Valverde, Rodriguez and Verona join 400 cyclists at the SOLD OUT Canyon Gravel Girona Ride

The Stars came out to ride a round of the Gran Fondo World Tour® GRAVEL series in Girona, part of the Sea Otter Europe cycling festival in Spain

Photo: Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) with GFWT CEO Dani Buyo and Carlos Verona (Movistar)

It's a well-known fact that Professional cyclists are lured to Girona for much of the season due to the abundance of mountain climbs along quiet, narrow road through magnificent area situated between the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean Sea. Off the beaten path Girona is fast becoming a destination for off-roading riding too.

On September 23 and 24th in Girona, Spain, 400 Gravel Fondo Fans lined up with guest stars including Alejandro Valverde, Carlos Verona and Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver for the Canyon Girona Gravel Ride, part of the Sea Otter Europe Cycling Festival and a round of the hugely popular and growing worldwide Gran Fondo World Tour® GRAVEL series.

There were two distances on offer; a 79km Medio Gravel Fondo and a 125 km Gran Gravel Fondo. The Gravel routes allowed hundreds of riders discover the Las Gavarres massif region, with sublime gravel forest tracks perfect for the adventure.

In the true spirit of the Gravel community, the courses weren’t signposted, final GPS download were supplied a week before the ride, of course a GPS computer was required to navigate the course which turned out to be very successful. There were also some large groups of riders out on course to share the navigation, make new friends and enjoy the amazing scenery, which for many was a totally new experience.

Riders left Girona bordering the northern part of Las Gavarres, following the forest tracks along the River Ter entering the Area of Natural Interest (EIN) with some a steep climbs surrounded by cork oak and holm oak trees.

The routes instantly moved away from any traffic and built-up areas into the most remote corners of Las Gavarres massif. The courses ambled through the western part of Las Gavarres, passing close to Àngels sanctuary and Sant Miquel castle, before entering heading back to Girona via the Sant Daniel valley, along the majestic Galligants river.

Participants benefitted from a Race number, Exclusive GOBIK Blitz jersey, Liquid and solid refreshments stations and SAG and Medical services out on course and refreshments after the ride,

The 125km course of the Canyon Girona Gravel Ride race is part of the Gran Fondo World Tour® Gravel Series.

A ranking with races spread across 5 continents throughout the year, with Pro Cycling Stats ranking amateur gravel riders in partnership with Gran Fondo World Tour ® Series, providing an amateur ranking for gravel riding lovers. This ranking will be linked to the Gran Fondo World Tour ROAD series ranking, which covers a full calendar of events around the world where riders can pick up points.

Link to 2023 Canyon Gravel Girona Ride Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/152934679@N02/albums/72177720311458611

1,200 Ride the La Ciclobrava Gran Fondo by Orbea

The weekend also included the La Ciclobrava Gran Fondo by Orbea, over 1,200 cyclists participated which offered offers three routes of 70, 100 or 140km for all abilities of cyclists to complete their own personal challenge. Thousands of cyclists were rewarded with magnificent views of the Costa Brava and the Mediterranean Sea at the to of the Sant Grau climb that left them speechless. The area of Les Gavarres is where they also climbed two classics, the Romanyà and La Ganga, both used in the 2019 La Vuelta Espana. The 140km Gran Fondo was part of the Gran Fondo World Tour® ROAD Series.