Click here for all the latest officials news and statements about The Sun Trip 2024.
May 8 : Rchard Defay retirement
April 26 : jury statement after the leaders crash in Taroudant
The Sun Trip Jury was asked to give its verdict following the collision between Jean-Marc Dubouloz and Jack Butler on the outskirts of Taroudant on Wednesday April 24.
The facts as reported to us are quite simple: Jean-Marc Dubouloz was leading and had to stop because of a problem with his wheel. He had to stop on the right-hand side of the road, in the lane naturally used by bicycles.
Unfortunately, Jack Butler was distracted by the traffic behind him and didn’t see Jean-Marc’s bike stopped in his path.
Fortunately, neither was injured in the accident.
But the collision did cause technical damage to Jean-Marc’s solar panels. However, it is difficult to assess the exact damage caused by the collision to panels already weakened by Jean-Marc’s fall in Spain, according to his own statement.
On Jack’s side, the damage was largely dealt with by returning to town for repairs.
In response to Jean-Marc Dubouloz’s appeal, the jury found that :
– the unintentional nature of this incident is neither debatable nor discussed.
– the incident is the result of an incredible combination of circumstances, regretted by all, while respecting the honor of each individual.
– Jack Butler does not deserve a sporting sanction.
– but Jean-Marc Dubouloz is offered the possibility of repairing his solar panel, with Jack Butler immobilized for the duration of the repairs.
– Jean-Marc will have to tell Jack 24 hours in advance when the break will take place, depending on where the replacement solar panel has been sent. The maximum repair time is 24 hours. Any repairs must be made before the Molina de Aragon checkpoint in Spain. Further details on the application of this special rule will be given directly to participants.
– it is up to the participants to discuss any questions of civil liability concerning damage caused.
Finally, the jury wishes to express its full confidence in the human values shared by the two competitors, and is pleased that there was no animosity between them in the handling of this race event.
April 19 : Jean-Marc Dubouloz crashed
The Frenchman called the organization at around 12:30 on Friday to report a crash in southern Spain, shortly after the town of Jerez. The strong westerly wind is believed to be the cause of the crash. No injuries, but some technical damage. For the moment, Jean-Marc Dubouloz remains in the race. More information coming soon.
April 12 2024 : Lucaci Arnold Vasile out of the race.
18 adventurers finally set off on Friday April 12.
The adventure jury decided to disqualify Romanian Lucaci Arnold Vasile. Despite his best efforts to reach the start (by starting from Denmark, where he lives), Lucaci Arnold Vasile was unable to reach Lyon within the required deadline, as participants had to be present 2 days before the start. Unprecedented in the history of the Sun Trip, Lucaci Arnold Vasile even arrived 4 hours after the official start of the adventure. Considering that it would be too difficult for him to keep up with the pace of this great edition, the adventure jury decided to put him out of the race. His beacon will remain in Lyon. But to encourage him in his efforts, he was offered the chance to continue on the Sun Trip route, wearing the official jersey, with the idea of continuing to promote his journey in the event’s communications. Good luck to this valiant adventurer.
April 7 2024 : checkpoint #1 validated
Checkpoint #1 of the Sun Trip 2024 remains validated after our team’s visit and in view of the weather forecast for the next few days. The Pierre Saint Martin pass culminates at 1765 meters above sea level in the Pyrenees, between France and Spain. The ascent is over 25km long, with very steep gradients in the central part, peaking at 16% on a short section. In the event of snowfall during the adventure, an alternative route will be proposed.
April 6, 2024: driving hours
Considering the early spring start and the few time zone changes to be expected on the 2024 route, here are the rules concerning the mandatory night break. This break is part of the DNA of the project, because unlike other cycling adventures, we believe that the safety of our participants must come first. We sleep at night!
April 5, 2024: the 2024 jury
These are the 9 people who will make up the jury for The Sun Trip 2024. They come from France, Belgium, Morcco and Switzerland. They have all been participants and/or volunteers in the organization over the last 10 years. They will each have one vote when it comes to ruling on a disputed situation, in application of the adventure and technical regulations. A decision must be taken with a total of 5 concurring votes.
We’d also like to acknowledge the commitment of Christophe Bayard and Silvia Plozner, who will be absent due to a long journey far away, and thank Béatrice Cazanave for her help. We also salute Yann Cauquil, in charge of designing the live map, as well as Nicolas Guzzo, Léo Vidal, Anick-Marie Bouchard and Pierre Mauduit, who work behind the scenes throughout the year. It’s thanks to them that the project is back again this year!
April 4, 2024: Raf Van Hulle declares himself a non-starter!
March 20, 2024: invitation to the official departure
April 12 will see the grand start of the 5th edition of The Sun Trip, for the first time from the headquarters of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region. We’re inviting our partners and followers to take part in this major event, which will combine the promotion of solar mobility with the enhancement of international cooperation. Registration required on: forms.gle/5LDRtJ7eEDSJPR4j6
