On Saturday, March 25, the second edition of the Garraf-Penedès Experience cycling event was held, starting and finishing on the magnificent promenade of Vilanova i la Geltrú. From PlanetaBici.com we went to cover the 125 test kilometers and provide the sensations from within. Barely twelve months have elapsed since the first edition. Same places, but different worlds.
The first edition still took place under the threat of the pandemic with the recommendation to wear a mask and a constant downpour forced part of the long route to be cut. Swamps in good health, wet asphalt and spring green pushing to be born on the margins of fields and roads.
This year the story has been very different. Pandemic and masks have fallen into oblivion, the same oblivion that the rain has with our territory. The same roads now see how ocher still dominates the landscape. The color green, without rain, languishes bored begging for the heavens to open. The Foix reservoir longs for its image of yesteryear with much less water and the clay advances, cracking the soil. Although different, the setting is still entirely unique.
In the absence of rain, dry roads ideal for practicing our beloved sport. Garraf and Penedès offer some of the most beautiful landscapes. Sea and mountain. Castles, farmhouses, defense towers or villages that smell of vineyards were responsible for wrapping the winding roads with affordable unevenness through which the test took place.
Perfectly outlined vineyards and pine forests growing at will also accompanied a large part of the route. Mediterranean in its purest form and more than 800 cyclists doing what for many has been the first cyclist of the season. We will leave the requirement for later, this has been a test to recover sensations after the cold winter.
The City Council of the Catalan municipality is promoting cycling through events like this, which not only help promote pedaling among the population, it is also a way of boosting the economy of the area. The Vilanova Sports Councilor, Blanca Albà, explained to us that "the bicycle must become the vehicle of choice within the municipality as our orography allows it." To achieve this, they combine events like this with investments in cycling infrastructure that seek to revitalize the city.
Despite being a non-competitive test, crossing the finish line in first position is always a source of satisfaction and despite the fact that the results were not the important element of this Garraf-Pendès Experience, the man who achieved that first position has enormous merit. Joaquín, who completed the short 64-kilometre route, was the first to finish the test, taking less than two hours. The funny thing ... he is 72 years old!
If anything positively surprised, it was the large percentage of women who competed in both the long and short courses. 1 out of 5 participants was female and despite the fact that there is still a long way to go to reach the ideal 50%, the Experience Garraf-Penedès demonstrated that the indicated steps are being taken to reach that percentage.
We can conclude that this second edition of the Experience Garraf-Penedès was a great cycling evening. After a tortuous birth last year, 2023 has shown that any doubts that the test could generate were the sole and exclusive result of the torrential rains that took place that day. Now is the time to consolidate a cycling tour that seems perfect for those who want to start the season with an undemanding route and enjoying the unique landscape of the Penedès.
