Le Tour de Farce 2025
a 5-day off-road stage race across the BEST OF THE North West Highlands of Scotland
Rider registration will be at Inverness Youth Hostel on Sunday 5th October. The race will begin on Monday 6th of October and finish in the ‘rough bounds’ of Knoydart in Inverie on Friday 10th October where there will be a final stage, and a lot of merriment at the most remote pub in mainland Britain. We’ll then head home on Saturday 11th.
Like in the lesser known race, the Tour de France, le Tour de Farce is 4 races within a race. Each day, riders will be timed between hostels and the lowest accumulated time holds the Yellow Jersey. But a series of penalties and bonuses make sure the timing isn’t as simple as speed.
There will be decorated eggs.
There will be a daily Monarch of the Mountain stage, and daily award for Young (at heart) Rider. The Green ‘sprint stage’ jersey will take place on our final day which will entail a mystery points-based off-road orienteering challenge.
We know you’ll want to remain hyper focused on the task at hand, so as well as having a bed each night already made up for you, we will also provide breakfast each morning and a simple, hearty, plentiful vegan dinner each evening. We won’t tuck you in but we’ve got almost everything else covered.
The event will cost £450. At the bottom of this page you’ll see why that’s a bargain.
Sounds good right?
To enter this esteemed event, you’ll need to email letourdefarce25@gmail.com
If you could tell us:
Name, age, location and gender identity (this event will be 50% women, trans and non-binary as an absolute minimum)
Your riding experience which is suited to the event: multi-day rides, off-road experience and races, and/or bushcraft, boatcraft, and circusry, if applicable.
Why do you want to take part in le Tour de Farce 2025?
We will assess applications and respond by the end of May.
Is it for me?
YES. This event balances competition with community and camerarderie. In our first edition we had highly experienced ultra bikers alongside people on gravel bikes who had never entered a race before. The event is designed to feel inclusive and accessible to people who are up for a big challenge and a bit of silliness. Unlike other ultra races, we regroup every night and there is plenty of time to eat and chat, and ride together during the day. The points-based system means a much more level playing field, so there is always something to race for.
All we ask is that you are prepared to be riding for 10-15 hours a day, with no support vehicle. Some sections are quite remote and you’ll need to know how to fix your standard mechanicals and get yourself out of trouble.
There will be an Adventure Syndicate Sweeper out on course for peace of mind.
To be absolutely clear, this event is open to all people. Trans and non-binary people are welcome across all of our events and this is no exception. We will be sleeping in shared dorms and all hostels have gender-neutral toilets. You can email us if you would like clarification on any aspect of this.
What does my entry fee get me?
£450 is no small entry fee, we completely get that. But you get ever so much bang for your buck:
a 5-day stage race across the best off-road riding in the highlands, as well as across some lesser known spots including a day of MTB orienteering on the Knoydart Peninsula
6 nights accommodation
6 Breakfasts
4 Dinners (The final night we’ll be at the pub!)
some beers from Dog Falls Brewing co.
Mystery boat rides.
High chance of sauna.
An egg
As with all of our events the Adventure Syndicate know how to run a tight ship. We have kept administrative costs to an absolute minimum so we can pass that saving onto you. Some of your entry fee will go towards the event team sweeping the course, cooking, and welcoming you each night; insurance and other Adventure Syndicate related overheads; and the administrative work of building the event, routes and comms.
We hope you see this as the finest way to spend your autumn break and look forward to receiving your application.
2024 Testimonials
What was your favourite bit about 2024 Tour De Farce?
“The community of it. This was hands down the most welcoming experience I’ve had at an event, and have formed some great new friends out of it. I think the coming together each night and the ability to ride with others / chose your own style / adventure was particularly great.2
“Aside from Fisherfield, it was the incredible atmosphere you created. Being able to ride with so many different people, have so much time to socialise, and to see such incredible parts of Scotland in only 4 days.”
“Socials, lovely peeps, new pals, old pals, regrouping each night and morning and occasionally during the day to share bants, food and tales”
What was the most valuable thing you took away from 2024 Tour de Farce?
“I can go to super remote places and it will be ok.”
“That a little bit of chaos is quite fun. Generally I work quite hard to avoid making mistakes...but I made loads and still had a really great time and had a richer experience for it.”
“The sense of community and camaraderie that was created around it. The sheer silliness of it all. A feeling of empowerment meeting so many incredible people, and that I too can be a badass ultra distance cyclist.”
“I arrived feeling like a complete outlier/wild card and came out feeling totally inspired by everyone i met. it was a really special weekend, and i'm so grateful to have been invited. More like this, please!”