THE TRAKA ADVENTURE 560
FAMILIAR GROUND, UNFAMILIAR CHALLENGE
OUR TRAKA ADVENTURE IN NUMBERS
Total km: 557km
Total +m climbed: 9.403m
Total time: 35h 12minutess
Riding time: 29h 46minutes
Stopped time: 5h 26minutes
Total stops: 8
Sleep time: 20 minutes
Average speed moving time: 18,7km/h
Total average speed: 15,8km/h
Mechanical problems: 1 flat tyre
Familiar grounds, unfamiliar challenge
At first, it felt strange. It didn’t feel like a big adventure since it was close to home. Well, just a one-hour drive from our house. But still, we had been to Girona so many times that it felt like home. There was no packing, no big travelling involved, and we already knew parts of the route. So yes, it felt strange at first.
Johnny and I could only compare it to Badlands. Initially, we thought this would be much easier. Not only because it was 240 km shorter, but also because there were 6,000 meters less of climbing. The weather wasn’t expected to be as harsh as Badlands, and The Traka had more tarmac. All of that made a huge difference. So we immediately thought, it won’t be that bad. And that was the mistake.
Into the unknown
At 6:00 am, we crossed the start line in Girona, with 560 km and over 10,000 meters of climbing ahead of us. We were heading from Girona to the Pyrenees, to Cap de Creus, through Empordà, and back to Girona via Les Gavarres.
As always, we had a plan in mind, and we tried to stick to it.
It all started pretty well. The first 60 km were gentle. Most of it passed along a greenway, which was beautiful, and the kilometers flew by without notice. It was a bit chilly. We didn’t bring much winter clothing since our plan was to cross the Pyrenees on the first day and be around La Garrotxa by nightfall.
According to our plan, the first stop was Ribes de Freser, at km 112, with already 2,390 meters climbed. We arrived by 11:40 am, just 5 hours and 40 minutes after the start. To be honest, that was faster than expected. Before Ribes de Freser, after the greenway, we faced two climbs: Coll de Santigosa and Coll de Jou. The first one was easy.
The second was one of the hardest climbs of the race. Luckily, we were still fresh. We had to climb 880 meters over 15 km, spending about 1 hour and 30 minutes on Coll de Jou.
Into the mountains
In Ribes de Freser, we bought a couple of cheese sandwiches, refilled our bottles, and kept going. That’s when the real climbing began. We had two climbs ahead, totaling over 2,000 meters of elevation in under 55 km. Johnny and I are not climbers, so we took it easy. Everyone passed us on the climbs. But our downhill skills helped us recover some positions during the long 20 km descents.
RIBES DE FRESER | 112km +2.390m | 5h42m – 11:42h
Those are the parts we enjoy the most, haha. However, during the first descent, Johnny got a flat tire. We tried to fix it fast with a CO2, hoping the tubeless liquid would seal it, but it didn’t work. So we quickly change the strategy and put a inner tube to keep going. We spent 20minutes repairing it.
After that, we tried to descend more cautiously. It lasted about five minutes. Then we were back at full gas. The second climb was also steep and long. It took us about 1 hour and 30 minutes, just half an hour faster than the first. Our plan was to buy proper food at km 180, in Molló. But we found nothing open. So we kept pedalling. We stopped at the first restaurant we found in Rocabruna.
They said, “The kitchen’s closed, but you can try the next one. They’re open.” So we did. And they had sandwiches. It was 17:18h, we were at km 191 and we were 11hand18 minutes into the race. We were starting to feel the tiredness.
FLAT TYRE | 138km +3.540m | 8h22m – 14:22h
Darkness and doubt
From there, the plan was to keep riding until dinner. Depending on our rhythm, we could reach La Garrotxa or L’Alt Empordà. From a distance perspective, we could have done more kilometers. However, the last big climb was the hardest. First, because it was steep. Second, because it was 10 km long. Third, because we didn’t expect it at that moment. And that made it even worse.
It’s always hardest when you’re not mentally prepared. But we knew we had no other option than to keep pedalling. Once at the top, the sun already set and we put the jackets on, it was starting to get cold, and switched the lights on. The downhill was full of rocks, nothing rolling, we had to be very carefully not to broke anything or to crash, it was pretty easy since everything was very slippery.
