This is the third edition of the gruelling 350km race, which crosses the Costa Brava and Girona Pyrenees and may be completed solo or by relays
3 June will mark the third edition of the Pirinexus 360 Challenge, a circular, 350km endeavour that follows the so-called Pirinexus route and which the riders must complete in no more than 20 hours, solo or by relays in teams of two, three or four people. The race, promoted by the Girona Greenways Consortium, will be held as part of the Sea Otter Costa Brava-Girona Bike Show and will start early in the morning at the Fontajau Pavilion in Girona.
Anyone interested in participating may register via Ticketoci, in both the non-stop and relay competitions. Accreditations will be handed out and the briefing will take place the day before the race in the area reserved for the Sea Otter Europe Festival in the Fontajau Pavilion, and all the participants will receive an official Sea Otter Europe T-Shirt, several food stations and a bag with some products at the arrival line. The registration also guarantees the medical assistance and access to the general services in the festival, such as cleaning bike, toilets, shower, family activities, restaurants, commercial fair, exhibitions and bike test, among others. There will be a finisher award for those cyclists which complete the entire route within the 20 hours stipulated.
Gravel spirit
Participants in the Pirinexus 360 Challenge are free to ride any kind of bicycle. Though this race is ideal for gravel or cyclo-cross bikes, road bikes with slightly thicker tyres or mountain bikes with 29-inch wheels and racing slicks are also suitable. The Pirinexus 360 Challenge has, as a result, a marked gravel spirit, a phenomenon that is on the rise here in Catalonia and stands to gain a large following.
The organisers recommend that the participants have a support team with them for the duration of the competition. In addition to providing the participants assistance, the idea behind the support teams is to replicate the atmosphere and fervour of the cycling exploits of the late 19th century, the so-called Audax races, which were day-long long-distance events. All accredited support teams will receive a welcome gift and maps for tracking the route.
