In June 2025 Worcester Rugby Football Club (WRFC) took part in the International Mixed Ability Rugby Tournament (IMART) in Pamplona, Spain.

Three members of the Worcester squad made the journey there by bicycle, around 1,400 km of pedalling, to raise awareness of the Mixed Ability Rugby movement, to inspire others to travel by bike, and to raise money for the charity RoadPeace.

Rob Collier, Steve Slawson and Dan Brothwell set off from Worcester the week before the tournament started, cycled to the south coast of the UK, the length of France, and finally over the northern Pyrenees before arriving in Pamplona…

Dan Brothwell, Steve Slawson and Rob Collier

Day 1 (Wednesday 15th June) - Worcester to Winchcombe

Wednesday was the date of departure for Dan and Rob, leaving from Worcester RFC. Our cycling companion and fellow Rugby player, Steve, was due to depart on Thursday and travel via Plymouth (we RV’d on Saturday in Malestroit).

We were joined by Lola, James, Sam and Beck who each rode with us for varying sections of the first day (James - all of it, Lola - all the way to the last pub, Sam/Beck - about 250m)

It was a lovely evening for a bike ride through Tibberton, Crowle to Elmley Castle and then onto Winchcombe. Dan and Rob made friends with some white van drivers who failed to yield at a narrow junction, but other than that our first ride was pleasant apart from a section of main roads where we had multiple close passes.

Vanessa (Dan’s infinitely better half) and Olive (Dan’s infinitely more articulate four legged friend) joined us for dinner in Winchcombe. Little did we know the adventures that were in store as we pitched up and said our goodnights at camp.

Day 2 (Thursday) - Winchcombe to Winchester

Dan, James and Rob decamped the tents and set off south for Winchester, winding our way through the Cotswold valleys. Fair play to James as we rode for hours without a break and it turned out that it was his longest ever ride by about midday.

The heavens opened in mid morning - looking back, this was the only rain we had whilst riding for 14 days of cycling, so hard to complain although we didn’t feel like that at the time! Pub lunch to dry off and then we bid adios to James who returned to Worcester via Swindon, with fingers crossed that his eBike charge would make the distance.

Dan had helpfully added a couple of the “Top 100 UK climbs” into our route, both of which defeated Rob who had to hike his bike for sections of both. The slippy chalk paths along the ridgeway weren’t super fun, and probably contributed to the mechanicals on Friday…

Home for Thursday night was a lovely little campsite on the outskirts of Winchester - we met a dutch couple who were touring with a micro caravan. Of course, they had their bikes too and we had a nice chat about our plans. Our only dinner option was “The Fox” - we arrived in slightly musty kit (from the rain) and were tucked well into the corner. Rob won the food game (vegetable curry vs. Dan’s veggie burger).

Day 3 (Friday) - Winchester to Portsmouth

On Friday morning, we woke early to join the wonderful team in Winchester for a very hilly Bike Bus. It’s always amazing to experience a new Bike Bus - thank you to Emma and everyone for making us feel so welcome!

Bike Worcester stickers were very popular in Winchester

After the Bike Bus, we had a brilliant cycling tour of Winchester. Highlights included the cathedral and the two excellent bike shops next door to each other in the centre of Winch.

Shortly after we left Winchester, Dan’s bottom bracket crunched. The bearings had broken. It was 40km to Portsmouth and we had a ferry to catch! Dan insisted on soldiering on, and ended up walking his bike on the (many) uphill sections and freewheeling down.

We went on a tour of multiple bike shops in Portsmouth, and we were saved by the brilliant Cycle World. They had some harsh words for the state of Dan’s bike (worst chain and worst disks they’d ever seen) but got Dan back on the road!

We boarded the ferry in Portsmouth with loads of others cyclists. It was very exciting hearing about all the others journeys (both past and future). Dan took the onboard quiz very seriously but ultimately failed miserably. The crossing was, thankfully, smooth and uneventful.

Day 4 (Saturday) - Saint-Malo to Malestroit

After being rudely awoken by the Ferry wake up call, a quick snack on board, we disembarked and nipped into Saint-Malo where we indulged in our first of many massive Pain-au-raisins. The port town was incredible: neatly arranged into grid formation and fantastic to explore the cobbled streets.

Really pleasant riding led us to Dinard for lunch - a place of many bridges and a bike shop we still regret not having a look around! We didn’t pass a bike shop without going in after this one.

We realised at lunch that with a decent wedge of riding we could rendezvous with Steve in Malestroit a day ahead of schedule. Picking up an old railway line meant 25kph+ for an hour or two, setting us up for an early evening meeting with Steve, in time to set up our tent at the municipal campsite in Malestroit, grab a bite to eat and then head to an impromptu beer festival!

During the dash into Malestroit to meet Steve, we developed our game of Over/under and the initial rules were scoped out with much deliberation.

Day 5 (Sunday) - Malestroit to Montbert

More pastry for breakfast, and we set off. Sunday was one of our biggest days of riding (100 miles) aided by over 110km of riverside and canal path riding that was dead flat (Strava clocked about 40m of uphill over the full distance).

