Badlands 2024 - Done and Dusted!

BADLANDS 2024 - and They're off!

Alejandro Martínez

Kenneth Karaya

Benjamin Koch

Gereon Tewes

Sascha Hubbert

Maxime Prieur

Cara Dixon

Ulrich Bartholmoes

Ole Bjørn Smisethjell

John Rutherford

Svenja Betz

Flemming Lindhøj

Ondrej Sobek

Lukas Kienreich

Anna Kofler

Aurélien Viaccoz

Francisco González

Justinas Leveika

Nathalie Baillon

Henning Bommel

Jens Zickermann

Joris Pesch

Sherry Vivian Cardona

Harry Johnson

Kirill Glushko

Jessie Ellen Rowlands

Benjamin Schmetz

David Pons Vila

Tomáš Rybář

Christopher J. Keating

Gerard Trias

Nathalie Schneitter

Steven Willis

Marco Paulo Da Silva

Zuzana Boháčová

Fabio Conti

César Mato

Javier Cantos

Miguel Arsié

Harriet Gruen

Jesús Ramón López

Tommy Jägmo

George Steele

Lucas Jezequel

Gonzalo Sáenz

Joe Jackson

Antonio Sánchez

Marta Mas

Fernando Montesinos

Ingvild Ødegaard Tangen

Sergio García

Gregor Elskamp

Polly Milsom

Verena Walter

Luca Liverani

Óscar Pujol

Ella Brown

Nicolai Andersen

Hugo Chevalier

Julia Dvorak

Gottfried Stute

Sebastián Ospina

Max Leo Unger

Uwe Waslikowski

Jorge Manuel García

Dieter Champagne

Guillem Santonja

Marius Arne Messerschmied

Kevin Shaffer

Miquel Navarro

Carlos Rodríguez

Markus Ullersberger

Simon Heininger

Filipp Shamshin

José Padilla

Jacopo Lahbi

Daniel Anguera Bru

Jesús Rull

Ludovic Oddos

Daniel Shichor

Sam Brook

Martin Hulst

Remco De Rooij

Tomasz Koscielniak

Christian Düll

Heike Uekermann

Kai Nobbe

Waldemar Furgol

Joey Belshof

Harald Finnemann

Jordy Veldhuis

Nicolas Alejandro Pesce

Tim Kremer

Nacho Sánchez

Filipe Cunha

Michaela Illikova

Boyd Belshof

Danny Koszellni

Naomi Metcalfe

Leonardo Brasil

Bradley Shenton & Danielle Shrosbree

Pol Tarrés & Jonathan Anaya

Antti Laaksonen & Teemu Lemmettylä

Lukas Carlsson & David Kangas

Cees Akkermans & Mark Veraart

Florian Deppert & Simon Grabow

Simon Eden & David Santos

Dante Ceronio & Nicholas Harrison

Roman Facuna & Lucia Fabianová

Tobias Lendenmann & Martin Dotti

Ricardo De La Torre & Jorge Antonio García

Ferrán Escura & Esteban Martos

Alexander Nuija & Caroline Andréasson

Juanjo Pereira & Javier Pastor

Sergio Ramón Lucea & Julián Fernández

Rubén Sierra & Antonio Del Pino

Vesa Härkönen & Mika Miettinen

Mark Mccabe & Seán Waddilove

Rhea Leweke & Johannes Schlemper

Juan Antonio Fernández & Álvaro Gil

Dirk Goossens & Sam Claeys

Sebastian Arnstedt & Louise Hanschell

Simon Mcnamara & Claire Frecknall

Berta Berán & Toni Tijeras

José Gómez & José Moreno

Miguel Ángel Moreno & Jesús Velasco

Santy Mozos & Diego Villas

Mike Nolan & John Nolan

Finn Lynch & Robert Dickson

Francisco Hernández & José Miguel Santoyo

Philippa Koehli & William Mulligan

Marc Wolff & Konrad Hlawenka

Emilio J. López & Jose Luis Pérez

Eric Schiffer & Boudewijn Van Garling

Ramon Van Stijn & Maurice Heemskerk

Pedro Castillo & José Manuel Alonso

Cristina Moreno & José Luis Toro

Alejandro Rodríguez & José Carlos Pardo

Kirstin Leiren & Martin Opheim-smedsrud

Conor Hannigan & Matthew Gillis

Aleix Mayor & Guillermo Alfaro

Stefan Radojicic & Milos Radojicic

Malwina Dobrowolska & Wojciech Wrześniak

Javier Torres & Miguel Ángel Caldentey

Crew#1

Crew#3

Crew#4

Crew#2

[https://www.instagram.com/p/C_lA7mpM8t4/](https://www.instagram.com/p/C_lA7mpM8t4/)

