La Ciclobrava

La Ciclobrava is the road ride of Sea Otter Europe, the bike festival that takes over Girona every September, and it rolls out on the festival's Sunday. It is non-competitive: there is no classification, only cut-off times at the checkpoints, and it draws more than 2,000 riders. Three routes of about 70, 100 and 150 km run along quiet roads through the Girona countryside, and one of them reaches the Costa Brava. The terrain is rolling rather than mountainous: the long route adds up to around 1,750 m of climbing on climbs such as Sant Grau d'Ardenya, where the Mediterranean suddenly appears before the descent to the coast. Without big mountain passes, what wears you down is the constant up and down and the hours in the saddle, so pacing and fueling matter more than raw climbing power. Girona is usually still warm in late September. Training depends on the route you choose. For the 150 km, build up gradually to rides of four to five hours with climbing, add sweet spot and threshold intervals of 10-20 minutes so you can climb without burning matches, and practice eating and drinking on the bike. For the 70 or 100 km, rides of two to three hours with tempo work on the climbs are a solid base. Since it is non-competitive, you set the pace: ride in a group, enjoy the scenery and save something for Montjuïc, the last climb before the finish in Girona.