This article was produced in association with ASSOS
France is known for its many regions, and they are as distinct from each other as red and white wine. Brittany would never be confused with French Provence, for instance, while the Alsace region is worlds apart from the French Midi. But down in the southwestern tip of the country, there is a region like no other: the Basque Country. Officially known as the French Basque Country or Northern Basque Country, the region remains closely linked to the neighbouring Basque region in Spain.
It occupies a very rough rectangle of territory, with a southern border stretching along the Spanish border and the Pyrenees, and the western coast looking out to the Atlantic Ocean, from Bayonne through Biarritz and Saint-Jean-de-Luz to Hendaye. Unsurprisingly, a strong Spanish accent resonates in this corner of France. Here the architecture is distinctly different, while tapas and tortillas can be found at most bars and restaurants.
The region has historic ties to cycling as well. Legendary champion Louison Bobet, who won the Tour de France three times in a row between 1953 and 1955, settled in Biarritz after retiring from the sport, and Bobet’s contemporary André Darrigade, considered by many to be the Tour’s greatest sprinter before Mark Cavendish, and fifth on the all-time stage winners list with 22, still lives here today.
But this region is also an internationally renowned surfing mecca, as its waves, thwacking the Basque coastline with the full force of the Atlantic Ocean behind them, are considered some of the best in the world. And it was this multi-sport combination that first attracted Virginia Cancellieri to the Basque Country. An avid cyclist and surfer, Cancellieri is a modern day free spirit who thrives as an influencer for a handful of brands that share her passions, including ASSOS, the historic cycling clothing brand that has expanded into gravel and bikepacking in recent years.
Growing up on the Ligurian Coast in northern Italy, she watched Milan-Sanremo pass through her town every spring, and cycling became an obvious choice when she got into sports. But in recent years, surfing has become an integral addition to her lifestyle as well, and with the help of her VW van, she soon found herself travelling around Europe, not to mention the world, in search of great places to both ride and surf.
“I started racing bikes when I was a kid and I wanted to try everything. I raced on the road, I raced on the track. I raced fixed gear, you name it,” says Cancellieri, while enjoying a glass of rosé in Guéthary, a small coastal town just south of Biarritz that has become one of her favourite destinations. “After high school I moved to London and joined the Velo Club Londres. But then I got into the fixed-gear scene and started travelling a lot. I understood that bikes can allow you to discover new cultures and new languages. I loved it. Getting into bikepacking and gravel was just an extension of that. Then about the same time I discovered van life, which is similar in many ways. As a kid we travelled a lot with a camping car on vacations. I would go to sleep while we were driving and wake up the next day in a totally different destination. I would often wake up in the morning and say, ‘Hey dad, where are we?’ I thought that was so cool.”
Since embracing her life as a 21st-century nomad, Cancellieri spends upwards of 10 months of the year on the road. “Most of the time I travel alone,” she says. “I love the freedom to go where I want, or change a destination when I want. But I have friends wherever I go. There are cyclists all over the world. It’s really a huge community and through my travels I can connect with a lot of them.”
Surfing may well have been the first thing that attracted Cancellieri to the French Basque Country, but the hills that rise up behind the coast, not to mention the diverse terrain, have kept her coming back as a cyclist. “I really love places where I can cycle and surf, and I love the Basque Country. Nature is so present here. There is the power of the seaside, because there are often big waves here. I also love the mountains and how everything is so green. I discovered the Basque Country in Spain first, but I really love the French Basque Country. The people are super cool here. They work really hard, but are very active too. And they really enjoy themselves.”
To introduce us to the French Basque Country, Cancellieri came up with a 60-kilometre loop which shows off the geographic diversity in this part of France. “Today’s ride embodies everything I love about this region,” she says. “There is the seaside, the mountains, the villages; everything is here. We even ride into Spain for a little bit. It’s amazing what you can pack into 60 kilometres. Plus the weather is always changing. There is sun, but there is often rain, too.”
Starting on the Plage de Senix, just outside of Guéthary, Cancellieri heats up the Bialetti espresso machine on her two-burner camping stove as she gets dressed for the ride. “I love the way that van life forces you to focus on the simple things. It is so connected to nature. When I am at home, sometimes I don’t go outside for a couple of hours. But with van life, you are constantly outside. If you want to make coffee or cook, you are outside.”
After suiting up, Cancellieri rolls out of Guéthary, skirting quickly around Saint-Jean-de-Luz and into the hills that climb out from the seaside. But if the French Basque Country is renowned for its lush greenery, it is because rain is a constant, and on days like today, any time it is not raining, it is threatening to rain.
