The Sun Trip is a showcase for new forms of mobility. Each adventurer is an ambassador of solar energy and eco-mobility, proving their efficiency and their humanist dimension.
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Summary
40 solar bikes around the Alps
From June 17 to July 9, 2022, the Sun Trip Company organized the “Sun Trip Alpes”.
From Grenoble to Lyon, passing through Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia and Italy, this project is part of the international dynamic created by the Sun Trip since 2013, by reaching a public interested in living this experience of solar autonomy.
On the roads of the world the Sun Trip shows that solar energy adapted to the electric bike can create speed feats and universal emotions.
With this format, the idea is to involve an ever-wider public to demonstrate that the solar bike can allow anyone to climb the greatest Alpine passes.
By drawing on the richness of the 40 adventurer profiles registered, the Sun Trip Tour has carried a concrete and human ecological awareness message throughout the 7 stages and 2500 km of the route.
The Sun Trip Alps is back in 2023, with a new route!
The itinerary
In France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia and Italy, the 40 solar adventurers have once again demonstrated the effectiveness of new energies applied to cycling, and the way in which our project is received internationally.
The interactive map
Essential tool for the follow-up of the adventure, the live map will have known this year its greatest success. With the return of the “challenge of the passes by point”, the map allowed to calculate the classification in real time of the points collected by the participants according to their route.
Today, we propose you a replay of the route. Thanks to Yann Cauquil for this work. More adventures on www.ecosunriders.com
Companies in the adventure
Since 2018, the Sun Trip has offered companies the opportunity to join our adventures by registering employees (on all or part of the route) or by sponsoring a participant who has already registered.
This Sun Trip Alpes 2022 edition was a new opportunity to demonstrate the corporate potential of our events. Here we summarize some of the communication tools used to tell the story of these experiences.
Click to discover more on our dedicated article.
THANKS and BRAVO to :
EDF for the 2nd time 10 collaborators on the whole project,
Aktid for the first time on the road with 4 collaborators from Grenoble to Annecy,
Groupama with Daniele Gonano,
Manpower with 3 collaborators on stage 1,
Enersol with its co-founder André Jacquinet,
Bouygues Energies & Services, patron of Grenoble Green Capital, with Stéphane Bujadoux,
GIANT Innovation Campus & Hexatech with the winner Emile Rivoire.
If you would like more information about corporate registration, please contact us at: organisation@thesuntrip.com
The Sun Trip Alpes with France 3 Auvergne Rhône-Alpes
This year the Sun Trip has the honor to be broadcasted every day at 6:45 pm or 7:25 pm on France 3 AURA. Thus, the general public could follow the adventures of the participants on air. About fifteen episodes which are included in the series “Préserve ta montagne”. This program is online on the youtube chanel of France 3 AURA.
The pre-start in Lyon
The Sun Trip Alpes is taking its bearings with an introductory stage between Lyon and the Col de Porte, where participants will gather before the official departure from Grenoble on the GIANT innovation campus.
The pre-start was attended by Sonia Zdorovtzoff and Hélène Dromain, respectively deputy mayor of Lyon and vice-president of the Lyon metropolitan area.
Stage 1: Grenoble – Chambéry – Annecy
The first pictures of the departure ! From Grenoble to Savoie, through the Chartreuse mountains, a meeting with 200 children in Chambéry, a nod to our major partners Aktid and EDF, the day was intense.
After a hook on the starting line in 2013, in front of the INES, the peloton spent the night at the edge of the Bourget lake, in the campsite of our crazy years (2012, 2013, 2015, 2018).
On Saturday, June 18, the group crossed the superb Bauges massif, between Lake Bourget and Lake Annecy.
On the way, a small meeting was organized at La Féclaz with young people from the Universal National Service and Daniele Gonano was inducted as official Groupama team.
Stage 2: Annecy – Andermatt
First major stage of the project, the journey between Annecy and Andermatt offers the first border crossing towards Switzerland.
Part of the group chose to cross Lake Geneva and Evian, while the majority of the group took the road to Chamonix before arriving in the Valais. The best climbers took the opportunity to get points at the top of the Emosson dam road.
