That world champions in my team - the return
In this month of February or the snow is (once again) a long time coming, there's nothing better than thinking about the next summer trip. It's also an opportunity to remember last year's.
In short, the right time to take the time to write a few lines about the trip organized last spring with a Deluxe team. After Tuscany in 2021, heading to Girona, land of gravel for a new trip of a few days with panniers and bike.
You don't change a winning team, except for the small detail of adding Kilian Bron to make him look a bit more like a dunce on the bike... We also decided to extend the fun with 4 complete stages. A feint for me, thinking that they would last a little less... I took the opportunity to do the same on the stages, betting that they would manage their efforts a little more, utopian (obviously)!
At the beginning of May 2022, we put together the dream team, and we were already lucky to arrive in Girona between Antonin's truck which fled on the highway, Emilien on the verge of losing his bike not attached to the bike rack and Martin's call which lasted 1 hour at a rest area (obviously it wasn't to write his last advertising speech, it would have lasted less time).
Day 1
Girona - Prats de Mollo
135 km - 2300d+
Not a small stage to start with, and as I feared it's better to have Kilian in a photo than to eat... So it starts with a broken seat clamp and a (very) hearty breakfast for an early start around 10am... Knowing what awaits us, we won't have to hang around too long. The advantage around Girona is that the gravel tracks are beautiful and smooth, so we swallow the first kilometers without too much trouble.
The first 50 kilometers go well and then, like any gravel track, at a certain point we lose control of the thing (I plead guilty). We take on a steep climb, with clay and a lot of foliage, just to break the rhythm. A good little isolated mission in the woods that lasts almost 20 km. We find the road, almost for the first time since the start while we are already approaching 80 km. Time is ticking, it would be time to find something to eat, and after almost 90 km we finally stop around 4 p.m. for a festive meal: Kebab!
I know it's stupid to eat this, but at this time of day in a small town in the Catalan mountains, there's not much available...
We hit the road again and decided to climb the Coll d'Ares to the French border by road and not follow the gravel track. Looking at the last kilometer from the road, it was a wise decision, especially since it was almost 7 p.m. Although it was rolling, the climb was tough, mainly due to digesting the last meal, and I found myself with my companion Antonin to form the Gruppetto!
All that remains is to go down to Prats de Mollo, we keep part of the gravel descent then finish by road. Just when we think we've arrived, the lodge is a little further away, and one last climb awaits us to reach it.Luckily, a good meal awaits us on arrival, deliverance!
Surprised by the hospitality, we found ourselves watching Kilian's videos on TV to explain the phenomenon to our hosts of the day, a good beer in hand, a first day that lived up to expectations!
Day 2
Prats de Mollo - El Port de Selva
120 Kms - 2200d+
Another great step on paper! We are in the middle of the mountains, in France, and in the evening we sleep by the sea, in Spain. So in principle, the overall profile is descending, However, it won't just be downhill!
The advantage is that we are directly in the heart of the most interesting part, we quickly find ourselves on a very beautiful forest track a little lost, which is what we are looking for in gravel. The first 20 kilometers are uphill and allow us to reach the summit of this day at 1200m. Then we begin our descent to Céret, giving rise to a beautiful sprint for the sign (impossible to remember who won because it wasn't me...). Céret brings back memories to the Catalan of the group who insists we taste the local specialty (let's be clear between us was not the revelation of the year...)
A bit of road before reaching the foot of the Col du Perthus (Franco-Spanish border) on gravel! Nice climb, a bit tough, in full sun and at the wrong time of day but very gravel and very wild! It changes with the atmosphere of Le Perthus which will not hold my attention in the most glamorous cities either! But which gives rise to a good meal (not like the day before) before leaving!
After less than 2km, Martin has a puncture (him again), or the tubuless isn't enough and the only inner tube doesn't have a long enough valve on the carbon rims... Bliss. In truth, it gives me a little extra time to digest and it's not so bad. We set off again and quickly reach a new, very beautiful gravel section of about twenty kilometers, really pleasant and the sea in the background is appearing. A short break in Espolla, before splitting into two teams, the strong ones and the gruppetto from the day before to meet up in Llanca by the sea. An opportunity for Anto and me to "cut" by the fastest, I must admit that sometimes it's good to get back on the tarmac a bit, and that my demanding route will also have tired me more than them... A kind of logic after all!
Once in Llança, we only have about ten kilometers left to reach our destination, by the sea and with the sunset, a superb atmosphere to end this beautiful day!
