the legacy

No medals, no podiums, no red carpets. Our generosity is rewarded on the road. Through paths you would never roam, through climbs that no peloton dares to attempt. We are seeking the lost essence of cycling, inspired by Mike Hall's The Transcontinental and by Nelson Tree's Mountain Races. We are an unsupported bikepacking adventure. We aren't a long-distance granfondo or an ultra marathon. It's not about how further you go, but how deep your experience is. Five years on the edge, heading the unknown.

2022  //  HSW#01

HSW'22, the inaugural edition. It was the first official gathering of the national community of long-distance cyclists. The event played a key role in the development of the Portuguese ultracycling and bikepacking scene.

Route Highlights // Departure from Coimbra, through the magical mountains of Serras da Arada e da Freita, finish point in Germano biciArte Café in Alte, Algarve.

The Fastest // (1) Sam Thomas [NL] -- (2) João Pinto [PT] -- (3) Luís Medeiros Pereira [PT] -- (1W) Lucie Hogger [UK].

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2023  //  hsw#02

The second edition kept the main goal of community development. Despite it started in Coimbra and ended in Alte, as in the inaugural edition, the route explored new territories. For the first time HSW reached the Douro Valley.

Route Highlights // Departure from Coimbra, through Serra da Estrela and Douro Valley, finish point in Germano biciArte Café in Alte, Algarve.

The Fastest // (1) David Herranz Perez [ES] -- (2) Marco Rodrigues [PT] -- (3) André Carvalho [PT] -- (1W) Charlotte Brandt [CH].

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2024  // hsw#03

For the first time HSW had a circular route for easier logistics, with the goal of reaching new riders. The route focused in the North of Portugal, the national road cycling paradise. Casa da Bicicleta in Aveiro was proudly our basecamp.

Route Highlights // It started from Aveiro, reached Parque Natural da Peneda-Gerês, and finished in Casa da Bicicleta, Aveiro.

The Fastest // (1) João Pinto [PT] -- (2) Luís Medeiros Pereira [PT] -- (3) Luís Cordeiro [PT] -- (1W) Hanna de Sousa [SE].

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2025  //  HSW#04

HSW'25 had two relevant milestones: Marco Martins was the fastest in a third different ultracycling event in Portugal and Rita Lopes was the first Portuguese to be the fastest woman in Heading SouthWest.

Route Highlights // Aveiro and Casa da Bicicleta was again our basecamp, but the route explored new territories, joining Serra da Estrela and Gerês in a same route.

The Fastest // (1) Marco Martins [PT] -- (2) Miguel Pecegueiro [PT] -- (3) Diogo Borges [PT] -- (1W) Rita Lopes [PT].

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2026  //  HSW#05

HSW'26 is basecamp was in the Portuguese city at the highest altitude. The departure from Guarda provided a beautiful but harsh experience from the first to the last kilometer, with an epic climb to Torre at the final part of the route.

Route Highlights // Briefing, departure and finish in the historical centre of Guarda. Trás-os-Montes region was the highlight in the hardest edition ever.

The Fastest // (1) Wilson Oliveira [BR] -- (2) Paulo Caçoete [PT] -- (3) André Alves [PT] and Sérgio Sánchez Alcaide [ES] -- (1W) Magda Pereira [PT].

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2027  //  HSW#06

After five editions seeking the development of the Portuguese community of bikepackers and long-distance cyclists, Heading SouthWest will finally follow its purpose: head southwest. 

Departure from BRAGANÇA, the northeasternmost city of Portugal. Finish in the edge of Europe: Cabo São Vicente, SAGRES.

HSW'27 will have two routes available: Heading SouthWest [road] and the new Travessia Nacional Bikepacking [off road], the paradigm shift in the Portuguese bikepacking scene.