From this first big stage the choices of routes are very different, and we can’t wait to know the results of the solar challenge.
Through the Swiss mountains !
A nice overview of these first hundreds of kilometers passing through our Swiss neighbors, crossing breathtaking mountainous landscapes.
The arrival in Andermatt
The suntrippers have all reached the first stage outside of France on time. Here are some pictures of the special welcome offered by Andermatt Swiss Alps, with accommodation, meals, meetings and entertainment.
More images on the full article
Stage 3: Andermatt – Innsbruck
The start of the 3rd stage was given on Thursday June 23rd at 10 am. The peloton stayed together between Andermatt and Disentis, over the Oberalp pass. After a last meal together, offered by Catrina Experience, the group headed for the next stage, Innsbruck in Austria, 300km further on.
As at the beginning of each stage, the yellow jersey was given to the rider with the most points on the climbs. Thanks to a good strategy (analyse route) ) the Frenchman Hugo Rousselot is now in the lead, with 550 points, against 530 for Emile Rivoire (Team GIANT – Hexatech) and 475 points for Sibylle Felder.
The itineraries then varied quickly, with the group of top climbers heading for the Stelvio Pass in Italy (awarded 100 points!), while some “arrows” decided to reach Innsbruck a day early…
Others cut through the middle, via the Albula road, riding in small groups until nightfall.
Passage of the Stelvio in Italy – 2757m
Kilian Weigand, on the road to the Stelvio! In spite of an intense rain, the young German took the road of the mythical pass of the Dolomites, located in Italy. Before him Emile Rivoire, Hugo Rousselot and Stéphane Bujadoux had been able to count on better weather to reach the summit at 2757m!
Arrival at destination
More than 300km after Andermatt, we welcome the SunTripers at the base camp located 15km from Innsbruck. It is under the sun and especially in the middle of Austrian folklore that we meet, the time to recharge and have dinner all together.
More images on the full article
Stage 4: Innsbruck – Bled
On the morning of Sunday, June 26, 2022, the group starts the Innsbruck-Bled stage under a beautiful sun. Before leaving, the yellow jersey was again handed over, this time between Hugo Rousselot and Emile Rivoire (GIANT-Hexatech team).
At its shortest, this 2.5 day stage was just over 300 km long, while Emile rode 632 km and covered more than 12,000 meters of positive altitude difference!
Crossing into Slovenia
We discover the first pictures of the SunTripers who cross this new border, and arrive at the halfway point of this alpine route. The landscapes do not cease to give them desire to continue, they will rest nevertheless one day in a lodge in edge of lake, before taking again the road Thursday 30 morning.
The Dolomites
Crossable by the northern part of Italy, some participants share with amazement some pictures of this mythical massif. A detour that will take them back to Austria before reaching Slovenia.
The solar challenge: Emile Rivoire solid leader!
We can say it, Emile Rivoire (Team GIANT campus – Hexatech) keeps his yellow jersey at the end of stage #4. He reached the base camp in Bled, Slovenia, having ridden 540 km from Innsbruck and climbed 12 major passes, including through the Dolomites.
A total of 12,000 meters of positive elevation gain over the last three days. And since the start in Grenoble we estimate that the leaders have already climbed 40,000 meters of positive altitude difference!
The arrival in Bled
It is in the late afternoon that we meet on Tuesday, June 28, in our lodge at the edge of the lake Bohinjsko, at 30km from Bled. It is with difficulty that some of us reach this new stage, crossing the Austrian border with 18% passages.
The SunTripers take advantage of their free Wednesday to work, rest, enjoy the lake and think about their next route to Conegliano.
More images on the full article
Stage 5: Slovenia – Italy
This stage between Slovenia and Italy started with a day of break around the Slovenian lakes, towards Bled. A day to rest, to tinker and to prepare the next itineraries.
The group continues its route today by making a turn to the West, towards the Italian border to reach the small town of Conegliano tomorrow.
A short stage, imagined with our local adventurer of the stage: Daniele Gonano (Team Groupama).
Zoom on the Mangart!
