Day 3: Happy Finishers

Day 2: Maarten Gabriel Finishes First

Day 2: Enter Catalonia

Day 1: Into the Night

Day 1: And they're off!

Signing On

Bikes of Madrid to Barcelona 2024

Route Preview

¡Bienvenidos!

That's a wrap.

The final riders have crossed the line, the last with a couple of minutes to spare. In total, 81 finished and two failed to make the time cut. Nine riders scratched, most because of mechanicals with lack of resources to fix them.

__The top three finishers were:__
1. Maarten Gabriel
2. Thomas Cartier
3. Paul Wainwright

__Rosa Olivé__ was the first woman to complete the journey, crossing the finish line yesterday long before dark. Meanwhile, __Roger Sala__ and __Genís Castells__ were the first pair to finish.

The huge number of smiling faces, hero's welcomes, and finish line celebrations says it all.

The beauty of these events is that it's a huge achievement for everyone who takes part, irrespective of placings. Every rider will plan their strategy, push their limits, deal with adversity, and find new heights.

__Pedalma's next event is just several weeks away, an epic gravel adventure around Catalonia and through the Pyrenees called [The Capitals](https://pedalma.cc/en/the-capitals/). They're still taking signups if you'd like to take part.__

![MAD BCN Final 1](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6Re75oKEUrSAh0eKMYQQl0/3778fcac5e73a658cf8765786a85c298/Foto_2-6-24__14_02_48.jpg)

![MAD BCN Final 4](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5QQfIo7j9b9R2rlEKIhL8a/09c7a26399626b10a011bc650751e23a/DSC00473.jpg)

![MAD BCN Final 3](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2cLbJpljzktWFIciZxJyf6/2963cbcef48d477d121dc82de6298435/DSC08580.jpg)


After a heroic burst in the early hours of this morning, __Maarten Gabriel__ pulled ahead of the two leaders __Thomas Cartier__ and __Miguel Diaz__, to also overcome 30 minute advantage having started in the second wave of starters.

The effort looked to be in vein until Thomas and Miguel – having ridden together the entire 680km journey so far – took a wrong turn to follow an old route to the finish line.

Unfortunately for Miguel, he managed to pick up a puncture causing him to sit things out at Plaça d'Espanya while he tried to fix it.

Dotwatchers looked on tensely as the minutes counted down to see whether Thomas would finish inside the 30 minutes and making them the de facto leader. 

Hot on their heels was __Paul Wainwright__, who made a bolt for it early on from Wave 1 to try stay away but was ultimately caught by Maarten, Thomas, and Miguel.

__The top four finishers, after taking into account the staggered start, were:__
1. Maarten Gabriel
2. Thomas Cartier
3. Paul Wainwright
4. Miguel Diaz

__Roger Sala__ and __Genís Castells__ rode through the night and overtook several other pairs to build a substantial lead the pairs category at the finish line. The next pair, two hours behind, was __Jaume Nadal__ and __Xavier Muriel__.

__Rosa Olivé__ still sits first in the woman's field, with 130km to go.
![BCN MAD Morning 1](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/j4LEHbJ6r2cL8hxoDW4NH/ff4ef15f6a8ed142596965e6786021df/_R5_9760.JPG)
![MAD BCN Morning 2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4FWfWyxUFIG3z1cNqXXYF2/accf69c0027c9e69f57752859f960474/_R3_9913.JPG)


With the sun rising on a new day in the Madrid to Barcelona adventure, we can see groups. Those who rode through the night and those who took a rest.

The head of the event remains mostly unchanged since the last update, with __Thomas Cartier__ and __Miguel Diaz__ riding at the front not too far apart throughout the night.

Meanwhile, not too far behind (but set off 30 minutes earlier), similar can be said for __Paul Wainwright__ and __Maarten Gabriel__.

All four have entered Catalonia and are just south of Lleida now. Having passed Mequinenza Castle they are now climbing toward Checkpoint 6 in Santa Coloma de Queralt, their final checkpoint before the descent – with some deceptively punchy climbs in the middle – into Barcelona.

Behind it is all change though. The leading pair is now __Roger Sala__ and __Genís Castells__, having just passed Checkpoint 4 with a lead of 35km on the second pair on the road, __Jaume Nedal__ and __Xavier Muriel__.

After taking a rest during the night, __Robyn Davies__ has slipped from being the leading woman, and together with her partner __Pau Cordina__, they have also slipped to being the fourth pair on the road.

![MAD BCN Night 2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5Q6NnxDkTqGpkHFiAoG8w1/12ad44a9747fcf074229317eafcc5b84/_R5_9580.JPG)

__Rosa Olivé__ has leapfrogged both leading women to take the spot herself, 8km up the road from Robyn and 35km ahead of the closest solo woman __Anna Boixadera__.

