Castellon Gravel Race

Medium

Date

2026-02-22

Location

Llucena, Castellón, Spain

Distance

120 km

Elevation

1500m

>> EXPLORE ROUTES

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Explore gravel routes near Llucena, Castellón

Strava Route Explorer · Spain

STRAVA →Find Strava segments near Llucena, CastellónSEGMENTS →Discover routes on Komoot · Llucena, CastellónKOMOOT →

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SHARE THIS RACE

$https://gravelradar.app/races/spain/castellon-gravel-race

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>> COMMUNITY

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▌ RIDER INTEL DOSSIER

ID: CASTELLON-GRAVEL-RACE

GR SCORE

/ 100

TIER 1

~/dossier/castellon-gravel-race $ cat briefing.md

▌ Self-supported across Europe. Route changes annually. The TCR.

Mike Hall’s European institution — a self-supported, route-your-own, 4,000-5,000 km race across the continent. The most prestigious endurance race in Europe.

EFFORT58/70

EXPER.58/70

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14 SCORING DIMENSIONS

· Inside the rating

$ ./radar --plot

CASTELLON GRAVEL RACE

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EFFORT MATRIX

· Physical demands · 7 vectors

$ ./bench --effort

LENGTH10/10

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10/10~4,990 km — varies by edition (route changes annually)

~4,990 km — varies by edition (route changes annually)

CLIMBING10/10

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10/10~64,000 m — Alps, Pyrenees, Balkans, Caucasus depending on year

~64,000 m — Alps, Pyrenees, Balkans, Caucasus depending on year

DURABILITY10/10

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10/1010-20 day effort, sleep deprivation, body breakdown

10-20 day effort, sleep deprivation, body breakdown

ALTITUDE07/10

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07/10Multiple high Alpine passes per edition

Multiple high Alpine passes per edition

TECHNICALITY04/10

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04/10Mostly paved; route choice is the real puzzle

Mostly paved; route choice is the real puzzle

HEAT08/10

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08/10European summer: 30-38 °C in the south

European summer: 30-38 °C in the south

RACE PRESSURE09/10

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09/10The most prestigious self-supported race in Europe

The most prestigious self-supported race in Europe

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EXPERIENCE MATRIX

· Race quality · 7 vectors

$ ./bench --experience

ADVENTURE10/10

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10/10Cross continents, cultures, climates — your choice of route

Cross continents, cultures, climates — your choice of route

SCENERY10/10

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10/10Whatever you choose — Alps, coast, Balkans, Eastern Europe

Whatever you choose — Alps, coast, Balkans, Eastern Europe

ORGANIZATION07/10

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07/10Light-touch by design; fixed checkpoints, free routing between

Light-touch by design; fixed checkpoints, free routing between

VALUE07/10

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07/10Modest entry; cost is gear, travel, time

Modest entry; cost is gear, travel, time

COMMUNITY10/10

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10/10TCR community is the heart of European bikepacking

TCR community is the heart of European bikepacking

ACCESSIBILITY04/10

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04/10Application + lottery; bikepacking CV usually needed

Application + lottery; bikepacking CV usually needed

FIELD DEPTH10/10

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10/10Sehili, Skofic, Galloway-tier ultra fields

Sehili, Skofic, Galloway-tier ultra fields

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GREEN FLAGS

$ ./pros

[+]The most prestigious self-supported race in Europe
[+]Route freedom between fixed checkpoints
[+]Cross continents in one ride
[+]Strong dot-watching tracker community
[+]Mike Hall legacy — purist event
[+]Each edition has a unique character

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RED FLAGS

$ ./cons

[!]Application + lottery — hard ticket
[!]Route planning is half the race
[!]Self-sufficiency required across borders
[!]Sleep deprivation and injury risk
[!]Long time off work; full commitment
[!]Mountain weather can shut down passes

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RIDER FIT

· Match by archetype

$ match-rider --types

BikepackerPRIME · 10/10

The European race that defines the category

Endurance MulePRIME · 10/10

Multi-week metabolism is the engine

Adventure TouristPRIME · 8/10

Many ride it ITT after failing to make the lottery

ClimberPRIME · 8/10

Alpine routes reward low-watt grinders

Heat SpecialistPRIME · 8/10

Southern Europe in August demands heat tolerance

Crit RacerAVOID · 1/10

Wrong sport entirely

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⚡ SIGNATURE CHALLENGE

Route choice is the race

Between checkpoints, the route is yours. The fast line is rarely the easy line. TCR is decided by riders who can plan, adapt, and recover on the move.

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TIRE INTEL

· Setup recommendation

$ rubber --recommend

WIDTH

28-35 mm

PRESSURE

60-80 psi

PATTERN

Fast tubeless road tire

Mostly paved European roads with the occasional gravel diversion. Most front riders run 28-32 mm tubeless; comfort over a 4,000+ km event matters more than aero.

▶ TOP PICKS

1.Continental GP 5000 S TR[32mm]— Industry standard for ultra-distance road

2.Schwalbe Pro One[32mm]— Supple casing for week-after-week riding

3.Pirelli P Zero Race TLR[32mm]— Fast and durable for long days

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WEATHER PLAYBOOK

· What the sky throws at you

$ forecast --race

Late July to August Europe: highs 25-38 °C in the south, cool Alpine nights, possible thunderstorms in mountain sectors. Pack for every climate from desert to alpine.

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