In Slovenia, we also have to zoom in on the Mangart route, which led our best climbers up to 2400 meters of altitude, in a breathtaking scenery.
Further down in the valleys, zoom in on several other participants who are enjoying the Sun Trip in a different way.
Together in Conegliano
It is on this first day of July that the 32 adventurers arrive at the Ca’ Milone estate. A warm welcome in the heart of the Prosecco region, for a beautiful Italian evening.
We had among us representatives of the municipality, the local authorities, UNESCO, Rotary International and the press.
More images on the full article
Stage 6: Conegliano – Val Cenis
Onwards for the penultimate stage
The day after this stopover, the group sets off for Val Cenis in Savoie for the biggest stage of this Sun Trip Alps with 600 km to cover by Tuesday.
Passage to Verona
Crossing Italy is the chance to stop in remarkable cities that make the charm of this country. Verona is one of them.
It is the time of an evening that 8 suntripers meet, and take the time the following day to make some images in company of Zeppelin. More pictures to follow.
André Jacquinet – Team Enersol
This time we meet André Jacquinet from the Enersol team who tells us a little more about his motivations.
“I adopted the bicycle as a means of transportation several years ago. I love cycling vacations, which allows a real communion with nature and the environment while covering appreciable distances. I am not at all interested in the competitive aspect, but rather in the discovery aspect. I prefer to take 2 hours more and visit interesting places along the way.
The Sun Trip is part of the challenges that feed people’s imagination, curiosity and interest in other ways of traveling and vacationing.
I am the co-founder of Enersol, a company active in renewable energies and solar energy in particular. I share the objective of energy transitation in an activist way, because I am really convinced of the urgency of a change in behavior. The Suntrip is part of the challenges that feed the imagination, curiosity and interest of people for other modes of travel and vacations. “
An awakening with Hugo Rousselot
It is the day after a bivouac with Hugo that Etienne Ramousse captures these timeless images. A new departure towards the penultimate stage: Val Cenis in Savoy.
The Sun Trip arrives in France by the Mont Cenis !
For the 4th time the Sun Trip stopped in Val Cenis through the beautiful Mont Cenis pass, border between Italy and France.
The group was at the CIS Ethic Etape and was welcomed by the Tourist Office of Haute-Maurienne-Vanoise. This is the last stage before the arrival in Lyon on July 9th.
More images on the full article
Stage 7: from Haute Maurienne to Lyon
Coming back to France after their great loop around the Alps, the participants have between 2300 and 3000 km on the clock!
In the meantime, the peloton had a great time riding over the passes of Haute Maurienne-Vanoise.
In the race for the yellow jersey, the battle is raging and the leaders are not missing any big pass in order to continue to collect points.
Thus they all made the detour to the Iseran pass, the highest road pass in the Alps, at 2770 meters of altitude.
The challenge of the passes put in image for France 3 :
The arrival in Lyon
The Sun Trip Alpes arrived in Lyon this Saturday, July 9th, after 3 weeks of adventure!
Under a great sun, Place des Terreaux, the prize giving ceremony came to close this superb edition and here are the results:
– Solar Challenge : 1 : Emile Rivoire. 2 : Hugo Rousselot. 3 : Kilian Weigand
– Jury Prize : Kilian Weigand.
– Participants’ favorite prize : Sibylle Felder.
– Organization’s Favourite Award : Christiane and Hervé Dusson.
– Prize of the public : Daniele Gonano.
A huge congratulations to all the participants.
A ceremony in the presence of our partners:
– Hélène Dromain, vice-president of the Metropolis of Lyon
– Sonia Zdorovtzoff, Deputy Mayor of Lyon
– Sophie Blachère, Regional Councillor for Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
– Jean-Christophe Rigaut, Director of Innovation at EDF CIH
The day before the arrival, this last report for France 3 with Cécile and Victor from Lyon:
Sun Trip California 2023 !
Sun Trip Alps 2022 : The aftermovie
New technical rules 2022-2023
Sun Trip Alpes 2022 : trailer
Arrival in Lyon!
Stage 7 : from Savoie to Lyon
