18th, Traka 360k
The Traka 360 is one of the toughest gravel races in the world, Europe’s version to the legendary Unbound Gravel in the USA.
Held in Girona, Spain, it attracts the very best gravel riders from across the world, all ready to test themselves on a course that is as beautiful as it is brutal.
This year, I lined up in the dark, nerves buzzing and lights brightening up the park in Girona. The start was as savage as expected, straight uphill before the sun was up. The pace was steady on the climb, but the moment we crested and hit the descent, it was chaos, fast, loose, and still dark. The field stretched out, but I managed to hold position in the top 30.
The next 30km ticked by smoothly, relatively flat and fast, before the real racing began. Around the 40km mark, a small break went clear with two PAS Normal riders and a Tudor Pro Cycling privateer. I knew I couldn’t miss the move, so I jumped across. Soon we were eight strong, working well together, pushing the gap out on the tough course.
At the 100km mark came the first decisive climb. The group started to splinter, two riders dropped, then two more suffered flats on the downhill. Suddenly, there were only four of us left, with 260km still to race. We kept the pressure on and stretched the lead to nearly seven minutes, but I knew the main test was ahead. A 20 minute long climb at 8%
By the time we hit the day’s major climb at 200km, a relentless 20-minute grind, I was on the limit. We had three minutes at the base, at this stage it was myself a Jan Stokli from Tudor Pro Cycling, but I couldn’t hold the pace. I eased off, knowing the chase would catch me sooner or later. Near the top of the climb, I saw the reduced bunch of 20 not far behind. They caught me on the descent, and I tucked in, doing the bare minimum.
Then came the infamous hike-a-bike section. Five minutes of pure hell, hauling the bike over your shoulder uphill, calves burning, and back ruined. We crested together, but the moment tires hit dirt again, it was full gas. I cramped badly, lost contact, and suddenly found myself alone with 150km still to go.
The next five hours were a huge mental battle. Solo time-trialing across endless gravel, sometimes bridging to small groups, sometimes riding away from them, but mostly fighting just to get back to Girona.
Finally, after 360km and 12:08hrs, I rolled into Girona in 18th place. I had spent 170km in the breakaway and emptied myself completely. The Traka 360km lived up to its reputation being arguably the hardest gravel race in the world but also one of the most rewarding.
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