The rides at Espana Cycling Vacations…Espana Cycling Vacations begin at around 8:00 a.m. with breakfast. The rides which leave right from the Masia, are on the road between 9:00 and 9:30 a.m. The pace will be relaxed as we warm-up, and wind our way over rolling hills past quaint villages. We will do some rides in and around the beautiful Girona countryside, before heading to the Mediterranean coast. We’ll also ride to the rolling hills at the foot of the Pyrenees Mountains, into the Garrotxa region of Catalunya, thru quiet country roads. We will then get your hearts pumping with a ride to Maré de Deu del Mont, one of my favorite rides. It’s a challenging climb of no more than 10 miles with some steep switch backs towards the end, but the views from the top make the effort worth while. This is one of the many climbs in the area that the pro racers test their fitness right before the major tours. Girona is where many of the top pro racers live and train, so it may not be a surprise if on any given ride we run into Lance Armstrong, George Hincapie, or Michael Barry! We’ll be averaging between 50 to 60 miles a day. As we reach our half way point each day, we’ll stop for a light lunch before returning to the Masia by mid afternoon. You’ll then have the rest of the day for relaxing or exploring. Or do like the Españoles and take a siesta.
