This weekend takes place the VolCAT Platja d’Arothe first proof a Spain of the international calendar with dots UCI XCOand the first scoreable appointment by Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Both today and tomorrow, the stages in format Cross Country, of around 40 kilometers each, will start at 10 am. “We have a great poster”, he admits Albert Balcells, director of the test. “Whoever wants to get closer will have a good opportunity to see runners of a very high level.” Among those registered are the XCO Olympic team of the United Stateswith Savilia Blunk i Cole Paton as headliners, as well as the Bolivian champions Alejandro Gomez i Sonia Quiroga. In a Girona key, the presence of Guillem Cassú in men’s category and Txell Figueras in the feminine In total there are more than 500 cyclists.
“One of the particularities of the race is the fact that it is open to professionals, who will come from 23 different countries, and amateurs, which for them means a challenge”, explains Balcells. The one in Platja d’Aro will be the first of the VolCAT 2023 appointments, which will take place in an incomparable framework for the practice of BTT. The first stage, with an elevation gain of 1,250 metres, will have a quite leg-breaking route, with constant ups and downs that will encourage the attacks of the favorite cyclists to claim victory. And the second day, with 700 meters of elevation gain, will have more pace and a sudden climb in the middle of the race, which will test the endurance of the participants. “Platja d’Aro offers us quality services, accommodation, catering and natural surroundings”, says Balcells, who confirms the presence of motorcycle riders Aleix Espargaró i Jorge Martin. “The test was already relevant, but having them come helps us reach a new audience.”