The Sea Otter Europe Ciclobrava is road cycling in Girona in a nutshell.
The start and finish line will be situated right at the Sea Otter Europe entrance, on Avinguda Xavier Cugat, and the route will include a training section with small climbs, safe roads with hardly any traffic (where the professionals based in Girona train) and new landscapes for tour cyclists, as they ride between two contrasting terrains: the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean coast.
Participants can choose between three routes: a tougher 140-km course with 1,750 D+ that nonetheless isn’t extreme in terms of difficulty, as the aim is that Ciclobrava cyclists can share their time between visiting Europe’s biggest cycling fair and cycling; a gentler, more rolling 100-km route with 1,000 D+; and a third 70-km route with 800 D+, a new feature of the 2020 edition due to calls from some participants to be able to spend more time at the fair without having to forgo the chance to spend a morning cycling.
Those taking part in the longer route will need to arrive at around 12 p.m., those on the medium course at 11 a.m., and just after 10 a.m. for those opting for the shorter 70-km route. The final participants to complete the shorter tour are expected to finish at 1 p.m. and those on the longer routes at 3 p.m., coinciding with the festival’s closing. The route has been designed in such a way that if someone has not calculated their timing properly, they can switch from the long route to the medium course in order to enjoy the rest of the tour without having to withdraw.
The 140-km long route with 1,750 D+ will have four mountain passes: Sant Grau d’Ardenya; Romanyà (pass from the second stage of the 2019 Volta a Catalunya); La Ganga (pass from the third stage of the 2019 Volta), and Montjuïc, on the approach to the city of Girona.
The 100-km medium route with 1,000 D+ will also have four mountain passes, three of which will be the same as those of the long route: Romanyà (pass from the second stage of the 2019 Volta); La Ganga (pass from the third stage of the 2019 Volta) and Montjuïc, in addition to Madremanya, at km 75 of the route.
Finally, the 70-km short route with 800 D+ will have three mountain passes: Santa Pellaia – new for this year’s edition – Madremanya, coinciding with the medium route, and lastly Montjuïc.