The dynamics of these long overnight rides is that rest can play a big part. Riders can make huge progress through the night, but if they neglect sleep it can bite them during the next day, especially wiht a big climb into the final checkpoint before the finish.

Thankfully there have been no reports of scratching during the night, abiding by Mike Hall's rule of "Never scratch at night". In the valley, especially along the Ebro river, the temperature did drop significantly from the day's height of 29 degrees, forcing many to dig out their snoods and gloves, and for some even the thermal blankets.

![MAD BCN Thermal](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3lvjBMkPAH8TqTHbayzUch/e8be18b86a1cd287d6fad8c84d6b337e/_R5_9415__1_.JPG)

![MAD BCN Snood](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2I7CodxPf1voBpWS2lOWd1/b9d7676d77aa73e340716ce4b4e6dff2/_R3_9548.JPG)

Many of those who stopped for the night did so at Checkpoint 2. For them, this will likely be a full two day event, making the best of all there is to see along this beautiful route and not missing any of it to the darkness.

What remained consistent is the smiles on so many people's faces. This is a truly lovely event full of so much positivity from a butch of friendly riders sharing this adventure together.

![MAD BCN Bar](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5p89uomzIYlOqhTPR0vheE/f74fe25bda478667df30e32b3cc21b38/_R5_9382__1_.JPG)

It's been a whirlwind of a day for the riders, with those at the front covering over 320km as the sky turns dark. All active riders have passed the first checkpoint and most have completed Checkpoint 2.

__[Paul Wainwright](https://www.instagram.com/paul.wainwright.121/)__ has led the field throughout the day – along with __Miguel Garcia__ for much of it – but has just been passed by __Miguel Diaz__ and __Thomas Cartier__ who set off 30 minutes behind in Wave 2. With almost half the distance already covered, it will take quite something for the two early leaders to overcome their half hour deficit.
![MAD BCN Paul Wainwright 1](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5LtULw3BSD4OmQWfrweIyd/8a2648bb0da58542e8fc0f71bdfbafb9/WhatsApp_Image_2024-05-31_at_18.15.31.jpeg)

![MAD BCN Leaders Day 1](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4XIQq8dFDyiHbCoz7lKqCN/4c66df227572612b03f15b031d2ecd78/_R5_9024.JPG)

Hot on their heels is the first pair, __Roger Sala Carne__ and __Genís Castells Lao__, 25km ahead of the second pair __Jaume Nadal__ and __Xavier Muriel__.

The third pair (of eleven in total) includes the first woman, __Robyn Davies__, together with __Pau Codina__.
![MAD BCN First Woman Day 1](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6sBAXGHVJd7nV9Kpvn7Sfv/ec14dd4e15795e081ec19148f30aaefe/_R5_8062.JPG)

30km behind them, now at Checkpoint 2, is the first solo woman, __[Anna	Boixadera](https://www.instagram.com/anna_buxa/)__. Four women in total took to the start line.

The temperature has been hot, but mostly bearable. Mechanicals have been aplenty though, with several reports of punctured tyres and a broken derailleur, and a few riders scratching.

Checkpoint 3 is next and from there the majority of the elevation gain is behind them. Climbing might not be the challenge for a while, but the night always presents a mental challenge. A lot can happen and here is where rest and resource strategies can have the biggest impact.

Tune in tomorrow morning for some commentary on what unfolded during the first night.
![MAD BCN Landscape Day 1](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5IOFtPot08BqpCgngyMtZn/f73f05721f4246a3b6d41ca3a1f2d5f5/DJI_0062.jpg)


And just like that, as mysteriously as they arrived, they were gone.
![MAD BCN Start](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4b2ZyB96iAlJ2Ns36sWuJB/65f06f654bbd1b5183bdea4395401221/Photo_31-5-24__10_30_48.jpg)

Riders basked in the morning sun ahead of the 10:30am start, hoping that the day won't get much hotter than the balmy 20 degrees they're already getting (oh, it will).
![MAD BCN Sun Start](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/70xJcW5cr3TLgUUVAIfVmh/263928ce210394abb78312d2a8737c35/_PBP2836.jpg)

It's a nightmare start for __Bruno Leitão__ though, who was spat out the back with a broken pedal before he even managed to get going. All fixed with a visit to a local bike shop, he's now back on his way and only 5km behind the nearest rider with 680km to go.
![Bruno Leitão Broken Pedal](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1krOa29vclDqFJBK1yGB2Y/aedb9dc72e9120570da1db9e21acd7b3/photo_2024-05-31_10.43.31.jpeg)

At the front of the event is __Paul Wainwright__, who managed to eke out a whopping 6km gap to main group behind in just the first hour and a half. If he's going for the fastest time he'll hoping not to see another rider until Barcelona, but it looks like the lead he built up is already quickly tumbling as we get to the first notable climb of the event.

