La Traka

The Traka : Girona and CDC GT

It’s not hard to see why some people believe Girona to be Europe’s premier cycling destination. There is of course a point of bias in this sentence, when one is attached to the Côte d'Azur, to its extraordinary routes where the most beautiful passes dip their toes into the blue of the Mediterranean, to the softness of its climate, with the unparalleled atmosphere of its perched villages.

But Girona also has the personality and the physical assets to court cyclists from all over the world.

A few dozen kilometres away from the bustling and noisy resorts of the Costa Brava, once you enter the old town you take the pulse of this city whose heart beats for cycling.

Here, beautiful bike shops have sprung up everywhere, and bicycle tourists from all over the world roam the narrow streets alongside those who, seated on the terraces of trendy cycling-themed bars, measure their belonging to the wheel-world by the performance of their Instagram notifications. Girona is definitely ‘the place to be’ when you are a keen cyclist.

Long before the arrival of US Postal and its infamous leader Lance Armstrong, other professional cyclists like Johnny Weltz had chosen the city as a training and vacation spot. Cheaper than the Côte d'Azur, the small Catalan town has been attracting pros and amateurs for several decades. Ensconced in the heart of a landscape that is full of possibilities, Girona’s location and laidback atmosphere make it irresistible. Today aficionados of every bike discipline will find their holy grail here.

On tarmac, quiet roads meander towards the heights, crossing through picturesque medieval villages and past immense flowery fields and verdant meadows. For mountain bikers, it seems that every exit from the road is a natural wonder. But it is undoubtedly the Gravel enthusiasts who speak best of the region.

The surrounding hills are riddled with wide paths, the countryside is dotted with trails as far as the eye can see. From here it is possible to reach the sea some 40km away by riding only on beaten earth and return by a route of the same topography.

Unsurprisingly the offroad race – Traka – has established itself here as the benchmark European race in the gravel discipline. Without yet reaching the number of participants in the American races, this 2022 edition of Traka welcomed more than 800 participants from 35 different countries, competing in one of the three races offered in the program: 100, 200, and a whopping 360km.

In the cool of the early morning, the competitors gather on the starting grid, satisfied to see that the sun pointing its nose above the gloomy clouds. The excitement is palpable, eager to do battle, these two years of interruption have seemed like an eternity.

The girls of the CDC-GT – Café du Cycliste’s new racing team – are in the starting blocks, and Traka is for them the first race of an international tour on the Gravel circuit. The Seigla, the latest generation of Lauf bikes, have been delivered to them a few days before, and they too are waiting to be unleashed at the gun. This race marks the start of the competition for these top-of-the-range frames from the Icelandic brand. The bikes will keep their promise today, and they will see two girls raise their arms to the sky.

The first bump a few kilometres after the start makes the selection, then groups are formed and the race is on. It’s a good day’s racing ahead of them. The countryside is coloured with moving bodies and machines everywhere, as if a painter, a student of pointillism, was trying his hand at an animated canvas. Cyclists swarm the territory, they cross the land for miles around, raising characteristic clouds of dust. Zoom-in to the finish area and faces, jerseys, bikes are covered in mud.

As for the Café du Cycliste Gravel Team, Annabel Fisher will never be tested at the head of the 100km loop and crosses the line in 1st, Maria Ögn Guðmundsdóttir will take 3rd place on the 200km course. And Danielle Larson will fail 15km from the finish line after breaking her rim when she was in 5th place. Next stop – the United States for Unbound, in the court of the giants of the discipline, a month from now.

CDC GT

Café du Cycliste’s first official racing team. Bringing together three dedicated riders, all hungry for big adventure on mixed terrain.

María Guðmundsdóttir

Maria grew up in the Westfjords of Iceland, Isafjordur. She is a bike coach, psychologist, and the 1st woman on the Icelandic national cycling team.

Danielle Larson

Danielle is based in Bentonville, Arkansas. She is an ex heptathlete and competitive ballroom dancer but cycling is now her profession and passion.

Annabel Fisher

Annabel is based in Switzerland, near Geneva. Having raced at university, she returned to cycling for the Tour de Yorkshire in 2018 and never looked back.