Nice, Boulder, Melbourne, Lucca. All iconic cycling towns, all magnets for the sport’s top athletes. But did you know that more professional cyclists call Catalonia home than anywhere in the world?
Three decades ago, cyclists first put the city of Girona on the map as they sought refuge from the Northern European tundra. Having found that elusive intersection on the Venn diagram of a cyclist’s needs – a vast array of terrain, agreeable year round weather, and an airport nearby – they flocked to the Costa Brava in their droves. The needs of a monastic pro cyclist are scant, but even so, there’s little more that you could ask for from a region.
And even if you’re not required to live the pro’s ascetic lifestyle, there are still a multitude of reasons to pay cycling’s Mecca a visit. Girona is a city that progresses at a both a glacial pace and with lightning quick contemporary hipness. Downtown is scattered with Roman ruins, yet it’s a vibrant college town teeming with young energy. Even in just the past half dozen years the cycling-themed and cyclist-owned cafes, restaurants, and shops are popping up and sought after by cyclists descending upon Girona from across the globe.
And it isn’t just iconic for us riders. Catalonia is a culinary and artistic hotbed beginning with experimental gastronomic chef Ferran Adria and continuing with the brothers of Can Roca, having been home to the top ranked restaurant in the world for years on end.
This is new and exciting ground for inGamba, our first foray into Spain after conquering Italy, Portugal, and France. This fall, we’ll explore this special region, from to the foothills of the mighty Pyrenees to the north and west to the postcard perfect Costa Brava beaches to the south and east. It’s a region I know well, because I used to call it home, and I’m excited to introduce you to somewhere that I think truly unique. Our sport is all about community. I’m inviting you to come experience Girona’s with the inGamba family.
–
A teammate of inGamba’s founder João Correia back in the Cervelo TestTeam days, Ted King spent almost a decade at the highest levels of professional cycling before retiring at the end of 2015. You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram @iamtedking. For more on our new adventure in Catalonia this fall, check out the trip page.