HSW'23 // André Alves
HSW'23 // #cap by Cabeça Martelo 
HSW'25 // Rita Lopes
HSW'26 // Briefing in Gin Gibre Guarda
HSW'22 // Briefing in Galeria Santa Clara
HSW'24 // Hanna de Sousa

the southwesterners  //  Heading SW finishers :

ADELINO SILVA * AGNIEZKA DUDEK * ALFREDO CHAMBEL * ANA PEDRO (x2) * ANDRÉ ALVES (x3) * ANDRÉ BERNARDINO * ANDRÉ CARVALHO * ANDRÉ QUEIRÓZ * ANTÓNIO FRANCISCO * ANTÓNIO VALENTIM * ARTUR VIEIRA * AUGUSTO LOPES * BRUNO INÇA * BRUNO RAIMUNDO * BRUNO SANTOS * CARLOS ABREU * CARLOS FRANCO * CÉSAR CRUZ * CÉSAR MODESTO * CÉSAR VALENTE * CHARLOTTE BRANDT * CHRIS THOMAS * CLÁUDIA CASTRO (x2) * DANIEL PERUCHO (x2) * DANIELE FONELLI * DAVID HERRANZ PEREZ (x2) * DAVID RAQUEL * DIOGO BORGES (x2) * DIOGO CARAMUJO * DIOGO DUARTE * DIOGO MANJERICO * DUARTE VELOSO * EWA MODRAKOWSKA (x2) * FÁBIO COSTA (x2) * FABRIZIO AMORATI * FILIPE PINTO (x2) * FRANCISCO BRAVO * FRANCISCO SILVA * GENNARO GIACALONE * GONÇALO CUNHA * GUILHERME FONSECA * HANG IO (x2) * HANNA DE SOUSA * HÉLDER MARTINS * HEORHII VEREMIEV (x2) * HORÁCIO ALVES * HUMBERTO TEIXEIRA * INDY NEERHOFF * JEAN XHAET * JEANE DE FIGUEIREDO ABREU * JOÃO BERNARDINO * JOÃO BRANCO * JOÃO F.S. PINTO * JOÃO GARRA * JOÃO NASCIMENTO * JOÃO PALMA (x2) * JOÃO PINTO (x2) * JOÃO POMBINHO * JOB VAN NIEUWENHOVE * JOEL PEREIRA * JORGE LOURENÇO (x3) * JORGE RODRIGUES * JOSÉ ZACARIAS * KACPER KAZCMAREK (x2) * KRISTINA KOZLOVA (x2) * LAURA DELNEVO * LENITA LEMOS (x2) * LUCAS GOES * LUCIE HOGGER * LUÍS ALVES * LUÍS BARREIRO (x2) * LUÍS CARVALHO (x3) * LUÍS CORDEIRO * LUÍS FLORÊNCIO (x2) * LUÍS LUZ (x2) * LUÍS MEDEIROS PEREIRA (x2) * MAGDA PEREIRA * MAGDALENA SOBCZAK (x2) * MÁRCIO SÁ * MARCO FRANCISCO * MARCO MARTINS * MARCO PESTANA * MARCO RODRIGUES * MARGARIDA FERNANDES * MARI PLATKO * MARIK LAHON * MÁRIO MARINHEIRO * MARIUSZ NIEPSUJ * MATHAS DE ROECK * MATHIAS JAGER * MICHA MAMEDE * MICHAEL ARNOLD * MIGUEL PECEGUEIRO * MIGUEL ROLA COSTA * MIGUEL VETERANO * MOEY CHEN LIM* MORGAN LAHON * NELSON VAZ (x2) * NUNO BORBA (x2) * NUNO MALAQUIAS * NUNO MARTINS (x2) * NUNO OLIVEIRA (x2) * NUNO SANTOS * OLGA CHAIKOVSKA * PAU WONG * PAULO CAÇOETE * PAULO LOPES * PAWEL FIGNSKI * PAWEL PESZ * PEDRO LUÍS (x2) * PEDRO NEVES * PEDRO PINHO * PEDRO PINTO * PEDRO PRATAS * RAFAEL BARROS * RAFAL WOLNIK * RAINER RENQUET * REETA NIKANEM * RICARDO STRINGFELLOW * RITA LOPES (x2) * RYAN LE GARREC * SAM THOMAS * SÉRGIO FERREIRA * SERGIO SÁNCHEZ ALCAIDE * SILVI DE ALMEIDA * SÍLVIO GONÇALVES * STÉPHANE PACÔME * THOMAS CHATEAU * TIAGO CAÇÃO * TIAGO CARVALHO * TIAGO NEVES * TIAGO SOUSA * TOMASZ SIECZKOWSKI (x2) * VOVA MIHURA * WILSON OLIVEIRA * XAVIER RATO * ZICO GONÇALVES