Just say hello

As I'm staying here in Girona with Campo Bicicleta for about one and a half month, I got plenty of time to discover why this place attracts so many professional cyclists. To be honest, to uncover most of the upsides this place on earth has to offer to the avid cyclist, you don't really need more than a week.

First up: the weather. Being used to the relatively moist, grey and windy Dutch winters, it's refreshing to get off the plane and be greeted by blue, sunlit skies, temperatures of 15 to 20 degrees centegrade and relatively little wind. When we (cycling team WWV) set foot on Spanish soil a few weeks ago, we found ourselves terribly lucky with this kind of weather. Not that it's uncommon for the area, but to start off on your first bike ride in shorts is a big relief after months of dressing up like a Michelin-guy battling the ugliest of weather conditions. After a few weeks around the place I still haven't been able to ride much without leg warmers, but hey, it's winter here as well! As a general rule you could say there's maybe one day a week with some raindrops, but so far it didn't force me to change my training schedule to keep from getting soaked.

Cycling in Girona: no dressing up like 'Michelin Guy'

Second in line: the Spanish way of living. Most of it is tranquilo (or tranquil in Catalan), meaning that everything will come as it comes. Don't expect to get a lot of things done straight away (if mañana is also an option). You will find the same mentality on the road, as most of the motorists are in no rush to pass you, even if you're crawling up a mountain at a snail's pace, and when they do pass, they pass with sufficient distance. This also evokes a certain need to thank them for their patience, leaving you and them with a pleasant feeling. Having a siesta (or migdiada in Catalan) is quite normal and that suits me after an intense morning workout. 

Third plus: the endless training possibilities. Anything from flat (admitted, Spanish flat is not the same as Dutch flat) to hour-long climbs and Amstel Gold Race-like terrain, you can find it around the Girona area. When I got here a few weeks ago I set myself a goal of finding a new road on each ride. So far I haven't managed to get a 100 percent score, but that's not because there are no more new roads to discover. Getting out of the city might take a bit of time with all it's traffic lights and roundabouts, but after that it's beautiful scenery in each direction. From the winding coastal roads in the east, the flat and narrow roads to the northeast, bigger climbs more inland to the rolling terrain in the north, Girona's got it all covered.

Good weather, nice roads: perfect training atmosphere

Last, but not least: mutual kindness among cyclists. In the Netherlands I find it a tough job to provoke a small hand gesture or even a smile from each passing fellow cyclist, even when I try my best. Seems like everybody is just busy with their own training, not minding anything or anyone else on the road. Here, it's completely different, as there's almost no cyclist to be found that doesn't put up a hand or a throws you a nod when you pass them (in either direction). This can't be all thrown down on Spanish mentality as most of the cyclists in this region are probably foreign. Maybe it's all the forementioned upsides that provokes this social behaviour. It's the thing I find to appreciate the most, after a long, hard training over beautiful terrain under sunny skies, to just say hello.