SDC07 Orthez-Pamplona

Seventh stage from Oekene (Roeselare) to Santiago de Compostela: from Orthez to Pamplona, 141 kilometers and 1385 meters of elevation.

End of France and beginning of Spain! Today you cross the Pyrenees with a gentle pass. First, you have some rolling roads until you ride over ‘le Gave d’Oloron’ after 25 km in Sauveterre de Béarn. Then it’s about 40 km flat to slightly rolling, and from Saint-Jean-du-Pied-du-Port (km 70) you gradually climb to the highest point of the day. Saint-Jean-du-Pied-du-Port is known by many Compostela pilgrims as the crossing of the Pyrenees.

You follow the valley of the ‘Petite Nive’ from the village of Arnéguy. At the border with Spain, it starts climbing again, in Spain we follow the ‘rio Luzanne’. You climb from 60 meters above sea level to a height of 1074 meters. Spread over about 25 km, the average gradient is 4%. The first 10 km are the least steep, the last 10 are a bit steeper. Runners would call this a runner's climb.

Just before Roncevalles, near the ‘Pto Ibañeta’, we reach our highest point. Then it’s rolling roads at an altitude of 800 to 1000 meters with the ‘Pto de Aurizberri’ and the ‘Pto Erro’ following in succession. The last 20 km are slightly downhill along the ‘Rio Arga’ to Pamplona.

Pamplona (Iruñea in Basque) is the capital of the Spanish region Navarra. The city is located on the river ‘Arga’ and has about 194,000 inhabitants. Navarra is one of the seven provinces of Basque Country, 4 in Spain and 3 in France.
The city is especially known for the annual bull runs during the San Fermín festivities, in honor of San Firmín, who is the co-patron saint of the city. These festivities take place between July 6 and 14.