We introduced Steve to the over/under competition and it entered a new era of excitement (see double magnifique).

We cycled through Nantes where the cycling infrastructure was fabulous as we approached from the north and in the city itself, but degraded significantly as we exited to the south. Narrow shared paths with poor surface quality was tough to navigate after our day on the wide towpaths!

We stayed in a tiny little campsite in the middle of nowhere with great vibes - would recommend 100% and wish we could have stayed longer.

Day 6 (Monday) - Montbert to La Rochelle

Another big day of riding through French countryside, following the river path for decent sections and following EV1 into La Rochelle.

Lunch options were thin on the ground, but we ended up in a rammed bistro in a tiny French village for a 3 course lunch (chosen from a freshly scribed blackboard) It was exactly the fuel we needed to get us into La Rochelle.

This was the start of the issues with Dan’s rear wheel: spokes started to drop out in quick succession. Not to be deterred, he just wrapped them up so as not to interfere with the wheel and declared “one more ride”.

Bunked in a campsite just outside of La Rochelle - no one home so we had no access to showers or toilets. We pitched and went searching for food. Worst food of the holiday (fast food joints in a retail park on the outskirts of the city).

Day 7 (Tuesday) - La Rochelle to Royan/Verdon-Sur-Le-Mer

We rose early on Tuesday, made one last attempt to pay the campsite attendants and then rode into La Rochelle for amazing croissants. We went on another bike shop tour in search for spokes for Dan’s rear wheel, and were enamoured with ‘L’artisan de cycle’. Super shop with amazing service and great banter (“all English ride Genesis”).

It was in La Rochelle where we picked up EV1 proper, and it served us extremely well over the next few days, plotting segregated or quiet way routes through a series of well populated French towns and villages.

We rode the big river loop into Rochefort where we stopped for lunch. We all had massive salads. It felt rude not to drink the bottle of wine that was already installed on the table. The owner (our waiter) was very impressed with our trip.

Things started to go a bit downhill after lunch - we took an impromptu shortcut off the planned route to sample a very tall and cool looking bridge, which allowed us to take a chunk out of the circuitous EV1. It backfired massively when we ended up waste deep in grass and reeds on a dodgy farm track. We disturbed some very large animals which could be heard dashing into the water along the path. Crocodiles? Alligators?

Salvation came in the form of a narrow, rickety bridge over the canal and we cut our losses and hit the tarmac with our eyes on the last ferry of the day from Royan. Despite initial appearances, we had great food at a restaurant in the harbour car park.

Salvation: old, narrow, concrete bridge saved us from the crocodiles (maybe)

A quick bit of rugby in the queue for the ferry (“Don’t throw the ball in the sea” was the only rule). We met two lads who were cycling through France after finishing uni on two pick up bikes - they’d been wild camping with hammocks!

We arrived at our campsite to a warm welcome from the owner, Pascal. He supplied us with ample home brewed beer and made us feel at home. Unfortunately, we were 40 hours too early to be able to use the pool, but the pine trees offered welcome shade. Another brilliant campsite we would 100% recommend.

Day 8 (Wednesday) - Verdon-Sur-Le-Mer to Lege-Cap-Feret

By Wednesday, we’d broken the back of the trip and picked up EV1 again. Fortunately, this gave us a straight dash down the coast: essentially a huge Centre Parcs and the easiest riding so far. Even Danny couldn’t get lost (although he did try a few times).

We passed an inspiring tribute to the Marquis of Lafayette and we saluted the Statue of Liberty as we went. The day was spent beach hopping, fighting the heat with coca colas and desperados at an array of resorts that dotted the coast.

Steve bought us all matching windmills to go on our bikes. Some (Rob’s) latest better than others.

Rob’s bike in Centre Parcs with trusty windmill

More excellent food for lunch in Carcans before we arrived at a lovely little AirBnB in Lege-Cap-Feret via more winding forest tracks. The AirBnb had three bedrooms and multiple bathrooms. Proper luxury after a week under canvas. It had a washing machine which was suitably abused before we headed for cocktails and more food.

Day 9 (Thursday) - Lege-Cap-Feret to Mimizan

We opted for a cheeky ferry across the Arachron Bay instead of a 30km ride around the bay. The operators required some gentle encouragement to let us board (“there is no way we are not getting on this boat”) but the confusion about tickets was smoothed out on board.

Baffled by how we managed to fit so much gear on the bikes

Ducky had a frightful experience on the wrong side of the guardrail that he is still scarred by. The bikes and bags needed reassembly after the ferry, and once the faffing was all done, we were back on the road. It was hot and exposed riding past the massive Dune de Pilac, although we weren’t to know that the most extreme heat would come later in the trip.

We stopped just before lunch for a swim in one of the lakes on the way to Mimizan. Danny told us all how amazing he used to be at swimming. The GoPro made an outing as we showed off our rugby skills too (crucial prep for IMART in a few days time).

After we pitched our tents, we set off in search for food: we were heading into Mimizan, but decided to try the cycle track that ran around the lake - a more scenic route! As luck would have it, we came across a fantastic hotel and restaurant that looked too fancy for Rob in his dirty tracksuit bottoms and smelly top, but both Steve and Dan had opted for shirts (creased but clean-ish) and that was enough. An absolute brilliant find, topped off by a unique but delicious camembert souffle that Rob had for dessert.

