Cycle Route of St. Salvador

The story of the San Salvador Cycling Route is a tale of heroic sports applied to one of Spain's most devout and demanding pilgrimage routes. It's not a route for any cyclist; it's an itinerary of pure mountain biking (BTT), short in distance but extremely difficult, reserved for "bicigrinos" who are very experienced in search of a legendary challenge. Its history as a cycling route is recent, written by pioneers of BTT who saw the slogan "Who goes to Santiago and not to Salvador..." as a challenge worthy of their passion for the mountains.

The original San Salvador Route was born as a deviation of faith, a pilgrimage in itself to venerate the relics of Oviedo Cathedral. Its footpath already considered one of the toughest, as it involves crossing the formidable barrier of the Cantabrian Mountains. The adaptation to cycling has only magnified this reputation of difficulty, making it an objective coveted within the mountain biking community.

The journey begins in León at the gates of the Meseta and in a few stages must overcome a cumulative gradient that is brutal. The route ascends through the Bernesga valley, following in part the historic route of the N-630. Cyclists face a terrain that combines forest trails, technical paths, and carriageway sections. The most iconic and feared ascent is the Puerto de Pajares. Conquering its ramps, whether on the historic road or on mountain trails surrounding it, is a test of fire for any cyclist.

The cycling experience is an extreme contrast: from agonizing effort in the ascents to pure adrenaline in the descents. The descents down the Asturian slope are long, technical, and spectacular, requiring great skill in handling the bike. The landscape is high mountain with breathtaking views, but also with unpredictable weather that can add an extra layer of difficulty at any time of year.

The historical function of this route as a link between the French Way and the Primitive Way takes on new dimensions for the mountain biker. The San Salvador Route becomes the perfect bridge to unite two top-level cycling adventures. A "bicigrino" can ride along the plains of the French Way, face the alpine challenge of the San Salvador, and then be at the ideal starting point for tackling the Primitive Way in BTT, another route of extreme demand. Completing this "chain" (French-Salvador-Primitive) is considered one of the greatest achievements of jacobeo cycling.

In conclusion, the story of this cycling route is the search for limits. It's the translation of the fervor penitential of the medieval pilgrim into the language of physical effort and personal overcoming by the modern sportsman. It's a short but unforgettable adventure, a way to honor the difficulty of the original path through the epic of mountain biking.