Considering the overcast sky and the cool morning temperatures, Cancellieri opts to start with her Dyora RS rain jacket in its distinctive and highly visible Venus Violet colour. Rolling through Ascain, we soon arrive in Sare, a classic Basque village. Here, in typical fashion, whitewashed houses line the streets, while the shutters, doors and wooden beams boast contrasting colours of dark reds, greens and black. There is a pelota court, used for a sport similar to squash but where players use their bare hands, in one corner of the town square, while Gâteau Basque cakes are being sold across from the post office.
Suddenly it seems, only a few kilometres from the coast, that we are in a completely different world. “I love riding through these Basque villages,” says Cancellieri. “Their architecture is so unique. It’s like nothing else I know.” Descending out of town, Cancellieri picks up speed as she pedals through a tunnel of trees on the edge of town. And within only a few kilometres, we cross into Spain. Soon enough the road winds its way upwards as we tackle the day’s major climb, La Rhune, a 900-metre rise that straddles the Spanish and French border.
The Spanish side is covered with a dense green forest that grows darker by the metre as the clouds coalesce and the first raindrops quickly turn into a downpour. Cancellieri, however, is unbothered. “It’s okay, I actually really like riding in the rain. I find it refreshing,” she says with her trademark positive twist.
Meanwhile her Dyora RS rain jacket is getting a proper workout, too, as the raindrops stream off it. “I love this jacket. Firstly it really works. It is really waterproof. Plus, I love the colour. Not only does it look good, but it is great for visibility. What more do you want in a rain jacket?”
But almost as quickly as the rain hits, it disappears. After all, we are in the Basque Country. And as we reach the summit and cross back into France, the sun is clearly visible in the valley below. Back along the coast, we hit La Corniche Basque, where some of the most spectacular views of the Basque coastline unfold.
“Each time I do this loop, when I come back and hit the coast again it is like coming home,” says Cancellieri, while stopping at the end of the Corniche road to admire the views. There are jagged rock formations and cliffs below. Cancellieri doesn’t come to surf here, but simply to admire its distinctive muscular landscape.
“I have always lived near the sea. It has always been really essential to me,” she says. “I need to wake up in the morning and see it and smell it.” Rolling back through Saint-Jean- de-Luz, Cancellieri finally finishes in Guéthary. And after stopping for a coffee along the Parlementia Hondartza, the boardwalk along the beach at the foot of the town, she then returns to her van to change and relax after the ride. With the back doors open, she enjoys the sea breeze while sketching on her couch.
“I studied art at the University of Genova after I returned from London,” she says, while drawing some cows she remembers from a recent ride. “You know, one day when I am not travelling so much I would really love to do more art, particularly sculpture,” she continues. But Cancellieri’s day is far from over, and soon enough she is back outside with her skateboard, followed by an evening surf session.
“I love surfing and skateboarding. I love the playfulness of skateboarding, and I love the fact that you can bring a skateboard anywhere, plus it’s way faster than walking,” she says. “I only got into surfing a couple of years ago, but I watched all of the surfing movies growing up. It is a sport that takes a long time to learn. But the feeling you have being out there in the water with just a board is amazing. I love the simplicity of surfing. That is one thing that is different from cycling, because for surfing you don’t need a lot of equipment. It’s not like you have to check that your tyres are pumped up or if your computer is charged. It really connects you with nature.”
Interestingly, while Cancellieri’s life is in constant movement, she has established a daily routine that grounds her, one that starts with a bike ride and finishes with surfing. Just when Cancellieri may not be travelling so much, however, is an entirely different subject that is clearly not a priority for this 26-year old at the moment. “No,” she says. “I’m still having a gas, and life is a gas.”
ASSOS x Basque Country
For the ride, Cancellieri wore a variety of ASSOS gear, the UMA GT Jersey S11 and UMA GTV bib shorts C2 Evobib shorts with Bisiclick technology, offering easily-detachable bibs. For her skin layer, Cancellieri opted for the ASSOS women’s Summer Skin Layer P1 as well as R Socks S9, not to mention her stylish Dyora RS Rain Jacket for those Basque Country moments when the skies opened up.
“I’ve been with ASSOS for a year now and I love the quality,” says Cancellieri. “I have always been attracted to quality, and products that last. I would much rather spend money on something that lasts and ASSOS makes things to last. It is also super comfortable, which is so important when I am on a long gravel ride or bikepacking. And then I think it looks great, too. I feel cool when I ride with ASSOS and that is really important because cycling is my life. There are days when the only time I get dressed to go out is for a ride. And I like to feel good.”
