Ride Across Girona Race Preview

What a drastic difference from last year, riders were treated to cool temperatures and wet weather in the Pyrenees. 

Ayesha Mcgowan is our Women's winner. She came through for 11th overall!

81 riders finished across both distances with 68 riders in the HAlF and 13 in the FULL distance event. Many riders made the smart choice to either sleep or swap distances due to the weather in the high mountains. As Steven and I always say, the mountains make their own weather!

Thanks for following along Ride Across Girona by Tarmac Ways. Check out the race for next year or learn about the other race they organize on the Camino! https://www.tarmacways.cc/

The Riders have ridden across Girona!

The wind seems to have picked up and will certainly cause some difficulties for those left in the high pyrenees.

Almost all of the HALF route riders have come into the finish.

The attrition rate is at about 50%, seeing that many riders chose to swap to the HALF (400km) route in the middle of the race. There are about 15 riders left in the full. Our women's leader, Ayesha is still moving along!

What's to come.

We have the men's winner for the FULL 700km route Jesús Hernández García! He was trailing behind for most of the morning but he came out victorious!

Congrats to Jesús and Borja Barragué on their efforts. 

And the winner is...

First and second have been dueling it out over night in the FULL distance. It seems that the top 5 are solidified with distances too big to bring back unless someone stops for an extended sleep.

Borja Barragué and Jesús Hernández García have just about 50km left until the finish!

Our Women's leader, Ayesha Mcgowan looks to be taking a rest to gear up for the second half of the race. Lucky here, she'll get to see all the beautiful views in the daylight!

The race for the 700km win is on

We've had our first handful of HALF distance racers come to the finish. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd was hotly contested with the first 6 finishing within 1.5 hours of each other! The women's 1st and 2nd place riders came through the line together as well as the 3rd and 4th place women.

HALF distance Women's placing:
1.Laura Navarro Salles
2.Marta Navarro Salles
3.Nicole Kessler
4.Silvia Mallol Llens

HALF distance top 3 in the Men's Category:
1. Joan Paretas Artacho
2. Jeremi Leon Fernandez
3. Xavi Calvo Sánchez

30 riders have finished the HALF 400km distance with the FULL distance still in race mode.

400km distance racers are finishing!

Riders are filtering through the top of the Santa Pellaia climb. It's part of the famous 'Hincapie Loop' that is well traveled from Girona.

The front riders were in a peloton that included:
Jeremi Leon Fernandez,  Pau Haro Carabellido, Ipar Martinez De Falcon, Joan Paretas Artacho, Mikel Aristegi Pascual. this peloton included two full riders, and the rest were half riders. there was conversation going on at the top of the climb, but they were riding at a brisk pace.

After the drop down, they'll be treated to some incredible views of the Costa Brava with a scoot down the coastal road meandering up and down. They'll come through the first checkpoint and then  reach the next big climb up to Sant Grau. It's a pretty long ascent that will send riders inland. 

36 riders started the half distance and 31 started the full distance  

The climbing is just begun

Riders have set off making their way through the Emporda region. The first few hours will remain dark and a little chilly at 12 degrees but we'll see the temperature rise to a perfect 27 degrees with almost no chance of rain.

Steven and I are headed out on course to catch riders on Santa Pellaia at about 100km into the race. Let's hope we can catch the leaders! There is a group of about 15 or so folks together. In this event, it's legal to draft others! We'll share more updates from the road.

Into the the darkness they roll.

### Race Preview: Ride Across Girona 2025

__Route Preview__

Ride Across Girona returns in 2025 with two distance options: the FULL, a challenging 692 km route with 11,000 m of climbing, and the HALF, clocking in at 400 km with 6,000 m of elevation. This year’s courses have seen almost a full overhaul compared to last year's edition, but one thing remains constant is the start and finish at Banyoles Lake, a renowned triathlon training hub and host of the rowing events for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

The route begins with some of Girona’s iconic climbs, including Els Àngels and Santa Pellaia, as riders make their way toward the Costa Brava. The first checkpoint is located at Platja d’Oro, offering scenic coastal views and a chance to refuel.

From there, the course turns inland, ascending into the Guilleries mountains. A short out-and-back takes riders to the second checkpoint at El Far, a hilltop landmark visible from much of the province.

Then comes the real test: the Spanish Pyrenees. The route climbs to La Creueta, topping out at 1,925 m before reaching the ski resort of La Molina, a climb that’s featured in both La Vuelta a España and the Volta a Catalunya.

Descending into the Cerdanya Valley, riders will be surrounded by the towering peaks of Andorra, France, and Spain. The route continues through Puigcerdà, tackling two HC climbs before looping back via a parallel slope of La Molina toward Ribes de Freser. The final stretch is mostly downhill, guiding tired legs back to the shores of Lake Banyoles.

__Weather Forecast__

The 2025 forecast is shaping up to be nearly perfect, especially compared to the 40°C heat of last year’s edition. Daytime highs are expected to peak around 27°C, with lows dipping to 8°C overnight. That means cool mornings, manageable heat during the day, and potentially crisp mountain air at altitude.

Rain chances are low, less than 10% on day one, but as always in the high mountains, conditions can change quickly. Day two sees cooler temps and rising wind, with gusts up to 40 km/h and a higher chance of precipitation in the late afternoon and evening. 

__2024 Edition Recap__

In 2024, Steven Davis took the overall win in the FULL distance, while Laura Gallardo Gràcia claimed the women’s victory in the HALF.

__Riders to Watch__

A total of 84 riders are set to tackle the FULL and HALF distances this year. Notable names include local legend and all-around bike whisperer Albert Busquets, as well as Ayesha McGowan, who took second in the HALF last year and is stepping up to the FULL in 2025.

__About us!__

Steven and I live in Girona and raced the 2024 edition of Ride Across Girona. Steven took the win and I suffered a bit of heat stroke and took a shortcut back to the finish to catch Steven come in the for the win!

The area of the route is beautiful, something we’d consider bikepacking on a weekend for fun! Riders are going to be treated to incredible weather and amazing views!


Cynthia Carson

Steven Davis

Ride Across Girona 2025 Tracking and commentary

Ride Across Girona 2025

TarmacWays.cc brings you a 100% paved Girona bikepacking adventure. This year riders choose a 400 or 700km distance and have 60 or 80 hours, respectively, to get back to Banyoles. If last year is anything to go by, it's going to be hot!

DotWatcher.cc

Ride Across Girona 2025

Last Year's WinnerSteven Davis

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