WOW! Look what dropped into our News inbox this week! Huge congratulations to Emma and Mike from all of us at Wheel Easy, that was some ride!
Wheel Easy riders take on La Lapébie in Harrogate’s twin town
Wheel Easy members Emma Dooley and Mike Harrison swapped their usual Saturday morning rides with The Contrarians of Wheel Easy for a rather bigger challenge in the French Pyrenees, taking part in the La Lapébie cyclosportive in Harrogate’s twin town of Bagnères-de-Luchon.
Emma and Mike were part of a ten-strong Harrogate contingent brought together by Dennis Richards of Harrogate International Partnerships, joining around 600 cyclists for a mass start at 9am on Sunday, September 13.
The riders came from across Harrogate’s cycling community, including Wheel Easy, Harrogate Nova, Harrogate Tri Club and the Prologue Junior Racing Team, making the trip a real celebration of Harrogate cycling as well as the long-standing friendship between the two towns.
There was another Wheel Easy connection which was hard to miss: Mike designed the fabulous Harrogate-Luchon cycling jerseys worn by the whole team for the event, giving the ten riders a distinctive identity as they flew the flag for Harrogate in the Pyrenees.
Riders could choose between two challenging timed routes. Eth Camino covered 105km with 2,227 metres of climbing, finishing back in Luchon, while the full Eth Gran Camin covered 121km with 3,380 metres of ascent and culminated in a summit finish at Superbagnères.
The routes took riders over the Col des Ares, Col de Menté and Col du Portillon, through spectacular Pyrenean scenery and briefly across the border into Spain.
It was a very different proposition from a Saturday morning Contrarians ride. Conditions added considerably to the challenge, with riders recording temperatures of up to 36C on parts of the course, while strict cutoff times had to be met to remain within the official event.
Emma tackled the full Eth Gran Camin and was one of only nine women to complete the 121km route, reaching the finish at Superbagnères after 3,380 metres of climbing.
Superbagnères is steeped in cycling history, having hosted the finish of Stage 14 of the 2025 Tour de France. La Lapébie itself also reflects the area’s rich cycling heritage, carrying the name of the celebrated French cycling family which included 1937 Tour de France winner Roger Lapébie.
The weekend was also about strengthening the relationship between Harrogate and Luchon. The two spa towns have been twinned for 73 years, with shared connections to the outdoors, sport, health and wellbeing making cycling a particularly fitting way to celebrate that friendship.
The Harrogate group received wonderful hospitality throughout their stay, both during the event and around Luchon, and had the opportunity to enjoy some of the area’s famous cycling roads together.
The visit was supported by Harrogate International Partnerships, with further generous financial contributions from Harrogate businesses Verity Frearson, Hornbeam Park Developments, and Endless, helping to make the trip possible.
For Emma and Mike, it was a memorable opportunity to take a little bit of Wheel Easy — and the spirit of those Saturday morning Contrarians rides — all the way to the Pyrenees. And thanks to Mike’s jersey design, there was certainly no mistaking which Yorkshire town the team had come from.
There’s a great video that captures the essence of the ride here.
Wheel Easy members Emma Dooley and Mike Harrison were among the ten Harrogate cyclists who travelled to Bagnères-de-Luchon for La Lapébie. The team are pictured outside the Thermes de Luchon wearing the Harrogate-Luchon jerseys designed by Mike. From left: Gary Dooley, John Dunn, Rob Beagley, James Beagley, Magnus Denwood, Emma Dooley, Mike Harrison, Tom Denwood, Paddy Craig and Will Bellamy.
Superbagnères
Emma Dooley at the finish of Eth Gran Camin at Superbagnères. The Wheel Easy rider was one of only nine women to complete the full 121km route, which included 3,380 metres of climbing.
