12-Week Training Timeline • Race-Day Checklists • Packing List
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“Hitting that last climb, I had barely anything left in me to get up the 10km long ascent with sections as steep as 22% and I found myself having to hike-a-bike, despite having been able to ride the climb entirely when I had recce-d it.”
— Maddy Nutt ELITE
“Shortly before Pals, there was an exhausting climb in the forest on extremely sandy ground. A fast section then brings me to the final ascent, which climbs to over 450 meters. The subsequent descent is on a 'corrugated road' - my hands are now hurting intensely.”
— Timo Rokitta COMPETITIVE
Race-Specific Training Focus:
Distance: 126 mi
Elevation: 8,694 ft
Location: Girona, Catalonia, Spain
Signature Challenge: The Gavarres massif singletrack finale — technical, demanding bike-handling, and saved for the closing kilometers back into Girona.
Establish aerobic foundation. 70-85% volume in Z1-{{Z2}}. {{CTL}} rising steadily (+5-8/wk in loading weeks, netting about +10/month after recovery weeks). {{TSB}} slightly negative (-5 to -15). Week 4 = recovery week (60% volume). Feels boring but doable—you should finish most rides feeling like you could do more.
Layer intensity, develop race-specific fitness. 60-70% Z1-Z2, 30-40% Z3-Z6. Two to three quality sessions per week. The magic happens here: deliberately dig a fatigue hole ({{TSB}} goes to -25), recover just enough, then dig another hole. This is where fitness sharpens.
Shed fatigue, maintain sharpness. Volume drops 30-50%. Intensity stays high but duration decreases. Week 11: {{TSB}} rises to +5 to +10. Week 12: TSB targets +15 to +25 for race day. Fitness doesn't improve—the goal is to remove the fatigue layer so you can express the fitness you've built.
Europe's Unbound-distance race — 202km of technical Mediterranean gravel from Girona's Empordà plains to the Gavarres massif in a single day.
If you're serious about gravel and have any connection to European cycling culture, the Traka 200 is a must. It's not just a race — it's a pilgrimage to the sport's spiritual home. Where else can you ride the same roads out of Girona that WorldTour pros train on, then finish through the Gavarres massif in a single day?
The route opens with a paved climb straight out of Girona before dropping onto gravel, then threads the Empordà plains through olive groves, vineyards, and stone farmhouses toward Figueres, climbs the long gentle grade from Anglès to Sant Hilari Sacalm, and finishes with a Gavarres massif singletrac…
An early Friday-morning start from Parc de les Ribes del Ter kicks off Traka week days ahead of the Traka 300 and Traka 100 — riders get Girona's cycling-capital atmosphere to themselves before the rest of the week's crowds arrive.
2,650m of climbing (8,694ft) comes in waves rather than one defining ascent: a paved climb of roughly 300m straight out of Girona to open the route, punchy rolling climbs through the middle third, the long gentle 3-4% grade from Anglès to Sant Hilari Sacalm, and the Gavarres massif finale.
If Unbound is America's gravel Ironman, Traka week is Europe's — and the 200 is its one-day, Friday-morning entry point. The field draws WorldTour crossover athletes and weekend warriors alike, racing out of cycling's spiritual home. (est. 2019)
The Traka 200 is Europe's Unbound-distance answer — a full one-day gravel epic through Catalonia's plains and mountains. If European gravel is on your bucket list, this is the defining event.
Expected Race-Day Conditions:
Climate: Variable spring weather
Key Challenges: Temperature swings throughout the day, Mountain weather unpredictability, Layer management critical
60-90 minutes Z2 endurance. Keep legs moving, nothing hard. Optional: 3 × 1 min Z4 to keep neuromuscular system awake.
45-60 minutes Z2. Maybe 2 × 3 min G Spot if you're feeling restless. Don't go hard.
Rest day or 30-45 minutes very easy spin. The last hard workout was 4-5 days ago. Everything now is just maintenance.
45-60 minutes Z2. Include 3-5 × 30 seconds Z5-Z6 (openers to keep legs sharp). Last real ride before race.
Travel day (if traveling) or rest day. Optional 30-minute easy spin if legs feel heavy.
30-45 minutes Z2 with 3 × 1 min Z4 openers. Course preview if racing Sunday. No heroics.
20-30 minutes very easy spin or complete rest. Do what's worked for you previously.
Tire Setup (Rocky Mediterranean gravel with forest singletrack):
Reviewed Picks for This Course:
Top tire pick: Schwalbe G-One Bite 45mm ($69.90) — See full analysis →
Climate Gear (Variable spring weather):
Drivetrain: Chain clean and lubed. Shifting smooth across all gears. No chain slip under power.
Tires: Tubeless sealant fresh. Tire pressure set for race conditions. Check for cuts, sidewall damage.
Cockpit: Computer charged and mounted. Bottles/cages secure. Bento box organized.
Wheels: Thru-axles tight. No spoke issues. Hubs spin smoothly.
Don't: Install new chain race week. Change tire pressure drastically. Add new untested equipment.