Badlands has established itself as one of the most hotly anticipated races of the year and this edition has been no different. The route totals 791km with almost 15,500m of climbing through Spain’s wild Andalucian mountains with a level of diversity that surprises all those unfamiliar with the region. A race that’s notorious for its steep climbs, extreme heat and long stretches without resupply is a recipe for thrilling dotwatching.

![Badlands-313](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4mAKhDDUreJXFJCwJXfwWs/c2b27dcc40327c5c4d9eb610d2a4a704/Badlands-313.jpg)

Badlands notoriously attracts riders from an exciting range of racing backgrounds which makes for some lightning fast racing and this year was no different; the start list boasted lots of highly experienced bikepackers, such as Justinas Leveika, Ulrich Bartholmoes, Sherry Cardona, Gereon Tewes and Cara Dixon, alongside professional gravel racers like Amity Rockwell, Team Amani’s Kenneth Karaya, Simen Nordahl Svendsen and plenty of other gravelleurs.

For the first half of the race, the leading riders of Alejandro Martinez, Kenneth Karaya, Jake Griffin and Benjamin Koch leapfrogged as they made their way through the race’s iconic Gorafe Desert as well as the most remote section of the race. Once the riders reached the Cabo de Gata Natural Park, they were heading in to the new additions to the route in the park and later the Tabernas Desert. Alejandro’s sheer lead of 10 was extended when he was able to pull away slightly over Kenneth in the final half due to Kenneth’s back pain and missed resupply on the final night to finish 40 minutes ahead of him after another fast edition of Badlands. He finished in 42 hours and 18 minutes. He states he was able to avoid repeating the mistakes of his first bikepacking race at Badlands last year, he clearly perfectly executed his plan this year.

![Badlands-397](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1k0l7FgkTuiNfuAjFVlEnG/07cb48077ddade18eda47fbe6336a43e/Badlands-397.jpg)

After a long season of USA racing, Ulrich chose to enjoy the experience, still finishing in an astonishingly fast time and eighth overall, while Justinas came in eighteenth overall and one position ahead of Nathalie Baillon.

Cara Dixon has continued to prove she’s one of the best British women on a long bike ride! Finishing seventh overall in a time of 49 hours and 24 minutes and almost five hours ahead of Svenja Betz. In fifteenth overall and third woman, Anna rounded off the women’s podium. Last year was the first time a woman, let alone two, had finished in the top ten and we’re delighted to see Cara wrestling with the fastest riders and three other women join her in the top 20.

Last year we wrote that “It’s such a short and fast race that it’s often been the domain of the men but hopefully this year serves as an inflection point where Cynthia and Cara have paved the way for women in future editions.” And long may this change continue, are we too soon to predict six women in the top 20 next year?!

![Badlands-052](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3x4zTsb2Rk99xcijjkrmdQ/74ce6c3022e3535d24e2913f7fdeb9ec/Badlands-052.jpg)

In the pairs race, Bradley Shenton and Danni Shrosbree won the pairs race at this year's edition of Badlands,aArriving home with a comfortable lead after 53 hours and 30 minutes, they had just ten minutes sleep despite some setbacks with a crash early on. Their time would put them eleventh overall which is a stellar ride for a pair in such a competitive lineup.

The time limit for the race was at 4pm today and 182 riders made it to Capileira. There’s a sting in the tail of the race as many veterans will agree the final stretch is one of the hardest.

Congratulations to all the dots (and their humans!) on their loop of Andalucia.

*All photos credit to [Juanan Barros](https://www.instagram.com/juananb.m/).

