LONG DISTANCE RIDE: LE DÉFI 999 (THE 999 CHALLENGE)

Story and Photos by ITN European Reporter Herve’ Rebollo.

Salut à toi , American rider,

You may remember that I love to ride my motorcycles over (very) long distances and attend events especially dedicated to this very particular discipline (I’ve been a member of the IRON BUTT ASSOCIATION for years).

And, lucky me, in France we have one of the most challenging long-distance rallies worldwide, on open roads, taking place over two days every May, in the beautiful South of our country: LE DéFI 999 (which you could translate as “The 999 Challenge”).

A personal challenge: 999 km (620 miles) in 24 hours throughout southern France with spectacular landscapes (plains, passes, and lakes…). Note that it is not a race; you must respect the rules of the highway code. After your registration on site, the challenge starts at 2 PM on Saturday at the starting meeting point where you’ll be given a roadbook. It will be necessary to stop at the various checkpoints indicated to continue the route. To succeed, you’ll have to reach the final destination by Sunday at 4 PM at the latest! Simple. You can take part as a group or by yourself. As a reward? Each of the participants who completes the 999 km route will get a pin, but everyone will have experienced this great adventure of driving in unfamiliar places for a whole day (night included), and shared these great moments with many people who have the same passion. – Who can take part? Riders of Harley, Indian, Victory, and custom motorcycles represent 90% of the attendees, but the Challenge is open to any motorcycle brand. This year we even had a rider on a 500cc scooter.

Bikers come from all over Europe to attend this famous event (no American biker this year).

Okay, it was my 4th participation and I was very excited to join the four biker friends who were going to do this event with me. My bike was ready, and first of all, I had to join them in the South: 850 km (550 miles) through France (10 hours from Paris), passing right under the famous Millau Viaduct (remember, I wrote a post about this magnificent structure: GO SOUTH!! – Iron Trader News).

I have to admit that upon arriving at my final destination, my guys helped me to seriously recover after this long day’s road trip. They issued the appropriate local multivitamin beverage.

On that Friday evening, we were not really calm because the weather was really uncertain and we knew that this Challenge 999 would be very tough under the rain (some of us remembered the Challenge 2019 which took place under terrible rains which prevented us from completing the ride. Great memory, proud to have done it, but a difficult and even dangerous experience).

Anyway, we went to the local supermarket to build up our food supply…

… and took time for our traditional pink rabbit biker photo session!! (it’s a tradition for me for years: each time I go there I have a photo like this one. Means that today, I have many pics like this one of me on different Harleys… Happy me!!).

So, on this Saturday, 18 May 2024, after a night of terrible storms, under uncertain weather (and after putting on our rain suits), we took the road towards the village of CHATEAURENARD that was going to host the start of the Challenge 999, 120km from here.

Registration validation will take place from 9 AM to 12 PM on Saturday at the local bar, the Café des Allées.

Where we met our old friends CHARLES ARGUIMBAUD and PHILIPPE BEAUTE, the two founders of the Challenge, who welcomed us for the 9th time this year. Congrats and respect, men!!!!

The registration is done in a funny, noisy, very well-organized mess and after a dozen minutes of filling out different forms, about 220 bikers from all over Europe are excited, ready to hit the road!!!!!

Note that the entire organization of this huge event (months of preparation) relies solely on a hundred volunteers who come to give their time free of charge and will end the week totally exhausted. They are all very dedicated and kind.

So, it’s time for lunch now!! Great ambiance in a terrible rock music noise, bands are making the show on the stage set up on the village square.

At this precise moment, I met the priest who gave a blessing to all the competitors on the starting line. He was a really nice man and really happy to have this photo on my bike.

And then came the moment when we got our first roadbook (hours after hours finally we’ll have 8 paper roadbooks. One for each stage of 150 / 200km – 100/125 miles),

It’s time to join the starting line. And lucky us, the sun is now well established.

Yes, we are blessed!!!

And then begins the Challenge 999 2424. Let’s go!!!!!!!!!!

We don’t know at all the almost 1000km route that awaits us. We just know that the roads are going to be magnificent, that we will have to fight against fatigue, that we will be very well received everywhere, and we all make silent wishes that it will not rain. We also know that we will have to be very, very vigilant because we will only be riding on very small roads and mainly in the middle of the mountains.

