Cyclist
Rocacorba, the most celebrated climb never to have featured in a pro race
Thanks to its warm climate, laidback vibe and easy access to training roads, Girona in northeast Spain has become a magnet for pro cyclists. You can’t chuck a bread roll without hitting an Esteban Chaves, a Kasia Niewiadoma or a George Bennett.
The city was ‘discovered’ in the mid-1990s by American riders crossing the Atlantic to join the European pro circuit, and the trickle of interest became a flood when Lance Armstrong’s US Postal was the first team to establish a European base there in 1997. From the mid-2000s, for any rider to show they had what it took to make it in cycling, first they had to prove themselves on the local test-piece: Rocacorba.
Although the Anglos of that particular era are long gone, their successors have kept on coming. That means the Strava leaderboard, rather than being replete with Rauls, Enrics and Jordis, is made up mainly of names of the Harrison, Neilson, Brandon and Jordan variety.
The current titleholder is actually a Brit, Paul Double of Human Powered Health, who claimed the title only this past summer. South African pro Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio claimed the women’s record during the summer of Covid.
‘The first day we could ride outside, I made it my mission,’ she told GCN in 2023. At the time of writing there isn’t another woman within four minutes.
In and out of fashion
Be warned. Where once Rocacorba was trendy, it is now just as likely to invite scorn. Tell a certain sort of person you’re excited to take it on and they will almost certainly reply with how overrated it is, or sniff about how many superior climbs there are in Catalunya.
Don’t be put off. Rocacorba would not have maintained its popularity among the pros if it didn’t offer a particular kind of test, one that is hard to find elsewhere. That challenge is one of variety rather than hard-as-nails difficulty. Rocacorba is not outrageously long nor is it particularly steep, but it has a way of draining energy through constant changes of gradient that make it tougher than its stats would suggest.
‘If there’s one thing that’s hard on this climb,’ says David Millar, former pro and founder of Velo Club Rocacorba, ‘it’s finding a rhythm.’
The first decision you’ll have to make is whether to tackle Rocacorba in its 14km form or the 10km version. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the extra distance will add kudos to your achievement.
If you’re a completist, the 4km of rolling approach from the town of Banyoles actually adds less than 100 vertical metres to your tally and reduces the average gradient from 6.9% to 5.6%. Besides, you’ll know the true beginning when you reach it.
The start point, signposted at a bridge crossing of the El Matamors river, sees the road tilt up to 5% and leads you into the shadow of woodland, which is at once welcoming and a little daunting. Cooling cover is provided by tall beech, holm oak and Mediterranean pine trees.
The low elevation means abundant flora and naturally stimulating scents from bottom to the top. The downside is the lack of grand vistas to feast on as you rise.
A fridge too far
This first kilometre is the kindest. You know you’re going uphill but it’s comfortable enough to stay in the big ring. You might even be moving swiftly enough to feel a breeze. Allow yourself a smile but don’t let your legs lull you into a false sense of security – you’ll be gritting your teeth before too much longer.
About another kilometre up the road, the relaxed, river-tracing curves take on a more jagged complexion. In a relatively short distance you pass through nine bends of 90° or sharper, demonstrative of the increase in gradient. Eager beavers will want to take these bends at the apex. Don’t. On such a cul-de-sac climb the chances of someone descending in your direction are high.
The next section is all in the low single digits and even dips down for a few seconds of negative false flat. Enjoy, but don’t go too far down the block or you’ll be crunching back through the gears again as the slope begins to sting.
Once past the 10% sections around the 5km mark, you emerge onto an open stretch of ridgeline that affords views up the mountain and over the valley to your left. It’s also the point at which the quality of the tarmac goes from smooth to crunchy.
After 6.6km, a stone building appears, outside of which is a fridge, its power cord emerging from under the steel gate. On the front of the fridge is written a list of the chilled delights that lie within – perhaps a bottle of water or a Coke or even a beer. And next to the fridge is an honesty box into which to drop your euros.
Now that you’re beyond halfway it will be tempting to ignore the fridge and plough on, but note that the next 3km will have you either dealing with your demons or dodging them – spinning away and staring at your stem, or dancing atop your gears.
The trees part briefly to give a glimpse of the radio mast at the summit. It feels far away but is drawing nearer with each rotation. Another expansive view emerges, this time to the right, and in the grey-blue yonder can be spied the distant peaks of the Pyrenees.
Sanctuary awaits
The last, leg-testing ramp carries you to within a stone’s throw of the ancient Sanctuary of Rocacorba, a hilltop chapel that was constructed in the 18th century but which sits on the site of a castle from the year 1130.
As you give it one last push, the much more modern red and white antenna of the communications tower looms larger than before. The green ‘Rocacorba’ road sign confirms your arrival. Stickers slapped over every square inch celebrate many of those who have preceded you. Take a moment to gaze towards the blissful lake of Banyoles below, then turn around and head back down. The fridge is calling.
• This article originally appeared in issue 148 of Cyclist magazine. Click here to subscribe
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