels for 7-9 h, supplementing with what you grab at feed stations (banana, dates, small sandwich). Stops are well stocked every 30-40 km, you don't need to carry the full day. Fuel up before the Portalet: hardest climb of the day, plus 35 km of windy return after.
• Northeast wind, watch it. Dominant June wind in the Pyrenees is from the NE. The route goes into France and back to Spain, so you get headwind or tailwind by section. The final leg along the Aragón valley (Jaca → Sabiñánigo) is where it matters most: headwind makes it 35 brutal km on tired legs; tailwind flies. Check the forecast the day before — this page shows it kilometre by kilometre.
• The Treparriscos. The 85 km variant is ideal if you don't have a bib or want something more manageable. Same 07:00 start from Biescas, climbs straight to the Portalet and returns. Same climate risk up top, half the total time.

Registration opens each autumn with the ballot decided in December. If you get a place, you have until January to confirm. If not, the waiting list is active and places are sometimes released in March and April. Sabiñánigo fills up in the days before the event, so book accommodation early.

Variants and GPX

Past editions

Real Open-Meteo weather on each edition day.

Aid stations

How to register

Registration, price and rules are on the official website of the organization. Official march website →

More information

All marches in Spain
Keep reading about planning routes with wind