The cocktails and wine at dinner set us up for more beers in the campsite bar. We did some drunken route planning that came back to bite us later on in the trip. Dan kept us all locked in with “one for the road” until Steve called time and set off to bed. Or so we thought. Despite setting off 10 minutes ahead of us, we all arrived at the tents (500m away) at the same time, as Steve had got lost on the campsite in the dark. These things happen.

Steve’s cocktail had nothing to do with him getting lost on the way back to the tents

Day 10 (Friday) - Mimizan to Saint-Jean-De-Luz

A slow start on Friday was made even slower when the hub of Steve’s back wheel cracked in four places. It was terminal for the wheel with not a bike shop in sight. We retraced our steps to Mimizan, with Steve carrying his bike. Dan and Rob abandoned Steve to pursue options in the local rental shops to mixed success. One proprietor said “it is impossible to fix this bike”, another was determined to help but didn’t have the right spares. Our third and final hope was more useful but again, not the right parts to hand. Steve was left with his bike and bags looking for a taxi, whilst Dan and Rob cycled to the next town in search of more bike shops.

We had two strokes of luck there. The first bike shop in the next town was keen and well equipped. We just needed to get Steve and his route to Saint-Julien-En-Born. A quick phone call later and we discovered that our third option in Mimizan had done the business and got Steve back on the road with a wheel robbed off an old hire bike. Steve was moving again and en route! We were reunited and on the move again, without the need for more repairs.

The day passed without further misadventure, although Steve’s gears were crunching a fair amount. We had planned a detour into Bayonne for a Decathlon to get replacement poles for Steve’s tent before continuing onto Biaritz.

The views in Biaritz were stunning, although we had real trouble navigating the hilly coastal roads and a succession of wrong turns added to the overall climbing for the day. As if we hadn’t enough drama, Steve’s pannier rack had a shearing moment on the way up the Biaritz hills, but nothing a few handy cable ties couldn’t fix.

We were very grateful and relieved to make it to the municipal campsite on the outskirts of Saint-Jean-De-Luz, much to amusement of the British family of four we’d met in Biaritz whom, despite riding with young children, had beaten us to the campsite.

Day 11 (Saturday) - Saint-Jean-De-Luz to Lekunberri

Saturday started the same way as Friday: more mechanical issues! This time it was Danny that needed new brake pads so we detoured into Saint-Jean-De-Luz where our mechanical needs were met by two very brilliant mechanics with a very cool bike shop. Rob bought a zombie cycling hat but had lost it 24 hours later. Massive fail.

Today was our climbing day - long winding climbs up into the Pyrenees. Hard enough in any event, but made more troublesome by the left crank on Steve’s bike that fell off multiple times on the first hill. Tools out, Danny performed an excellent roadside bodge job and Steve was able to continue.

Despite only having one solid pedal, Steve rode fast and strong. Rob plodded along and Danny brought up the rear. The clouds and mist appeared as we climbed to about 800m. Feeling cold was a peculiar sensation after 10 days of being hot in t-shirts and shorts. With the climbs came epic descents - flying down into the valley surrounded by mist with not a car in sight was ace.

Steve knocked it out of the park with our accommodation again in Lekunberri - we stayed in a traditional lodge with thick brick walls (nice and cool) and traditional decor. The staff were brilliant and we appreciated bricks and mortar after a few nights under canvas. To our delight, we discovered that there was a musical festival on and once we’d freshened up, we joined the locals to sample the beer and street food. Danny learnt some moves from the locals and astonishingly managed to dance without making a fool of himself.

Day 12 (Sunday) - Lekunberri to Pamplona

Our final day of cycling to Pamplona - we had a short-ish hop (only 50km) to Pamplona to meet the rest of the WRFC Mixed Ability squad at our basecamp for the week. The hotel buffet breakfast meant we could afford a later start, and we rolled into Pamplona following the green way that followed the old railway line through the hills.

The views were absolutely spectacular, although the track was designed more for gravel and MTB than for our touring bikes and there were a few dicey moments hitting thick sand and gravel on steep descents. In a now infamous moment, Danny had a huff because Rob and Steve put their helmets on and did a short stint with nout but sandals on (the ultimate helmet protest).

Given the poor gravel surface, we opted for main roads as we entered Pamplona. Navigating to our base for the week without issue, we teased the coaches and managers that the receptionist had never heard of Worcester or the IMART tournament. Four phone calls and many frantic WhatsApp messages in a few minutes led us to reflect that it wasn’t the kindest or most thoughtful of gags, given the reports of all kinds from the Worcester team about their traumatic journey by plane: coach mishaps, lost baggage, players going missing, lack of sleep, etc. Thankfully, the squad arrived in one piece, albeit not all the luggage did.

The IMART rugby tournament and the return leg from Pamplona to Santander deserve their own blog post, but we’ll finish by saying it was an amazing trip, all three weeks of it! Stayed tuned for the next instalments.

The Road To Pamplona

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