Marc Baurier and Ferran Sacristan won the first 100 Colls France overall on Kove 800 GTs, scoring 46,002 points during a 48-hour challenge across the French Alps. The event, held from 11 to 13 September, rewards route planning and tactical judgement rather than maximum speed, with riders choosing how to turn a common map into the strongest possible result.

Every participant receives the same map, but the route is then their own. Alpine mountain passes carry different point values, so a rider may choose to collect numerous lower-scoring passes close together or travel farther towards more valuable targets. Weather, fatigue and fuel stops all affect that calculation. Speeding brings penalties or exclusion, making this a navigation and endurance exercise in which the fastest-looking route is not necessarily the best one.

The finish took place at Ô Lac in Châteauneuf-sur-Isère, where the riders arrived for the closing lunch and awards ceremony. Eric Nicod claimed the individual victory on a Ducati Desert X, while Macbor took the team classification with its Montana XR 510s. The team recorded 76 validated mountain-pass completions during the two-day period.

The format repeatedly demanded changes of plan. Bernard Husson was still in contention on Saturday afternoon but reduced his pace to prioritise safety. Another rider lost GPS function and completed the remainder of the route with a paper map he had drawn by hand. Despite the scale and demands of the challenge, the event ended without an accident.

Joan Martí, CEO of Crom Event Management, said the shared map is only the starting point: from there, each participant follows a different journey. He also described the variety of those journeys as one of the most rewarding aspects of the French debut, linking the event’s appeal to freedom, adventure and the chance to discover what each rider can achieve.

From Catalonia to France

The 100 Colls concept began in Catalonia in 2022 with 100 participants and has been held every year since. The first edition outside Catalonia brought more than 190 riders to France, putting their route-planning skills to the test across the Alpine passes. Ismael Fernández added another memorable performance by covering more than 1,200 kilometres on a Vespa to win the Master Bronze category. His result underlined the event’s broader lesson: the motorcycle matters, but the rider matters more.

The next scheduled chapter is 100 Colls Catalunya 2027, running from 30 April to 2 May, before the event returns to France. The organisers say France offers room for future editions and hope to attract more riders from across Europe while preserving the format’s emphasis on freedom, adventure and individual strategy.