4th Edition of Sea Otter Europe Returns for 2020
Mon 14th Oct, 2019 @ 6:30 pm
Sea Otter Europe, which has fast become one of the leading festivals in Europe, is back again and will take place on 29th, 30th and 31st May 2020, once again in Girona-Costa Brava. Will you be heading there? Full press release below:
First details of the sporting calendar for the fourth edition of the international Sea Otter Europe Girona Costa Brava cycling festival in 2020
As we all know, one of the keys to success for Sea Otter Europe has always been its extensive line-up of sports events; events of all kinds, for all levels, top-competition UCI category events, amateur events for taking things at your own pace, children’s events… everything is possible at the international Girona cycling festival.
The event format has been fully consolidated and entirely fills the schedule over all three days. A vast array of competitions for all tastes take place throughout each day of the three-day festival. XCO and Marathon mountain biking, electric bikes, road cycle tour, eliminator events, the classic bike race, mini DH… all sorts and for everyone.
In 2019, more than 6,000 cyclists from 50 different countries took part in one or more events at the festival. One of the main attractions of this festival is that many top-class professional riders decide to take part in the various events.
Mountain bike events
The first major event and the one that traditionally opens the festival is the Eliminator, an open exhibition event that takes place in the Gravity Zone at the festival and that allows people to take part in a highly spectacular and intense elimination-based event leading up to a grand final. Pure emotion!
The Short Track XCO is one of the latest disciplines to join the world MTB cup events and serves as an introduction to XCO competitions.
The International Catalan MTB Cup / Super Cup Massi is back in the UCI C1 category, which guarantees an extremely high level of competition. Last year, Sam Gaze took the crown for the second consecutive year as the overall winner of this C1 event. In the women’s event, the very young Laura Stigger surprised everyone by finishing ahead of an on-form Pauline-Ferrand Prévot, the current two-time world XCO and Marathon champion, no less.
In the Scott Marathon Cup – UCI Marathon Series, the overall champions were Hans Becking (recent Dutch champion) and Bettina Janas (of Germany). More than 800 riders in all categories accompanied them – both pros and amateurs – and it will again be one of the main events at the festival in 2020, allowing participants to enjoy the incredible tracks and singletracks to be found in one of the best cycling paradises anywhere in Europe: Girona.
Naturally, the future of cycling will also be present at Sea Otter Europe as all the various categories of the Children’s MTB Open will be back again.
Gravel is particularly important at Sea Otter Europe, a discipline that has burst onto the global cycling scene in recent years and has become of huge interest to cycling brands; in this case via the prestigious Pirinexus Challenge. Gravel is a discipline that allows large distances to be travelled because of the road-style bicycles used while also accessing off-road routes that take riders into natural areas that would otherwise be inaccessible. Many such places exist in Girona.
The non-competitive and entirely for-fun MTB Classic Sea Otter Europe event features bicycles from the 1990s and earlier for a fun atmosphere with owners also dressing up in vintage cycling gear. This is quite a sight and completely in contrast to the latest technology and advancements from the world of cycling that can also be found at the festival.
Room will also be made at Sea Otter Europe for descents with a Mini DH event for lower descent categories on a short but very intense and very technical circuit located right next to the festival venue.
The e-bike events could not be missing from an event of these characteristics as an increasing number of people are becoming fans of these revolutionary bicycles. Of course, they will also have their place at Sea Otter Europe with two events: the e-bike XCO and the e-bike Marathon.
Road cycling
Ciclobrava, the Sea Otter Europe cycle tour event: almost 2,000 participants – including such big names as El “Purito” Rodríguez, Ángel Edo, Alberto Losada and Melcior Mauri, among others – will start this non-competitive event along the most spectacular roads throughout Girona, one of the most incredible places in the world for road cycling thanks to its varied landscapes, relatively empty roads in good condition, an incredible cycling region where professionals often come to train and even set up a permanent base all year round. We look forward immensely to seeing the new route for next year’s event.
Something that unites all these events is the passion and fun-loving attitude shared by everyone who takes part, whether professional or amateur, with the thousands of visitors and spectators who come to the festival over the three days to enjoy their favourite sport and convert Sea Otter Europe into a huge international cycling event and Girona into the world capital of cycling.
Information will soon be released about registering for all the events, as well as more details and news when it becomes available, keep an eye on http://www.seaottereurope.com
