Race guide · Girona, Catalonia
The Traka Gravel: Training Guide
Girona’s gravel, all of it, in one enormous day.
The Traka has become the biggest gravel race in Europe, run each spring out of Girona — the Catalan town that doubles as the off-season home of half the pro peloton. The flagship Traka 360 is roughly 360 kilometres in a single day; shorter 200, 100 and 50 km events run over the same weekend on the same celebrated terrain.
Girona’s appeal is its variety: dry riverbeds, farm tracks, rocky climbs and fast forest doubletrack, stitched together with just enough tarmac to keep you moving. The 360 is an ultra-distance test that the fastest riders finish in well over twelve hours; for most of the field, simply completing it is the achievement.
What makes it hard
- Sheer distance on the 360. Twelve to twenty-plus hours in the saddle makes this an ultra-endurance event, not a long road ride — durability, not peak power, decides it.
- Technical variety. The course rewards real bike-handling: loose rocky descents, sandy washes and punchy climbs that come in every gradient and surface.
- Self-sufficiency and navigation. Long gaps between feed zones mean you carry your own fuel and fix your own problems, often far from help.
- Spring heat and exposure. Catalan sun and exposed terrain make pacing and hydration a quiet, decisive factor late in the day.
- Equipment attrition. Rocky surfaces punish tires and bodies — sidewall cuts and accumulated fatigue end more Traka days than fitness alone.
What the day actually demands
The Traka — and the 360 in particular — is an aerobic endurance event before anything else. The rider who finishes strong is the one who held a steady, sustainable effort for hours and resisted the urge to chase wheels early. Train the engine, then train it to last.
On the shorter 100 and 200 km routes the picture shifts toward sustained tempo with sharper climbs, so a little more high-end matters — but even there, durability and pacing win over raw punch.
How to build toward it
Match the runway to the distance. For the 360, give yourself 16 to 24 weeks and build your long rides relentlessly toward six-, eight-, even ten-hour days. For the 100 or 200, a 12 to 16 week block built around one long ride and one or two quality sessions a week is plenty.
Most of your riding should be easy. The work that moves the needle is the long ride that teaches your body to keep producing power when it is tired, plus a weekly tempo or sweet-spot session to lift the effort you can hold all day.
Ride terrain that looks like Girona if you can — rough, rolling, technical — so your handling and your legs arrive on the same day.
Skills, fueling and the European-gravel details
Practice eating 60–90 grams of carbohydrate per hour on every long ride for weeks beforehand. On a twelve-hour day the gut is as trainable — and as failable — as the legs.
Rehearse loose, rocky descending and sandy sections at speed. Confidence on technical ground saves both time and energy, and the Traka serves up plenty of both.
Dial in a tubeless setup with enough tire for sharp rock, carry a repair kit you have actually used, and know your refuel points. On the 360, a sensible mechanical and nutrition plan is worth more than a few watts.
A sample build
A skeleton, not a prescription — the right plan flexes around your starting fitness, your weeks, and your life. Use it to picture the shape of the work.
Common questions
Which Traka distance should I choose — 50, 100, 200 or 360?
Be honest about your longest recent ride and the time you can train. The 50 and 100 suit most fit recreational riders; the 200 is a serious all-day effort; the 360 is a true ultra that rewards months of long-ride preparation. Build up the ladder over seasons rather than jumping straight to the 360.
How much climbing is in The Traka?
It varies by route and year, but expect steady, repeated climbing rather than one giant mountain — the 360 accumulates several thousand metres. Check the official site for the current year’s exact distance and elevation, which change with the course.
Course distance, elevation, and dates shift year to year. Always confirm the current year's details on the official event site — The Traka Gravel. This guide is general training information, not coaching advice tailored to you.
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