Essentials: Spare tube (even if tubeless), tire plugs, CO2 cartridges (2-3) or mini pump, multi-tool with chain breaker, quick link, tire levers.
Nutrition: Gels, bars, chews—whatever you practiced with. Bottle with sports drink pre-mixed. Extra water bottle.
Other: Sunscreen, chamois cream, arm warmers/vest, rain jacket (if forecast), extra base layer.
Race essentials: Bib number and pins, race chip, ID and emergency contact info.
The Traka 200 Start Time: Early Friday morning (Open start waves ~7:20/7:40 per current schedule).
Wake up. Coffee if you normally drink it (not the time to change habits). Breakfast: 100-150g carbs, minimal fat, minimal fiber. Oatmeal with banana and honey, bagel with jam, or white rice with a pinch of salt.
Start sipping sports drink. Begin hydrating and topping off fuel. Apply chamois cream and sunscreen.
Arrive at start area. Check in, use porta-potty. Get your head right.
Light warmup ride: 10-15 minutes easy spinning. Wake up the legs.
Final gear check: bottles filled and secured, nutrition in pockets, tire pressure verified, drivetrain sounds good. Run through your performance statements mentally.
Openers near the start: 2-3 x 30 seconds at race effort with easy spinning between. Gets HR up, legs awake, reminds body what fast feels like.
Roll to start line. Find your position. Deep breath.
6-2-7 breathing if anxious. You're ready. Trust your training.
Your Fueling Math (126 miles): At ~11mph, expect ~11.5 hours on course. Lower intensity — fat oxidation increasing — target 50-70g carbs/hour (572-801g total, or 22-32 gels).
Carb targets scale with duration: shorter races burn more carbs per hour at race intensity, while ultra-distance events shift toward fat oxidation and GI tolerance becomes the limiter (Jeukendrup 2014, van Loon et al.).
Enter your details for a complete race fueling plan — carbs, hydration, sodium, and an hour-by-hour strategy.
Your numbers are the easy part.
Hitting them at race intensity is a trained skill — gut training over 4-6 weeks, bottle logistics, heat adjustments when the plan meets the weather. The custom training plan builds your fueling protocol into the actual training weeks, so race day is a rehearsal, not an experiment.
BUILD MY PLAN — FUELING INCLUDEDGet race-day tips in your inbox
What Riders Say About Conditions: Late April in Catalonia swings: mornings start cool, afternoons can push warm, and mountain weather over the Gavarres massif and inland hills can turn quickly.
Plan your fueling around these conditions — heat and humidity increase fluid and sodium demands significantly.
Aid Stations: Multiple feed zones with staffed stops plus town resupply
2-3g carbs/kg bodyweight. Low fat, low fiber. Familiar foods only. 500ml water with meal.
One gel (24g carbs) with 200ml water. Tops off blood glucose.
Focus on pacing, positioning, settling in. Sip on drink. Heart rate is spiking, gut blood flow is reduced.
First gel or equivalent (24g carbs). Start your fueling clock. Hydrate consistently.
Consume carbs consistently by the clock. Target rate depends on race duration: 80-100g/hr for races under 4 hours, 60-80g/hr for 4-8 hour events, 50-70g/hr for 8-12 hours, and 40-60g/hr for ultra events (12+ hours). At lower intensities fat becomes your primary fuel and GI tolerance is the limiter. Set a timer. Your brain will be stupid. It will forget to eat.
Practice eating real food on easy rides. Start with 40-50g carbs per hour, mostly solid. Build tolerance gradually. SGLT1 transporters can double in 2 weeks of consistent gut training (GSSI).
Increase toward your race-day target rate. Mix of liquids and solids. Practice eating at tempo pace. Your gut adapts to what you train it for.
Hit your race-day target rate (see duration-scaled targets in your prep kit). Race nutrition only (gels, drink, bars you'll use on race day). Practice at race pace. For ultra events (12+ hours), include savory and mixed-macro foods alongside gels.
Stick with what worked in training. No new products. Trust your gut (literally).
Known Suffering Zones:
Budget Planning:
Cost of Trip: Above average (4/5)
Nearest Airport: Barcelona (BCN) - 100km / Girona (GRO) - 12km
Barcelona (BCN) - 100km / Girona (GRO) - 12km
Book 6+ months early. Race week is chaos. €100-200/night. Consider Barcelona + train to Girona.
Friday in Girona. Expo atmosphere, budget 90 minutes.
Limited. Public transport or hotel shuttles recommended.
Girona has excellent restaurants. Book reservations race week—town fills with cyclists.
Spin in Z1 after crossing the finish line. Let heart rate drop gradually. Stopping abruptly causes blood to pool in your legs.
20-30g protein, 60-100g carbs, 500-750ml fluid with electrolytes. Chocolate milk, protein shake with banana, or whatever the finish line has.
You lost 1-4 liters of fluid. Drink 500-1000ml within the first hour. Add electrolytes. If pee is dark yellow by evening, keep drinking.
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