Everyone is in great shape, happy and excited, the atmosphere is festive.

It’s time to ride the magnificent South!!

At each stage, we make a stop to have a stamp by the organization on our little logbook. It’s always in a bar in some local villages. Time for one or two coffees, a talk with the guys about the road, the feeling, the bikes… great ambiance.

And then, stages after stages…

… came the night.

Even if it’s not rainy or too cold, at midnight it’s time to put on some warmer clothes.

In the middle of the night, the organization offers an excellent dinner. It is very important to take time at this stage. This is the only time in 24 hours when you have a real meal. All the energy you’ll need around 5/7 AM (at the height of the fatigue) will come from this dinner. Don’t miss it (plus the food is excellent). Some only stay a few minutes… and give up exhausted in the early morning.

One problem you must manage during all your ride is… to find gas. And sometimes, in the middle of nowhere, you must make a long detour to find the appropriate gas station. And of course, in certain groups when you have Electra baggers, Sportsters, and/or V-Rods… it’s a real challenge to make everyone keep the good level in its tank.

Some bikers who have been dealing with this problem for a long time have an extra tank attached to their sissy bar.

You know, I ride a heavy customized Road Glide. Doing the 999 challenge on this kind of bike is not always easy (I shall remember for a long time some terrible slippery small bends in the mountain) but at least it’s comfortable (okay, even if after 24 hours my butt was not really in agreement with this statement).

But each time I attend that kind of rally, I know that I will meet one or two crazy bikers riding motorcycles absolutely not made for it. I love that kind of fool bikers. They are always funny and cool. This year the best one was this little chopper… with the front light which didn’t work. Not a problem, just have to follow (sooooo) closely your road mate. Let’s go, we’re bikers!!!!! Respect, crazy you.

In the middle of the night, checkpoints follow one another. Thank you again to the volunteers who wait for us for hours.

And I let you imagine the importance of a hot coffee at 4 AM on the side of the road…

And all the guys still have the happy face!!!!

And then, somewhere in the mountain… came the light of the morning. At this precise moment, it’s about 5 or 6 AM, we already knew that we would be among the finishers. It had not rained, it had been a cool night, we were still in good shape, now it would be pure fun across amazing landscapes…

And always the time to take great pics.

A new morning, new mountains.

Having time to take the lone photo of our little group on the road.

One last break…

And it’s time to ride again to our next checkpoint… where a little breakfast is waiting for us. And of course, we’re in France: croissants are mandatory. Frankly, the organization is top-level.

New beautiful landscapes, and in four, five hours we shall pass the finish line, right on time.

Happy us!

It’s one PM on this Sunday, and yes, we did it!!!!

The day before, there were five of us on the starting line: Christine, Jeff, Patrick, Cyril, and me. We lost Patrick (too much pain in the back), we were only 4 left on Sunday. A special thank you to all, they were perfect companions on the road, always a pleasure. Thanks to Jeff, an excellent road captain (as usual), special dedication to Christine who is one of the best bikers I have ever met (with Jeff). And all my congrats to Cyril: first 999 and finisher!

This year, the DéFi 999 has not been too difficult because the organization was at the top, the weather was with us and especially because we got no rain (I remember having given up in two former editions because of the snow and heavy rains).

I know it’s quite naïve (stupid?) but everyone is happy getting its 999 2024 pins! But I know you fully understand me, my biker friend (as we use to say: -“If I had to explain, you wouldn’t understand”).

And the heavy metal chip…

The course (which is shown here) was absolutely magnificent (the map is only discovered by the participants once the finish line has been crossed).

 

Okay, it’s 4 PM, we’re all in perfect condition and satisfied: one last beer with the bosses of the 999, and it’s time to go back, I still have about 800km/500 miles to go to Paris.

And in my back bag, I have a new T-shirt.

Of course, on my way back, I met some other bikers who attended the 999 and were heading home too.

So… will you join me, next year, for the 2025 edition?!?!!!!??? I hope so.

See ya soon on the road, who knows?!?

Hervé, your French biker friend.