Thibaut Clément: The 7 Majors in 16 hours and 06 minutes!

After swallowing the Route des Grandes Alpes in less than 39 hours last year, Thibaut Clément is now tackling another cycling myth: the 7 Majors.

360 km, > 10,000 m D+, 7 legendary cols all above 2000 m: Izoard (2360 m), Agnel (2744 m), Sampeyre (2284 m), Fauniera (2481 m), Lombarde (2350 m), Cime de la Bonnette (2802 m), Vars (2108 m). On August 9, 2025, Thibaut Clément climbed them all in complete autonomy in just over 16 hours, bettering the best known time by almost 1 h 15. Here's a look back at this extraordinary day, marked by a near-fatal heatwave and meticulous effort management from first pedal stroke to sunset.

Thibaut, why the 7 Majors?

Every year, I set myself a goal. In 2023, I crossed Corsica on the GT20. In 2024, it was the Route des Grandes Alpes. This year, I wanted to tackle the mythical route of the 7 Majeurs, both for the challenge and to discover passes and landscapes I'd never seen before. Plus, registering a new mark on a benchmark route is always stimulating.

How was the date decided?

I didn't really have a choice. Between my work, my vacations, the Tour de la Réunion in September and other races, the available slot fell in the middle of a heatwave. Fortunately, with many passages above 2000 m, I knew I'd find some coolness.

Where did you leave from and what time did you set off for this record attempt on the 7 majors?

Saturday August 9 at 6 am from Briançon. I was aiming for an arrival around 10 pm. The idea was to leave at first light and finish at last light. I slept on site the night before. I got up at 4:30 a.m. to have a good breakfast, and I stuck to my departure schedule. Right away, I felt that my legs were good and that it was going to be a great day!

What equipment did you pack?

A frame bag with a repair kit and food: bars, gels and salted compotes, plus a banana bread that I ate in three portions and isotonic sachets. All in all, it was almost 4kg. Refreshments en route: Orangina + blueberry tart before the Bonnette, and two croissants at the foot of the Col de Vars. In terms of clothing, I just packed a small windproof/Gore-Tex jacket for the descents and in case of storms.

What was my total weight?

I weigh 74kg. The bike with lights and GPS was 8kg. The pannier at 4. Total weight: 86kg.

How did the first part of the course go?

The Izoard went by fast, taking me 30 minutes less than when I crossed the Route des Grandes Alpes. Descending into the Queyras, I turned left towards the Col Agnel, splendid under the low-angled sun. Then, after a long descent into Italy, I followed up with the Col de Sampeyre: 14 km at over 8%, on a narrow but good road.

What was the most difficult pass?

La Fauniera, in Italy, just after the Col de Sampeyre. Very irregular, on a small road that doesn't "render" well, with gravelly passages and slope breaks at 20%, a bit like the Col de la Loze.

Where did you gain or lose time?

I lost time on the downhills compared with my forecast, but gained time on the uphills. In August, there's a lot of traffic and you have to be extremely vigilant. What's more, some of the roads weren't in very good condition. I quickly realized that I was at the mercy of a pothole, which could cause a puncture. Sometimes gravel made the balance of the bike more unstable, especially with the swing of my frame bag. So I limited the downhill risks as much as possible.

In the second half of the course, you were the victim of a heat stroke on the Lombarde climb, on the Italian side?

There was no shade on the climb and I got a big sunburn on my head. At the summit: headache, chills, loss of lucidity, shaky legs, probably sunstroke. On the descent to Isola, I couldn't even remember the name of the next pass...

How did you react?

I stopped at a fountain and dipped my head in. Then I went into a bar to drink an Orangina and eat a blueberry tart. This wasn't part of the plan, as I'd gone off on my own. But I had to calm my dizziness so that the Bonnette wouldn't be a path of the cross.

How was the climb up Col de Bonnette?

I still had a headache and didn't take any aspirin. I went up in energy-saving mode: 235 W instead of 270 W on the other passes. With two stops to spray my head. I was really worried that sunstroke would force me to stop for an hour's nap, so I made the best of it. When the heat died down, I was able to resume a normal rhythm.

The end of the day?

After the descent of the Bonnette, there remained the Col de Vars, the "Petit Poucet" of the day, before plunging towards Guillestre and back to Briançon. It didn't go too badly. Well, it did... The big difficulties, sunstroke and altitude, were mostly behind me.

A nice new mark?

All in all, I rode 15 h 25 min 18 s, for a total time of 16 hours and 6 minutes, almost an hour and fifteen minutes short of the best mark on record. In the end, my heat stroke forced me to stop for 40 minutes instead of the planned 30!