- Beccy and Kitty

As my time writing about The 2024 Badlands has come to a close, what a journey it’s been! I've never been on this side of the screen for one of these events and I've got to say it was a lot more thriulling than I had anticipated. Watching the races dots brought back so many memories from last year and it was a pleasure to announce for all the front runners.
Here’s a quick  wrap-up of the epic adventures and standout performances we’ve witnessed over these grueling days (as well as a couple picutres thanks to IG):

<https://www.instagram.com/p/C_f5-X0sHdP/>

Top Finishers:

Alex Martinez demonstrated incredible growth and strategic prowess since his 5th place finish last year. He paced himself perfectly, crossing the finish line nearly 2 hours ahead of his nearest rival. A massive congratulations to Alex for this outstanding victory!
<https://www.instagram.com/p/C_b6pt5oEA5/?img_index=1>
Kenneth Karaya, who led the race for the first 30 hours, faced a tough final night with back issues and missed resupplies. Despite these hurdles, he managed to hold onto 2nd place—an impressive testament to his endurance and grit.
<https://www.instagram.com/p/C_c3WtXuxQy/?img_index=3>
Cara Dixon made history as the top female finisher, clinching 7th place overall and finishing ahead of renowned ultra-racing veteran Ulrich Bartholmoes. Cara’s performance was nothing short of extraordinary—huge kudos to her!
<https://www.instagram.com/p/C_d0-bGOGg0/?img_index=1>
Anna Kofler turned on the afterburners in the final 100 km to secure 3rd place, showcasing remarkable resilience and speed.
<https://www.instagram.com/p/C_fAdNvsIsO/>

In the pairs category, Dani Shrosbree and Bradley Shenton came through with a stellar finish of 2 days, 5 hours, and 30 minutes. They had a commanding lead and even managed a cheeky nap along the way—congratulations to both for a well-deserved win! Though I haven't seen their ride up loaded on strava so I'm still waiting to see how long said nap really was...
<https://www.instagram.com/p/C_d2zR9O0Hc/?img_index=2>

For the remaining riders—over 120 of you are still on course—Capileira will be a hive of activity in the coming days as you cross the finish line. Keep pushing, and may you find the strength and resolve to finish strong!

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who followed along and supported the riders through these updates. Speaking form expirience, Your enthusiasm and encouragement can go a really long way when these riders have low points and take their phones off airplane mode for a moment. A quick msg from a loved one or even a complete stranger can really make the difference.

Wishing all the finishers a chance to rest, celebrate, and enjoy the well-earned rewards of your incredible efforts. Safe travels to everyone and next time I look forward to seeing you out on the course not from the screen.

cheers.

Rob Britton
September 3rd, 2024


Racing wraps up the challenge still continues

So much has happened since our last update—buckle up!

We’ve now seen the top 10 riders cross the finish line, and Alex Martinez has truly shown what he’s learned since his first Badlands race last year. He stuck to his own pace, focused on his race, and it paid off handsomely. No distractions, just pure determination!

Kenneth, meanwhile, put in an incredible effort hold the lead over the first 30 hours, but the toll of the race started to hit him hard. Back issues and missed resupplies made for a tough final night. Still, he gritted his teeth and held on to secure 2nd place—what a warrior!

Arguably the standout performance of the event came from our top female finisher, Cara Dixon, who clinched an impressive 7th overall, finishing ahead of ultra-racing veteran Ulrich Bartholmoes. That’s a remarkable achievement—congratulations, Cara! Check out her finish here.

<https://www.instagram.com/p/C_czMWtOF5t/?img_index=1>

Svenja Betz stayed true to her steady pace, finishing just outside the top ten overall. Meanwhile, Anna Kofler turned on the jets in the final 100 km to snag 3rd place as she rolled into Capileira.

A special shoutout to my friends Dani Shrosbree and Bradley Shenton, who took the win in the pairs category with a stellar time of 2 days, 5 hours, and 30 minutes. Rumor has it they could have been even quicker if Brad hadn’t needed a quick nap to freshen up for the finish line glam shots. Congrats, guys!

<https://www.instagram.com/p/C_dNx6LM9wA/?img_index=2>

I hope everyone who’s finished is now enjoying some well-deserved rest, a comfy bed, and perhaps a few slices of pizza and a cold beer (or at least a Coke).

