Cycling in Sigean

Cycling guide to Sigean

Sigean sits at the northern end of a coastal corridor in Languedoc that carries riders south towards the Mediterranean shore and on into Roussillon. The main outing from the town is a 103.2 km point-to-point to Banyuls-sur-Mer, threading past Le Peyrou, Les Trois Moulins and L'Étang Boyé before reaching La Palme and the Leucate headland at Leucate, Leucate-Plage and Port Leucate. From there the route follows the string of beach settlements: Port Barcarès and Le Barcarès, Torreilles-Plage, Sainte-Marie-Plage and Sainte-Marie-la-Mer, Canet-en-Roussillon, then Saint-Cyprien Plage, Saint-Cyprien and Latour-Bas-Elne. Beyond Argelès-Plage and Le Racou the coast steepens through Collioure and Port-Vendres, with Cosprons, La Guinelle, Mas Perotet and Mas Reig on the final approach to Banyuls-sur-Mer. Total climbing is 598 m over the full distance, so the day is defined more by its length than by any single ascent.

Best time to ride

The route here is recorded in September, at around 28°C, which suits an early start on a long coastal day.

Terrain

Almost entirely low-lying: the high point of the route is just 111 m, reached on the only substantial climb, which begins 1.4 km out of Sigean and gains 81 m in 2 km at 4.1% with a maximum of 9.5%. The remainder is flat to gently rolling along the coast, with short pitches in the final section between Collioure and Banyuls-sur-Mer.