The Girona round of the UCI Gravel World Series was the last opportunity for gravel racers to win a coveted race entry for this year’s gravel world championships. That meant the fields were stacked with some of the world’s best racers, competition was fierce and the finish line looked like racers had become gladiators. Despite the fact that he has already qualified, Jorge Padrones still lined up on the start line and sent in this great ride report.

When we think of Girona, we all imagine the idyllic image of “champagne” gravel with super smooth paths, perfect surfaces, and rather flat or at least very manageable routes. But if you went to the recent UCI Gravel World Series in Girona expecting to find this, you surely encountered something very different.

It seems unbelievable that in just a few kilometers you can find such a variety of terrain and experience one of the toughest and wildest gravel races I have ever encountered. The route itself is tough due to the climbs, totaling 2000 meters of ascent. Additionally, the terrain of the race is very rocky, very hard and far from smooth, except for the few kilometers of road or paved sections that we find.

Witnessing the arrival of the riders at the finish line, the word gladiator comes to mind. Because in the end, that’s what you have to be in this race and on this course to keep going. Riders must fight against the climbs, the terrain, the wind and their rivals to reach the finish line. Covered in a layer of dust that, combined with exhaustion, everyone has the look and feel of true gladiators with an epic image.

The truth is that it is a route worthy of a world cup. We know there must be routes for all tastes and types of riders, but I believe these kinds of races should be recognised for the toughness of their courses, at least in terms of distance.

Undoubtedly, it also opens the widely discussed debate about what gravel is and what should be considered mountain biking. Some people referred to the course as a mountain bike route which they would have enjoyed more with a full-suspension bike. We must acknowledge that this is an open debate with no easy solution, as even if the UCI wanted to regulate this somehow, it would be very difficult to measure the technicality and ruggedness of a course.

For this world cup event, there was no better participation - 800 participants in total, including a long list of female riders such as Marta Torà, Monica Aguirre, Tiffany Cromwell, Alia Jackson, Sofia Rodriguez and Dani Shrosbree, among others. In the men’s race were riders like Matej Mohoric, Romain Bardet and Felipe Orts. Truly a luxury lineup.

We must remember that this UCI Gravel World Series event is part of the Sea Otter Europe fair and besides the race, it was a great opportunity to visit the extensive fair where all the major manufacturers participate, showcasing their latest products, which we can see first-hand and even test. This makes visiting this world cup event even more attractive.

This world cup event, despite being just two weeks away from the world championship, is a qualifier for it and for many, it is the last chance to qualify. We saw how people gave their all, making qualification very difficult in all categories. It was a race where speeds were high and as I mentioned, it was very tough, not only because of the course but also due to the terrain and the speed, which made it even harder.

This is one of those courses that, if you are physically strong, feels very manageable and the race goes by quickly since there are no particularly slow sections. However, there is little terrain where you can relax. It is a race where you must stay focused and alert for all 100 km because it’s either a climb or a technical descent. The few flat sections were on small trails and tracks where you had to stay attentive and they never lasted more than five minutes. This created great variety and constant changes in terrain.

I found it quite entertaining. Upon arrival at the finish line, we enjoyed a delicious paella to regain our strength while taking advantage of the fair’s infrastructure and spending the afternoon visiting the manufacturers’ stands. At 5:30, we awaited the podium ceremony, where the UCI medals were awarded, signifying qualification for the world championship in Limburg, where riders will compete for the rainbow jersey in just two weeks time.

Overall results:

Images courtesy of UCI Gravel World Series Girona except where credited.