Chase the sunset ride to Canet D’Adri

A G90-Light Ride

The concept of this ride was for 3 riders with very different stories to come together to chase the sunset. Heading out from the cycling Mecca of Girona the riders start their journey at the La Comuna cafe, which is owned by Ironman superstar Jan Frodeno and his equally accomplished wife Emma Snowsill. It’s a tranquil little spot with great coffee and equally important for the sweet tooths among us – great cake.

Whilst waiting for the ride to begin the name of our cafe spot got me thinking;

Noun. comuna f (plural comunas) a group of people who share an ideology and work together.

The Canet D’Ardi Loop

35.80km
Total Distance Covered

541m
Elevation Gain

And it is just like La Comuna, the same ideology, and love for cycling that brings each of the riders here today, even though their route to get here was completely different.

The planned route is all about the views and gives a combination of quaint village lanes and open roads through epic scenery. That being said rolling out from Girona you can’t go too far wrong with so many riding options available to you.

We asked the riders to share their unique story to give some further insight into this ride

Daylin Membreño – Nicaragua

My name is Daylin Membreño, I am a 26-year-old Nicaraguan girl, accountant, cycling guide and gravel cycling lover.

The reason why I came to Girona was because of the unfortunate and sad socio-political crisis that my country Nicaragua began to experience on April 18th, 2018. Nicaragua has a long history of political corruption as do many other countries today, where rights and freedoms are not respected, that as human beings we each deserve. I came to Spain with my mother and my partner, with the aim of helping to improve the quality of life of my family.
The truth is , that I never imagined that I would find myself surrounded by this unique and beautiful cycling community, the incredible cycling paradise, the warm affection of the city, among many other things that make Girona unique and special. What was a very bad bad situation for me transformed into a good one, with a new and healthy lifestyle, a love for cycling that began almost 3 years ago, of which I feel very fortunate for the incredible bonds of friendship that it has allowed me to create. As my partner says,¨we turned lemons into lemonade”. Thank God for allowing me to enjoy good health and to be able to practice this wonderful sport called Cycling.

“Cycling for me is a sense of freedom, a source of joy, and a form of meditation where I have found refuge in my moments of emotional weakness.”

Cycling for me is a sense of freedom, a source of joy and a form of meditation where I have found refuge in my moments of emotional weakness. It is also a great source of strength and inspiration in my life. I have to be honest and say that It is an addiction that I am not willing to give up, because it gives me the ability to face situations with the best attitude I could ever imagine.

It was a great group of cyclists that came together for the ride and quickly made me feel at home. As is so often the case here in Girona , we found ourselves on beautiful, quiet roads. The views in the light of the Golden Hour were amazing. The colours, route and the camaraderie was a good combination that I imagine will surely shine through in the photos from that day.

Matthew Stamatis – Durban, South Africa

I traveled to Girona in 2019 on a riding trip with a bunch of friends and immediately fell in love with the area. It’s culture, coffee spots, eateries and obviously the riding too. In July 2021 I found myself looking for employment opportunities in Europe with the possibility to begin a life outside of South Africa. After my trip I fell in love with Girona, it seemed to be the perfect place to start my search from. So, in August 2021 I came across from SA to look a bit harder for work opportunities. A week after arriving a dream opportunity came up. I’m going to be working for the cycling team Israel Start Up Nation, so I’m still here! I am now lucky enough to call Girona home and enjoy the endless roads and trails on my bike for the foreseeable future.
When I started cycling it was just a means of spending time with new friends I had met at university. Since then it has become so much more… it has become a tranquil escape from the chaos of day to day life.

“When I started cycling it was just a means of spending time with new friends I had met at university. Since then it has become so much more…”

It has become a helpful decision maker when I’ve needed time to think about things or make decisions I have been struggling to make and most of all it has been a gateway to meeting awesome people, going to amazing places, making lifelong friends and creating this dream life I am currently living!

Our route out to Canet d’Adri is one of my favorite short loops. When you are pressed for time but still need to ride it’s the perfect route to head out on. Beautiful country backroads through the fields, up some punchy climbs with amazing short descents. It’s a route that has it all.

Aleix Ferrer – Girona, Spain

I’m Aleix Ferrer, born and raised in Girona.

I was always a runner and competed for many years, but after an injury I had to stop completely, and I thought sport was over for me. So cycling gave me a second chance to experience all the emotions I felt running and I thought I would never feel again. Thanks to cycling I discovered new places, new people and things about myself. I do cycling guiding for The Service Course and I am running my own sport nutrition company Fuel+ alongside my studies.

I feel so grateful to live in a place like Girona, and I am happy to see how my hometown is evolving. I really love being part of projects like this one, where you meet people that have a passion for cycling and what they do.

After a coffee in Girona, we left for an afternoon ride on the backroads of Canet d’Adri to chase the sun. We were lucky to see one of the best sunsets I’ve seen in a while. It’s really nice for me to see people who aren’t from here enjoying this place where I grew up and that gives me a lot of satisfaction.

“So cycling gave me a second chance to experience all the emotions I felt running and I thought I would never feel again.”

G90 2021-3: Els Àngels

Heading out from Girona in a few kilometres you can be heading up the famous Cataluña climb of Els Àngels. It is a gentle incline of 3.8% gradient for 11km.