ROCABRUNA | 191km +4.680m | 11h18m – 17:18h
SANT LLORENÇ DE LA MUGA | 267km +6.370m | 16h03m – 22:03h
After the technical descent, we reached a road that led to the first town. Again, kitchen closed in the only restaurant there was. So, we pedalled 5 more km to the next town, Sant Llorenç de la Muga. It was 10:03 pm. We were at km 267 and had already climbed 6,370 meters. When we stopped, we felt completely exhausted. We couldn’t manage a quick pit stop. We sat down and ordered a pizza. We needed proper rest. We had a short chat with another rider who was in the same situation.
An hour later, we put our jackets back on and continued. It was humid and freezing. I remember being cold all night anytime we moved faster than 20 km/h. Honestly, I don’t remember much of the following two hours. Everything is a bit blurry. I just remember pedalling, following the directions on my Wahoo, and trying not to crash into rocks or potholes.
Micro naps and singletracks
At 1:30 am, we decided to take a 10-minute nap to break the fog we were in. We had heard about this from a podcast with the Badlands winner, Alex Martinez. To our surprise, it worked. Just 10 minutes lying on the ground, then standing up, and everything felt clearer.
We kept going. Three hours later, at 4:39 am, we did the same. This time we were in Llançà, km 341. Again, we woke up and kept pedalling, heading to Cap de Creus. To our surprise, we had to ride a technical singletrack. We moved very slowly. At one point, I even had to hike-a-bike. It was wild. I remember focusing only on the rocks ahead. There was a small cliff on the left, and I didn’t want to lose my balance. It was easier because it was pitch black, and I could only see what my light illuminated. After some climbing, we went down, through the same singletrack until we made it to Cadaques
At that point, the sun started to rise. Everything looked clearer. As we left Cadaqués and climbed again, it got warmer. We stopped to take off our jackets. We were already thinking about breakfast. Our plan was to stop in Roses. It took longer than expected. I guess we had miscalculated. We were exhausted after riding all night.
The wall
Around 8:00 am, we reached Roses. It was km 387. Even though we didn’t enjoy the night riding much, I think that was the lowest point. After 26 hours on the bike, we realized we were still 173 km away from the finish line. That meant 8 or 9 more hours of riding.
This was the moment.
The moment when you question everything. When you weigh the options and consequences of giving up. When you ask yourself why. Why are you here? Why did you sign up? Why do you have to keep pedalling? All the whys. And then you have two options. You either listen to those questions and let them break you down, or you shift your mindset and finish. Everyone has their own reasons. Mine is that I hate leaving things unfinished. Proof of that is Badlands 2023. I couldn’t finish because of an injury, so I came back the next year to finish it.
ROSES | 387km +8.780m | 26h06m – 08:06h
Final push
We got back on track. Johnny and I are strong on flats, so we rode much faster than before. Soon we found ourselves less than 25 km from the finish line. Suddenly, it started to rain. It wasn’t cold, but it wasn’t pleasant either. We climbed Els Metges, the final climb of the race. The closer we got to Girona, the faster we rode. Maybe it was the motivation. Maybe the excitement. Maybe the caffeine and gels we had taken over the past two days. Who knows.
Soon, we arrived in Girona. Some friends and family were there waiting for us. We crossed the finish line 35 hours and 12 minutes after we had started. Pretty amazing when you think about it.
Still, I think we need a break from ultracycling. After one of these races, your body is beyond empty. It’s not easy to come back. Mentally, you need motivation to take on something like this. Otherwise, you’re done at the first setback.
GIRONA | 560km 10.000m | 35h12m – 17:12h
WATCH THE MOVIE OF OUR TRAKA ADVENTURE 560 2025
The set up was very light because our plan was to not sleep, so we didn’t need much. Also it wasn’t supposed to be really really cold so we didn’t bring a lot of winter clothes, actually, just a jacket.
Bike: Pinarello Grevil
Drivetrain: GRX Di2 – 11speed – Double chainring 31-46 with a 46-11 cassette
Seat: Fizik Terra Argo X1
Bags:
Backpack: Chase™ Race 4 Hydration Vest with Crux® 1.5L Reservoir as a backpacks
Saddle pack: Fizik Saddle Bag
Frame bag: M.U.L.E.® Frame Pack Small
Bottles: Podium® 21oz Bike Bottle
Tyres: I opted for the Continental Terra Speed 45c tyres. I knew the terrain was mainly gentle. Only in Cadaqués I had to be very careful to not have a flat tyre
production: ApperStudio
riders: Pol Tarrés & Johnny Anaya
special thanks
Sportful, Camelbak, POC, Fizik, 226ERS, Pinarello, Lezyne & RACC
photo: Alexandre G