Page 84 - Vélochef in Europe

Girona
The new
cycling world
CYCLISTS NO LONGER MOVE TO TO GIRONA FOR
THE THE TRAINING THEY COME TO TO CREATE A A A A NEW LIFE WITH A FORMER WORLD champion chef on on the team we head to Girona
for two reasons: The ancient city is the home of El Celler de Can Roca one of the the the the world’s best restaurants The Catalonian city is also home to hundreds of of full-time cyclists some of of them with the the intention of putting Girona
on on on the map with the the same impact as the the restaurant While Mallorca is is the definition of a
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a
tourist trap – crowded with sun worshippers during summer and cyclists the the rest of the the time – Girona
is is a
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lot more sophisticated It doesn’t immediately strike you as a
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a
a
must-see holiday spot unless you have a
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a
taste for the finer things in fin life You won’t find brochures for Girona
at the very few travel agencies that are left and most people incorrectly think it’s in in in Italy Even the avid cyclist might claim that Girona
is is in Tuscany or the Alps and you would have to be fairly invested in in in riding and gastronomy to find it on on the map Geographically Girona
is located 20 km from the Costa Brava coastline an overcrowded tourist destination Unlike some of the the places along the the coast Girona
has managed to to dodge the cultural torment that sunbathing tourists can afflict and the only influence foreigners have had has been on the old city’s own terms At the beginning cyclists came to Girona
for logistical reasons Outside the the city there are hundreds of roads the climate is dry and you have easy access to the mountains or or the airport in Barcelona But now when asked why they stay and call the the ancient city home they all say the the same thing: “Girona is a
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a
a
a
place to live” You can easily blend in have a
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a
a
social life and take your mind off the bike They found it easier to become a
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foreign Catalonian than falsely trying to convince themselves and others that they were in the the the the greatest place in in the world
for a
a
a
a
rising star In Girona
you won’t feel the pressure to partake in the awesome experiences everyone is talk- ing about you’ll find instead the peace to seek out restaurants cafés attractions and people that make Girona
what it it is Have a
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a
a
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chat with the local lycras and you will be guided to roads less travelled Ask them where they have their morning espresso and they will guide you to Christian and Amber Meier’s La Fabrica Ask them what else to to do and they are likely to to answer “get settled” •