![rob badlands 23](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2dA0D5ILKoIoxVxoymY2Z6/c7c4c7a275b3829aee55f2fa15687c43/7B18823A-0BAC-4565-9C9F-C1C7BABC7EF3_1_105_c.jpeg)

With roughly 180 riders still on course, the finish line in Capileira is about to get quite the buzz over the next day or two. Expect to see a steady stream of riders crossing in as they wrap up their epic journeys.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Thats it? For some.

We’ve just seen our first three finishers roll into Capileira, and as predicted, the final 120km didn’t come without its fair share of drama. The big news? Alex Martinez, who finished 5th last year, didn’t just close the gap to Kenneth—he stormed past him with such pace that he crossed the finish line nearly 2 hours ahead! Benjamin Koch held his ground in 3rd place, concluding his impressive run.

Now, it’s a waiting game for the rest of the riders as they push through. Some will seize a chance to catch a quick nap, while others will dig deep, continuing to tick off kilometers as the night gives way to a new day.

Reflecting on last year’s race, my memories are a bit hazy— ultra races have a way of blending into a blur of exhaustion and adrenaline. But I do recall the final paved road into Trevélez— or in my memories "Pig Town" in my foggy recollection— certainly famous for its prosciutto, complete with pig statues and legs of cured ham at every turn. That final, grueling climb before descending into the twinkling white houses and warm lights of Capileira is a sensation I won’t soon forget. The elation of that final downhill is truly unforgettable.

Huge congratulations to Alex for taking the win— massive ride! It’s been thrilling to witness the intense battle between the top three, and I’m genuinely impressed by everyone’s perseverance through the relentless heat of the past two days.
[The smile says it all](https://www.instagram.com/p/C_b_GzRIT5v/?img_index=2)

In the women’s race, Cara has solidified her lead with a commanding 60 km ahead of Svenja, who holds steady in 2nd. However, 3rd place is still very much up for grabs. Nathalie Baillon has just been overtaken by Anna Kofler, and with over 10+ hours left to race, it’ll be fascinating to see who crosses the finish line next.

As for the pairs, Dani and Brad were spotted taking a roadside nap (thanks to their Instagram for the update!), and with a 100 km lead over their closest competitors, who could blame them for catching some z’s?

I’m heading off to bed for the night. Can’t wait to check back in tomorrow morning and see how everyone tackles the rest of their second night.

First at last

Day 2: Race Update

It’s roughly 7 PM on the second day, and our riders have been at it for almost 36 hours. For the frontrunners, that means almost a day and a half of relentless pedalling with little to no sleep and just a few brief stops for snacks and hydration.

Day 1 recap video - Badlands IG
https://www.instagram.com/p/C_Y_6MTM5YM/

This is where the real struggle with fatigue kicks in. From personal experience, the first 24 hours are often manageable, but as the hours drag on, your head starts feeling like it’s filled with concrete, your eyelids become unreasonably heavy, and the urge to just stop becomes almost unbearable. Last year, I gave in twice during the final 200 km, grabbing 7-minute power naps in a rocky ditch and then on a shaded basketball court. Those brief respites were enough to recharge my batteries and push me to the finish.

The night - Badlands IG
https://www.instagram.com/p/C_a0EkPs1GW/

Kenneth is currently holding a steady 8 km lead over Alejandro, while Jake has fallen back, and Benjamin Koch is now in 3rd place, trailing Alejandro by about 13 km.

In the women’s race, Cara is blazing her own trail, 50 km ahead of Svenja, who is also performing exceptionally well. If she keeps this up, Svenja could very well ride into the top 10 overall by the end. Nathalie Baillon is just 7 km behind Svenja, continuing to push hard.

In the pairs category, Dani and Brad are sticking to their steady pace, which has earned them a solid 70 km lead over their closest competitors.

The heat and the grueling nature of this year's course have already caused 35 riders to call it quits.

One of the coolest things about these races is the variety of strategies people employ. You can push full throttle with minimal gear and no sleep to finish as quickly as possible, or you can take a more leisurely approach, soaking in the breathtaking landscapes, meeting interesting people, and enjoying the journey—maybe even sleeping in a cozy bed each night. While Kenneth is battling the brutal final 130 km, Laura Hamilton is still navigating the Goraffe Desert with over 600 km to go. They’re both part of the same event, but their stories will be vastly different.

