GRAVEL

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…

The Badlands Race is one of the most challenging ultracycling events in Europe, often considered one of the toughest in the world. It’s an unsupported gravel race that takes place in the southern region of Spain, primarily in Andalusia. The race covers approximately 800 kilometers with more than 16,000 meters of elevation gain.

The route takes participants through some of Spain’s most extreme and beautiful landscapes, including the Gorafe Desert and the Tabernas Desert, often referred to as Europe’s only true deserts. Riders also traverse the Sierra Nevada and Cabo de Gata Natural Park, facing harsh terrains, extreme heat during the day, and cold nights…