On the occasion of its 90th anniversary, US Créteil Cyclotourisme is launching a unique sporting challenge: connecting Créteil to Mataró, in Spain, by bike. Organized from June 26 to July 3, 2026, this project is part of a solidarity approach in favor of mental health, designated Great National Cause 2026-2027. Press release.
The countdown has started on the US Créteil Cyclotourisme website. The Créteil–Mataró challenge, a solidarity cycling route, will take place from June 26 to July 3, 2026, and will bring together participants from the club and the Falret Foundation.
On a route of 1,218 km divided into 8 stages, with more than 10,700 meters of elevation gain, cyclists will cross several territories until reaching Mataró, the twin town of Créteil, near Barcelona, where the start of the 2026 Tour de France will take place a few days later.
Raising awareness of mental health and supporting disability inclusion
Beyond the sporting feat, this project has a strong ambition: to raise awareness of mental health and support the inclusion of disabilities by raising funds for projects led by the Falret Foundation (see our box below). This adventure fully illustrates the capacity of sport to become a lever of solidarity, social bond and surpassing oneself, in a spirit of conviviality and collective commitment. The project took on a particular dimension thanks to the meeting with the Falret Foundation, a major player in medico-social in Île-de-France. Alongside the residents and teams of the Residence of Dr Paul Gachet in Créteil, it becomes a collective adventure, bringing together athletes and people with disabilities around a common objective.
This challenge is also marked by a tribute to Laurent Fignon, double winner of the Tour de France and emblematic figure of French cycling. Throughout the journey, real-time coverage will allow you to follow the adventure thanks to immersive content (videos, interviews, photos). Through this challenge, the participants wish to raise awareness about mental health, change perceptions and widely mobilize the general public. Local actors, institutions, businesses and citizens are invited to support this initiative, in particular via a collection of donations for the benefit of actions carried out by the Falret Foundation.
La Fondation Falret
Depuis plus de 180 ans, la Fondation Falret accompagne des personnes vivant avec des troubles psychiques. Avec plus de 60 établissements et services en Île-de-France, elle oeuvre en faveur de :
• l’inclusion sociale
• l’autonomie
• le bien-être des personnes accompagnées.
Le sport y est intégré comme un outil complémentaire, favorisant laconfiance en soi et le lien social.
To find out more:
US CRÉTEIL – On the road to the Tour de France 202620 cycle tourists from the club engage in a human challenge and a solidarity journey, for fundraising, for the benefit of the action of the Falret Foundation for mental health.