With just 75 km remaining, anything can happen. Last year, I faced some of the steepest grades off the Rio Lucainena, where I thought I might be climbing a vertical wall. Leg cramps and sheer exhaustion were my constant companions. This year, a bad puncture, a risky late meal, or a quick nap could dramatically shake up the top three in each category.

Stay tuned—this race is far from over!

A new day

Do not go gentle in to that good night.

 2 AM ( Granada time) , our riders are deep into the first night of the Badlands Gravel Race. This is often the toughest part of ultra racing—the sleepless hours can be grueling. With the temperature having soared into the 40s during the day, the cooler night air brings some relief but also its own set of challenges. Riders are pushing through fatigue and the solitude of the night, relying on their lights and GPS tracks to guide them through the darkness.

For many, this is where the race gets interesting. While night riding means missing out on the stunning scenery and facing the risk of navigating tricky terrain with limited visibility, it also offers a unique rhythm. Personally, I’ve always found a certain serenity in the quiet night hours, even though finding food becomes almost impossible and every flat spot looks like an inviting place for a quick nap theres something so special about the dark, quiet serenity. Only you and your bike.

Here’s a snapshot of where things stand:

Men’s Race: Kenneth Karaya has edged ahead of Alejandro Martínez, with a gap of about 2.5 km. Jake Griffin is holding third place, trailing roughly 20 km behind the leaders.
![Welcome to GOR!!!](//videos.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5uS10txMPw9GL8I6vuGpiB/3bc449dad1cca8544cbb87603ece7ed9/WhatsApp_Video_2024-09-01_at_11.47.25.mp4)
Women’s Race: Cara Dixon is leading the women’s field and is currently 8th overall, showing impressive stamina. Svenja Betz is in second place, about 20 km behind Dixon, while Nathalie Baillon is in third.

Pairs Race: Bradley Shenton and Danielle Shrosbree are dominating, with a significant lead of 60 km over the second-place team of Aleix Mayor and Guillermo Alfaro.

As the riders approach the halfway mark and the start of day 2, they’ll be met with an ocean breeze and around 100 km of flatter terrain. However, "flat" is relative here—the course includes sandy stretches that are challenging to navigate and will require some walking. After this, they’ll head back into the mountains and face the familiar extreme heat.

Check back in later on to see how the riders are faring as the sun begins to rise.


Darkness

Good day,
Welcome to the coverage of Badlands 2024. I'm Rob Britton, winner of the mens event last year and I'll be doing some comentary for this years event. Please bare with me, as similar to the race last year I have almost no experience in this side of things so I'll do my best  and try and keepm you all informed and entertained. 

The race rolled out under clear skies and already warm temperatures (23c) this morning at 8:00am local time. 300 riders took the start this year with the most internationally diverse field yet as well as the largest female participation in the events history.

The race has already completely come apart in the first 200km as the leaders have now passed throughthe first check point - The Gorafe Desert -  with groups of 2's and 3's all over the place. From the sounds of things the pace has obviously been stiff from the get go and combined with the extreme heat i'm not at all surprised by these gaps. At a certain point in conditions like that you will find YOUR pace and that will be your home for the next many hours as I'm sure they're all counting down the minutes until sunset and some reprieve from the suns intensity.

Current situation
Pairs -
  1st Bradley Shenton & Danielle Shrosbree	186km
	2nd	Javier Torres & Miguel Ángel Caldentey	162km
	3rd	367	Pol Tarrés & Jonathan Anaya  159km

Mens - 
  1st Jake Griffin	210km
	2nd	Alejandro Martínez	210km
	3rd	132	Kenneth Karaya  204km

Women - 
1st Svenja Betz	179km
2nd Anna Kofler	176km
3rd Nathalie Baillon	173km

With the leaders fast approaching the last major resupply stop for the day in Gor the night awaits them. With some significant climbs to come during the dark hours I'll be curious to see how these gaps continue to evolve and in my current time zone (8h behing Spain) I'll get to watch the action as it unfolds. 

Stay tuned.


Badlands has one of the most hotly anticipated start lists of all the bikepacking races due to the varying backgrounds of those who line up. The list of those who have raced Badlands in the past include an Olympic gold triathlete, Unbound XL champions, Tour Divide winners, a Tour de France stage winner, and Transcontinental winners. Riders from such different corners of the sport make predicting results and picking out potential favourites at this race a fool’s game, but that’s not going to stop me!

