TressisALAPAR Team Nears Finish in Andorra for Inclusion Cycling Challenge
The group, uniting cyclists with intellectual disabilities, volunteers, and executives, has tackled demanding stages from Madrid area to the Pyrenees. They prepare for a triumphant 170km finale in Andorra la Vella, emphasizing sport's power to equalize and build bonds.
Key Points
- Team completed three stages totaling over 500km, arriving in Sort despite high heat.
- Around 40 riders, including cyclists with intellectual disabilities and executives, push for Saturday's 170km finale.
- Miguel Silvestre praises progress; professional Carlos Verona to escort final stretch.
- Initiative by A LA PAR Foundation and Tressis promotes inclusion through shared endurance.
The #TressisALAPAR team has reached the final stage of its "Andorra for Inclusion" cycling challenge after completing three demanding legs without major incidents, advancing toward a Saturday finish in Andorra la Vella.
The group arrived in Sort on Friday following the third stage, a 140km stretch from Barbastro, despite persistent high temperatures. Earlier stages took the team from Alcalá de Henares near Madrid to Calatayud on Wednesday—a 220km opener through Castilla-La Mancha and Aragon—then onward to Barbastro. Project coordinator Miguel Silvestre described the progress positively: "It has gone very well, fulfilling what we expected: bicycle, heat, and many kilometres." He added that participants continue to exceed expectations in the face of the physical demands.
The initiative, backed by the A LA PAR Foundation and Tressis, unites cyclists with intellectual disabilities, volunteers, and executives—including Tressis managing director José Miguel Maté—to highlight abilities through shared endurance. Silvestre, who launched the project in 2017 with a Madrid-Lisboa ride, emphasises sport's equalising power: everyone covers the same distance, endures the same conditions, and tackles identical climbs. Maté has pointed out how differences fade in round-the-clock teamwork, with each member essential to the goal.
Saturday's closing 170km leg will culminate around 2pm outside MoraBanc's headquarters in the capital. Professional cyclist Carlos Verona, a resident and friend of the organisation, will join from the descent into La Massana to escort the team across the line. Around 40 riders will complete the 680km-plus journey, reinforcing a message of inclusion forged through collective effort and bonds that extend beyond the bike.
The challenge builds on prior events like the Pilgrim Race, Transpyr, Madrid-Tarifa, and Madrid-Ondarribia, using 24-hour coexistence to challenge stereotypes and promote genuine participation for people with intellectual disabilities.
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De Madrid a Andorra amb bicicleta per la inclusió
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Més de 680 quilòmetres de ciclisme sense barreres
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Un repte de 680 quilòmetres des de Madrid, portarà a Andorra un missatge d’inclusió i superació compartida