Glad to arrive, once again, to the comfort of a hot shower and to find a small restaurant by the sea during this period more than calm, simple pleasure!
Day 3
Port of Selva - Palamos
124 km - 1700d+
On a new good idea from the eldest of the group, we decides to leave early, 7:30 a.m. to have breakfast in Cadaques. After all, the village there is super nice and it's 18 km away so in 1 hour we're supposed to be there... supposed to!
And yes, 1km of gravel = 4km of road! Every trip is a little reminder of this saying. So we arrive in Cadaques at 9:30 a.m., after 2 hours of gravel on an empty stomach. But we were amazed.
The start from Port de la Selva is steep but we quickly reach the gravel path which will take us to the entrance of Cadaques in a wild and truly beautiful natural park.A small puncture in the meantime (Emilien's turn) and a nice climb with the bike on our backs, we can see the grilled toast, no need to motivate the guys!
But suddenly when we leave, it is 10:45 a.m. and we have covered 18 km out of 124, another A long day ahead. But what a day! After the beautiful gravel section in the morning, as soon as we leave Cadaques, we find a beautiful gravel path that lasts about fifteen kilometers, offering a pretty crazy view of the sea and the coves below. Isolated again, the road winds, the tracks are wide and quite smooth, gravel fun!
Just before reaching the coast and the tarmac, we see a small detour at the end of the peninsula which on paper looks pretty good (except that we don't all have the technical ease of Kilian Bron...). It's still nice and makes for some nice photos! 
Arriving in Roses, a third of the way through the route, it's already 1 p.m. So yes, we've covered 70% of the day's elevation gain, but when you set off at 7:30 a.m., you realize that a headlamp will be necessary!
So after a lunch break, we set off again and the timing is scaring everyone a little, so we go fast, we cover 40km in 1h30 to get to l'Escala! The snack break drags on and everything is there, ice creams, waffles, crepes... But it's especially the opportunity for a real discussion about the rest of the route. Because it's almost 4:30 p.m., we've covered 78km but there are still 45 to go including a gravel section with a nice little bump that some would like to avoid! Finally we tease these champions a little and decide to stay on the initial track (forcing our hand a little at the intersection where the road "cuts"). The track is nice, the bump not so hard and that's 9km of wild gravel in the bag. A little less than 35kms to go, a beautiful straight and flat gravel section along a canal allows us to do 6kms in less than 10 minutes. Wheel to wheel, race pace (290w average), the section was swallowed up quickly with the Emilien machine as leader all that! Efficient ("the average" he would say, second favorite phrase after "are there any quiches?")
The end is not very difficult, we alternate between road and quite nice gravel section in the forest, the day was profitable in terms of path! We finally arrive, it is 6:45 p.m., everyone is very tired but the day was beautiful and the accommodation (half-castle half-dungeon) pleases everyone!
Pizza delivery, debriefing of this beautiful and long day, and tomorrow is (unfortunately) already the last day!
Day 4
Palamos - Girona
115 km - 1600d+
In concrete terms, Girona is only about forty kilometers from Palamos as the crow flies! But the A beautiful path is rarely the shortest. We start by following the coast, with a few gravel exceptions, then stay on the Costa Brava to enjoy this very pleasant place, known to quite a few cyclists!
About thirty kilometers later, it's time to head inland, I rediscover a pass that I descended a few years ago during a first stay in Girona. This region is pretty crazy for riding, the gravel paths are great but the roads are also really enjoyable, we understand why professional cyclists come here to live in exile!
It's time for a Lunch break, almost on time for the first time. It must be said that when the proportion of road is higher, the timing is easier to control and the kilometers pass more quickly.
We find ourselves on a new gravel section, magnificent, the closer we get to Girona the more pleasant the paths are. Wide and rolling, they wind, it's super pleasant to ride, "American gravel" as some would say. Gravel is always a bit of a discovery and even if the adventure is part of the charm, it's still really cool to appreciate the track that you spent hours making!
The only problem with the last day is that it smells like a stable! So everyone is in a bit of a hurry to get back in and the closer we get, the faster it goes. The second problem is that we don't all have the same level, so sometimes you're the nail and sometimes you're the hammer but with these machines you're a bit more the nail than the hammer :)
Almost 21 on average for a 4th day, on a gravel bike and with panniers, that sets the trend! It was still a pleasure to share this new trip, and also a feeling of satisfaction with the track which was 95% there!
Happy to arrive and share new moments off the bike, to remember all the good times of the trip and also enjoy calm moments and exchange.
4 intense days, 500km covered, with panniers!
When are we leaving?