The women’s lineup is one of the most exciting we’ve seen at Badlands thanks to both its depth and variety. __Amity Rockwell__ and __Svenja Betz__ who have both triumphed at Unbound over the past few years; Amity’s victory in 2019 has been followed up by consistent performances at gravel races around the world, however this will be her first time riding a bikepacking event. She’s quoted as saying “people who do well at gravel have a high ability to just adapt to whatever situation they're thrown in” which we think also applies nicely to bikepacking! Svenja is a newer gravelleur as well as bikepacking race rookie so we’re excited to see how these riders approach their first race which requires a consideration of sleep and more independent resupply decision making.

__Cara Dixon__ will be well-drilled on her approach to these considerations given her wide background in bikepacking and her strategy from last year which served her so well; Cara’s position as 10th overall still sat her as second woman which is testament to the women’s gravel bikepacking scene’s blossoming given no woman had ever finished in the top 10 at Badlands before 2023. Naturally, we’re hoping for more of the same this year!

__Nathalie Baillon__ lines up with experience from almost the other end of the spectrum to Amity and Svenja. She has years of experience racing ultras such as Silk Road Mountain Race, AMR, Trans Balkan Race, and stepping atop the women’s podium on occasion nonetheless.

One last minute addition to the start list is __Ulrich Bartholmoes__ who needs little introduction. He is yet to crack the top step of Badlands having finished second and fifth in two other attempts but is lining up with a score to settle at this race. His 2024 season has included second places at both Atlas Mountain Race and Tour Divide, both times he was bettered by __Justinas Leveika__ who is also racing tomorrow. Justinas’ Tour Divide wasn’t simply a victory, he also set a new course record on the route and shaved 20 hours off Mike Hall’s long standing time from 2016. The question as to whether either of these highly experienced bikepackers can beat a pure gravel racer will be answered over the coming days.

The gravel purists include __Simen Nordahl__ who has won both the Rift in Iceland and the Garmin Gravel Worlds race this year. For many of the gravelleurs and Badlands rookies, this will be the longest race they have done and their result will hinge on their ability to handle the sleep deprivation as the lead riders rarely stop to sleep, or their ability to hold onto any early gap they can establish over those with ultra-racing experience.

One rider whose name may have slipped under the radar is __Kevin Benkenstein__; winner of last year’s Rhino Run and fourth at AMR last year, this South African rider will be hoping to make a mark at his first European bikepacking race. A fellow African competitor is Team Amani rider __Kenneth Karaya__ from Kenya who will be looking to avoid last year’s scratch and repeat results such as his second and third place finishes at Race Around Rwanda.

Spanish racer who lines up for his third Badlands is __Óscar Pujol__, a local favourite who brings a bundle of energy to all events he rides in, as well as the competitiveness you’d expect from a former professional. He’s active on his Instagram and it’s always enjoyable watching [his Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/oscar_pujol/) stories and occasionally testing your spanish!

As always, we’re sure we’ve missed some worth mentioning but we’ll dig into them during the event, as long as they’re not too fast! Badlands is won almost as quickly as it starts. It’s one of the fastest races and the winner will likely arrive in the early hours of Tuesday morning so set your alarms now!

For the race commentary, we delightfully hand over to last year’s winner Rob Britton. He’s much more qualified to comment on the route and struggles the riders will be going through, and certainly how to do it all fast!

- Beccy

The Badlands Riders

Welcome to the 2024 edition of Badlands! One of the highlights of the gravel bikepacking calendar with a startlist of dreams. Badlands has become a revered and adored race notorious for the route’s diversity that marks the start of the close of the European season; for many it’s their final hit out before winding down, for some their target event of the year and others their first gravel bikepacking race. Badlands offers something for all riders, from the rookies to the best ultra-distance racers on the scene, and we’ll delve more into those in a post later today about the riders in the event. For now, let’s look a little closer at this year’s route.

