The French part of the ride lasted from 18th July to 19th August 2026 in branches across North, Britanny, South West, Basque country, and South of France. Here is a first account of what happened (to be continued)

Pointe du Raz to Nantes 

✅ July 17: Pre-departure evening event featuring a movie screening ~ 60 people and the presentation of a commitment letter and drawings from the Plogoff recreation center 🎨

✅ Departure on July 18 from Pointe du Raz 🌊—about 60 cyclists, a great atmosphere, lots of smiles and several encounters with elected officials along the way—about 90 people throughout the day

✅ First banner handoff between 3-year-old Armel and Plogoff’s mayor, André Marchand 😍

✅ 450 km of good cheer and cyclists coming and going 🚴🚴‍♀️

✅ Warm welcomes from our friends at the cycling clubs in Quimper (Kernavélo), Lorient (Vél’orient), Vannes (Vélomotive), and St. Nazaire (Place au vélo Estuaire) 🙏🙏🙏

✅ A 80-km ride between Quimper and Lorient with 700 meters of elevation gain 🥵! 2 flat tires 😬

✅ Several bridge crossings, including the famous St. Nazaire Bridge, featured in a France 3 report ~ 50 cyclists

✅ 13 letters of commitment signed ✍️ (Plogoff, Cap Sizun, Haut Pays Bigouden, Pays Bigouden Sud, Plomelin, Quimper, Lorient, Vannes, Guérande, St. Malo de Guersac, Besné, Paimboeuf, St. Nazaire)

✅ 7 screenings of the film *Ensemble* 🎥: Audierne, Penmarch, Plogoff, Quimper, Lorient, Vannes, St. Nazaire

✅ 🎶 a song with 9 verses (one per day) set to the tune of “Yellow Submarine,” which can be sung in different languages along the route

✅ about 200 cyclists on this leg and just as many smiles 😊

✅ The banner was passed to Juliette and Éric in Nantes on July 24 🙏

From Hendaye to Capvern 

6 days on the bike, more than a hundred cyclists on the road, welcomed by 11 towns, with boundless energy for the climate! 

From the Atlantic Ocean to the heart of the Pyrenean foothills, the COP31 Bike Ride linked Hendaye to Capvern from July 22 to 27. A collective, festive and deeply committed adventure to make the voice of the transition and active mobility heard!

The highlights of the journey, stage by stage:

July 21: Cross-border junction in Hendaye

A warm welcome for about ten cyclists who came from Bilbao with Pedro! A lively opening evening with an interactive Climate Quiz to get a feel for the orders of magnitude, followed by a screening of the film Ensemble. Thank you to Vincent Alloy (Deputy Mayor for Transitions and Mobility) and Manuel (Hendaia Vélo) for their inspiring presence. 

July 22: Hendaye – Bayonne stage: the Basque coast on board

A stunning coastal stage and outstanding support from local associations (Hendaia Vélo Recycl’Arte, Atelier Vélo Txirrind’Ola, Cyclo-Potes Anglet, les Carrioles Vertes, Bidean, Vue d’ensemble, Mulhem Baccia and Cap vers le vivant)!

3 new commitments signed in Hendaye, Saint Jean de Luz and Biarritz, in front of France Télévisions cameras. 

Big congratulations to Vincent Alloy, Marie-Claude Albanesi and Bertrand Hébert (elected officials and head of department at the Hendaye and Biarritz town halls) for riding alongside us!

A stop at Anglet Town Hall (already a signatory) with Mayor Claude Olive and Florence Lasserre, Deputy Mayor for Mobility and the Ecological and Energy Transitions. Then on to the Txirrind’Ola bike workshop in Bayonne to give the bikes some care.

July 23: Bayonne – Salies de Béarn stage: the strength of the group

A special nod to Carole, who took over the coordination at short notice: proof that the group stays unbeatable when the unexpected happens! 

A warm welcome from the town halls of Lahonce and Came along the way. 

 July 24: Salies de Béarn - Pau stage 

A moving stop at the Guilhembaque farm in Laroin (already a signatory) to collect drawings by children who learned about the climate, alongside Bernard Marque, a committed former mayor, and Laetitia Lanardoune from the mobility authority of the urban community

Led by Florence from the Pau à Vélo association and the Laroin cyclists, we celebrated our arrival in Pau with the official handover of the city's commitments, in the presence of Emmanuelle Camelot, the councillor in charge of cycling. 