Can he hang on and who will emerge into a front group? We should get a good picture within the next few hours as the route climbs upwards, but with over 600km to go there is still so much to play for.

Follow along for updates as the event unfolds! For now, I'll leave you with a few more pictures from the start.
![MAD BCN Start 1](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6n4GSSPMAVrVLmEbtOXpw0/6c7f010649437fa3d0a4ded6b6914039/Photo_31-5-24__10_22_16.jpg)![MAD BCN Start 2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1LbzeIsc3xbrsCqOETaF46/bfb3af967937ab8eaee54be80d331530/_PBP3039.jpg)![MAD BCN Start 3](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3wVcMdTgUI9i4E7zCINQfd/0fe46556e719260e2dcc7a6c619ec492/Photo_31-5-24__10_24_07.jpg)

Riders have signed on for the event and, as with all of Pedalma's events, the atmosphere was super warm and friendly with lots of smiling faces.

![Signing On Bikes](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4wZuLpLKvZIEC7zeZ2VF9u/41c2ed0c1adac7b30b0ad3142f82c6e4/_R5_1470.JPG)

They had plenty of time to meet one another and share their stories, ahead of the event briefing. Afterwards they headed for a bite to eat and to continue the socialising, taking advantage of the relatively late start tomorrow morning.

![MAD BCN Signing On 2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4uUp07MhISQ6DcyP5diKOt/e4a4ccd38ef95aec65036b72667e9dc7/_R3_7360.JPG)

Oscar – one dynamic duo that leads the organisation of this event – described the weather as 'quite hot'. 33 degrees is what I would describe as 'bloody boiling'!

![MAD BCN 24 Signing On](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5nYFomK9nRuqD9kI9Arrtk/6aae4bd963dcc1066308010f6f3f4fd4/_R5_1698.JPG)

Tomorrow's weather will be slightly milder. A mere 30 degrees. Heat will therefore present a bit of a challenge, with water strategies being key. Still, I'm sure many riders won't be complaining too much given the heavy rain that this area had been seeing only recently.

The low temperatures will hover around the mid-10s throughout their journey, hopefully leading to more pleasant night riding than in previous editions.

The event kicks off at 10:30am (CEST) tomorrow morning. See you back here for more updates and to follow dots!

![MAD BCN 24 Food](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4CnJgAXTwlJxqWfYIkQjz/c10bb5f4ac88e3e392b7f45db18926f7/_R5_1765.JPG)

The post is live! Take a look at the riders' rigs to take on this 685km dash from Madrid to Barcelona!

[Click here to see them](https://dotwatcher.cc/feature/bikes-of-madrid-to-barcelona-2024 "Bikes of Madrid to Barcelona 2024")

We can split this adventure into six sections, with five almost evenly spaced checkpoints.

![Madrid to Barcelona 2023 Route Profile](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7f36F3SNOw0tJ4UxoS46i9/29d909a714c71e1b0839f13468b48278/Perfil-Madrid-to-Barcelona-2023-1.png)

## Madrid to Cifuentes (CP1) – 125km +1,273m
Winding their way out of the Madrid metropolis, the route will quickly trend upwards. 

The climbs shouldn’t be long or steep enough to separate the riders by much in the first 100km, but we can expect two main groups to establish as they head into the Guadalajara province. Those looking for a fast completion time and those in it for the adventure.

The route will skirt south of Brihuega, a truly beautiful town with a bloody history. Not to worry though, its surroundings are equally stunning and riders will be treated to lavender fields as far as the eye can see.

It also marks the point where elevation gain will be at its highest and the groups fragment further.

![Madrid to Cifuentes](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6G1RLdAUzG4YbUtzuobVGO/4e21e2f8ac9e60a069b92b76dc6093e5/PEDALMA_MAD-BCN22_L9A9989_PhotoCescMaymo-1980x1320.jpg)

## Cifuentes to Nuévalos (CP2) – 117km +1,402m
Riders will continue through the undulating Castilla-La Mancha region, to reach Maranchón, the highest elevation point of their adventure sitting at 1,384m.

Home to one of the biggest wind farms in Europe, this area is known for its wind. And they’ll be hoping for a tailwind.

From Maranchón, riders will descend 1,000m through the Mesa Valley, following the river that gives it its name, but the climbing doesn’t end there.

![Cifuentes to Nuévalos](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/G7PnGXOmTOnI4CHsVQVCD/04d050ce34ee4a11b4ee2fe476648287/IMG_1369-1980x1320.jpg)

## Nuévalos to Belchite (CP3) – 123km +1,353m
Riders will be greeted to the tiny town of Nuévalos by its expansive Tranquera reservoir. It will also mark their entry to Aragon and the Zaragoza province.