![AlboloduyTown-uai-688x1032](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3f71ObaO5CqN1TtzBTHYSN/3e5ff356d889d4745313bc8e1169e5d5/AlboloduyTown-uai-688x1032.jpg)

Totalling 790km with 15,400m of elevation, this year’s route appears numerically similar to the previous four editions but there are various new sections to the route. The Gorafe and Tabernas Deserts are staples of Badlands, the former’s winding road along ridgelines has been used widely in the imagery of the race over the years. Riders will now spend a little less time in the Gorafe and much more in the Tabernas and Cabo de Gata National Park which both make up the majority of the second half of the route. For the first time in Badlands, riders will pass near Albodoluy village.

[https://ridewithgps.com/embeds?type=route&id=48236049&metricUnits=true&sampleGraph=true](https://ridewithgps.com/embeds?type=route&id=48236049&metricUnits=true&sampleGraph=true)

The manual states you could split the route into seven sections, and we’re not ones to disagree.

__Section One__

Riders leave Granada, the race’s HQ, towards the Sierra de Huétor Natural Park which is one of the greenest stretches of the route with the pine, fir and cedar trees. Kilometer 61 will be the first opportunity for resupply, which feels a fitting introduction to Badlands’ well-known long and dry stretches.

__Section Two - Gorafe Desert__

On only the afternoon of the first day, riders will tackle the Gorafe Desert which has become the imagery of the race over the years. For this loop from the route, riders are warned against both the extreme heat which has defined the race over many years, but also the torrential rain which tipped Badlands into Worselands last year.

![Juan barros photo huetor national park](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1R8bjAxDVVqQxXezYsVCSo/41c1f0cbb78db4bd29c76d7829d97c57/Juan_barros_photo_huetor_national_park.webp)

__Section Three - Sierra de Baza__

The next stretch through Sierra de Baza and the Sierra de los Filabres ticks off the highest point of the route at almost 2,150m with the most remote part; the 115km stretch from Gor to Velefique offers no resupply. This part is characterised by large areas of woodland, a large number of cycle paths, long ascents and plains at over 2.000 metres.

__Section Four - Cabo de Gata Natural Park__

After the halfway point, the Cabo de Gata Natural Park’s coastal landscapes will offer yet more variety to the tired eyes of the riders. It is considered one of the continent’s most unique landscapes, with volcanic formations, fossil beaches and cliffs sculpted by wind and erosion. These coastal kilometres are short lived as the route guides them back inland to the mountains. Almeria is 12km off-route but the last offering of a bike shop before the finish.

__Section Five - Sierra Alhamilla__

Sierra Alhamilla is an arid mountain range located between the wastelands of the Tabernas Desert and the Bay of Almería and riders will be glad for some more greenery before the Tabernas Desert.

__Section Six - Tabernas Desert__

The Tabernas Desert is one of the big ticket stretches of the race. Its positioning less than 200km before the finish has made it one of the most defining stretches of the route with its hike-a-bike, extremely dry conditions, and iconic ramblas. These ramblas are dry and sandy river basins, traditionally used as communication routes, which are between compact sandy ravines, otherwise known as badlands. If the rains come then these badlands will be replaced by Worselands, the race’s Plan B route in case of rainfall.

__Section Seven - La Alpujarra__

Dubbed as potentially the hardest section of the route due to the elevation gains, a finish at Badlands will not come for free! Riders are continually tested on this route and there’s no offering of a celebratory last few kilometres. The 2,700m of climbing in the 80km from Darrical to Capiliera are eye watering for dotwatchers, one can only imagine how the weary eyed riders feel at this point.

Badlands released [this feature](https://badlands.cc/scoutings-badlands2024/) detailing how they designed and scouted this year's route. Expect the typical gorgeous Badlands photography.

Tune in later today as we pick out a handful of names from the roster as riders to follow!


The Badlands 2024 Route

Rob Britton

Fara Cycling

Cynthia Carson

Badlands 2024 tracking and commentary: is a true test of gravel skill. At 800km, this race is a difficult balance between non-stop riding or adventuring through the Spanish wilderness. With difficult terrain, sharp climbs and deserts to cross it'll be exciting from start to finish. 

Badlands 2024 tracking and commentary

Badlands is a true test of gravel skill. At 800km, this race is a difficult balance between non-stop riding or adventuring through the Spanish wilderness. With difficult terrain, an always competitive lineup, and deserts to cross, it's always exciting from start to finish.

Badlands 2024

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Badlands 2024

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