July 25: Pau – Lourdes: a growing peloton

More than 60 cyclists on the road for this beautiful stage to Lourdes, along the gave (mountain river), where the city in turn made an official commitment for the climate, in the presence of Marie Bernadette Xerri, councillor in charge of the environment and sustainable tourism, and Emilie MANSANNE from the ecological transition department.

Also worth noting: we met 25 young Europeans working on European citizenship and mobility, who had all travelled to Pau by “green travel”

July 26 : Lourdes – Tarbes stage 

The shortest stage, ending with a screening of the film Ensemble at the Bourse du Travail. 

July 27: Tarbes - Capvern stage

Departure from Tarbes after the town's official signing, in the presence of Mayor Pascal Claverie and councillors Marc Andres and Michaël Ducrocq, in charge of active mobility and community life among other things. 

The peloton was then expertly guided by Yves from the Collectif des cyclomotivés du 65, then joined by John from the Union Cyclotouriste du plateau de Lannemezan. 

A festive arrival in Capvern with a warm welcome drink, before a well-deserved rest day at the campsite! 

A record that makes us smile

6 new climate commitments signed (Hendaye, Saint Jean de Luz, Biarritz, Pau, Lourdes and Tarbes)

11 welcoming towns (including Anglet and Laroin, already signatories last year, which reaffirmed their support and commitments)

4 screenings of the film Ensemble to raise awareness and spark discussion

And the wonderful drawings by the children of Laroin, full of hope for the future.

To conclude, a testimony among many others from Carole, illustrating the fantastic human experience that the COP BIKE RIDE is  :

“I joined the COP BIKE RIDE last Thursday in Bayonne and I feel as if I've always known my dear Spanish teammates Cristina, Pedro, Andres, Nati, Xeilo, Alberto, Josu, Ima. Incredibly kind, sensitive, cheerful and generous people ❤️❤️❤️

I don't speak a word of Spanish, and they make the effort to speak English even after a whole day cycling in the blazing sun.

We eat up the kilometers and the climbs because we are carried by this extraordinary project, which will bring the voice of cycling to the next COP in Antalya.

Because cycling is a real and such a beautiful solution!!!

Because it's urgent...

Because in early July, with more than 33° at home, it was the prospect of my upcoming departure that kept me going

Because we met 7 municipalities in 6 days - in particular Pau, Lourdes, Tarbes - that are committing to develop cycling and give it more space in the city and in their residents' lives.

Because we are living incredible moments of solidarity, hospitality, friendship, laughter, pain and joy

Right now we're going to eat all together and, after a nap, for the first time this week, we'll go to the Capvern thermal baths 🤩🤩🤩”

The Paris stop 

July 30 - August 1st 2026

Every year, the ride through Paris is always a highlight and a symbolic moment of the COP Bike Ride: After all, it was in Paris that it all began : where our international citizen-led initiative was conceived. And from where, symbolically as the site of the 2015 Climate Agreement, that the first COP Bike Ride set off on June 15, 2024, heading for Baku, the site of COP29!

This year, we enjoyed an exceptional program on July 30, including the signing of the Paris City Hall’s letter of commitment!! 🤩

✅ The peloton of cyclists arrived in Paris from London-Susa branch and met the Paris-based cyclists on Place de la Concorde for a public gathering💪🥳!

✅ A bike ride started on Rue de Rivoli, accompanied by Dan Lert, Deputy Mayor of Paris in charge of transportation, mobility—Pedestrian Plan, Bicycle Plan. 🚴‍♀️🚴

✅ We had a warm welcome in Paris City Hall: Dan Lert signed the commitment letter ✍️ and made an official presentation of the letter outlining the City of Paris’s commitments regarding cycling policy through 2030. This letter is addressed to the COP Presidency and stakeholders to encourage them to make a stronger commitment to cycling.

✅ We celebrated this major achievement in an evening event at the Académie du Climat: Meet-and-greet with participants, screening of the film “Ensemble,” 🎥chronicling the 2025 bike ride and the origins of this citizen-led initiative, and last but not least a group jazz jam open to all, featuring a drum set transported from London by one of the cyclists on their way to the COP! 🎶🥳

The relay’s departure from Paris to COP31 took place in the morning on August 1, in front of the City Hall. Target: convergence in Susa with the COP to COP branch ! 🚴‍♀️🚴