45km and a few punchy climbs later, they will be in Daroca, greeted by its cobbles and impressive turret flanked gateway. The once heavily fortified town dates back to the Romans and is known for its immensely cultured history. For riders, it could be a crucial resource gathering opportunity.

Over the next climb, riders will find Belchite and its very visible, recent history. Destroyed in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War, the town was replaced in its entirety next to the original site. The ruins are visible today.

The big elevation may be over and the route trending very flat, but with the skies darkening and the temperatures dropping, riders need to be prepared for a very different challenge.

![Nuévalos to Belchite](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7ilBAvbLyPEN7FXMEXvvkh/b84b1e07149868c455c12e4c952a43be/PEDALMA_MAD-BCN22_L9A0922_PhotoCescMaymo-1980x1320.jpg)

## Belchite to Mequinenza (CP4) – 108km +1,069m
The big elevation is out of the way, but this is where the challenge shifts to a mental one. The sun is going down for the fastest riders and they’ll be settling in for the night. Many won’t see it, but they’ll soon be following the Ebro river.

From Caspe they’ll be in the lowlands, but far from flat. The roads will be comparatively rougher and temperatures colder. Refuelling becomes challenging and the undulation will wear riders down. Participants and event organisers alike have reported hallucinations during this section.

![Belchite to Mequinenza](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3iAv9wQ7m8AHc39AZbFYle/261b6372777d15fadf663fc2c299f22f/Belchite_to_Mequinenza.jpg)

## Mequinenza to Santa Coloma de Queralt (CP5) – 112km +1,295m
Lit like a beacon atop the hill, Mequinenza Castle will be a welcome sight for riders who have pushed through the night. Marking the border between Aragon and Catalonia, Mequinenza may be the first civilisation that riders have seen for 65km.

The route enters Catalonia via the Lleida province – self-described as the Gateway to the Pyrenees – just south of its capital which dates back to the Bronze Age. Riders won’t visit Lleida city or the Pyrenees, but they will be gently climbing for the next 100km through the province’s vast fields.

![Mequinenza to Santa Coloma de Queralt](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4ecVTXy8wJPSqAzYbPHBn6/bde838e3687bc0eabf0a03d804a0f603/PEDALMA_MAD-BCN22_DSC08527_PhotoJordiFPou-1980x1114.jpg)

## Santa Coloma de Queralt to Barcelona (CP6) – 99km +803m
The homestraight. Not even 100km and mostly downhill, surely nothing can stop the riders now.

Don’t be deceived. While riders will be descending twice what they climb, they’ll struggle to find a rhythm. The rolling hills to the North East of Barcelona are beautiful, but the small yet punchy climbs could easily sap their remaining energy before they get to the finish line.

Sleep deprived and with almost 600km in the legs, it’s likely that many riders will be keeping their head down for this section, beelining for the finish line. But for those racing, this is where positions could easily be made or lost.

![Santa Coloma de Queralt to Barcelona](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/lcwxw1gJaHgaZ6fTs8HD2/d1bcfff9449250f5f11cd2cb8b8cf7e6/Santa_Coloma_de_Queralt_to_Barcelona.jpg)

__Next up: Rider Preview__

Welcome to this fourth edition of Pedalma’s 685km road adventure from Spain’s capital, Madrid, to Catalonia’s coastal capital, Barcelona! My name is [Conor](https://www.instagram.com/conormckenzie/) and last year I took part in Pedalma’s gravel sister event, [The Capitals](https://pedalma.cc/en/the-capitals/).

This event is a very different beast. No extreme heat, Pyrenee climbs, or nasty hike-a-bike sections (let’s hope!), but don’t let that fool you. This one is a mental challenge, as well as a physical one.

Riders will need to keep their heads down and tackle this undulating 7,000m terrain, going into the night if they’re to make the 50 hour time cut. The fastest riders will complete the route without sleep.

It won’t all be suffering though. Riders will be treated to some of the most beautiful and mysterious scenery that this region has to offer, following quiet roads less travelled.

Follow along and we’ll share their journey.

__Next up:__ Route Preview

![Madrid to Barcelona 2024: Welcome](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1rXUTC6CMiwrEhDP5XyxcY/9c3ce3fe63c4cc485a47e38cfd573ab4/WhatsApp_Image_2024-05-23_at_14.58.34.jpeg)

Conor McKenzie

Madrid to Barcelona by PedAlma 2024 Tracking: This event takes riders on the lesser-known roads between the two largest cities of the Iberian Peninsula.

Madrid to Barcelona by PedAlma 2024 Tracking

This event takes riders on the lesser-known roads between the two largest cities of the Iberian Peninsula, visiting the rugged River Mesa Valley and Daroca: the city with an ancient history of various civilisations.

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