The three days of gravel racing at The Traka next year will have a clearer focus and purposeful intent, as organisers Klassmark announced sweeping changes for the 2027 Girona event. Only three race distances will be contested from April 30 to May 2, with The Traka 300 the only event for pro categories.
At this time, there are no plans to hold the longest distance, The Traka 560, which has been run twice before as The Traka Adventure with riders traversing the equivalent of 350 miles, similar to the popular Unbound Gravel XL race held in Kansas.
"The Traka 2027 will be a bigger, better-prepared and better-organised edition," organisers stated in a press release this week.
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"The new structure will reinforce the identity of each distance, concentrate professional competition in The Traka 300 and offer an even more powerful experience to the entire community."
The simple math equates to races with 100km, 200km and 300km distances, with The Traka 200 leading the way on Friday, April 30. The Traka 300 will be held on Saturday, and The Traka 100 will complete the trifecta of Girona gravel events, with other ancillary activities in the historic city of north-eastern Spain.
Last year, many athletes scrutinised the dilution of pro fields across two races, with some pros racing The Traka 200 while others took on The Traka 360, which is opposite of other top races that have one main distance for elite riders. There was also negative feedback about amateur fields starting ahead of the elite women in The Traka 360, causing chaos later in the race.
While age groups will be permitted in a new Traka 300, that distance will be the only race to include a pro category, which will be limited to 200 participants between men and women, "with the aim of building a more selective, competitive and safe field".
This means that elite winners from last year, across two different races, would compete together, most likely giving advantages to strong teams like Specialized Off-road, where Traka 200 winner Sofía Gómez Villafañe would not join forces with teammate Geerike Schreurs, who was third in The Traka 360.
'Priority access' for The Traka's 200 and 100 distances next year will open on July 14 at 12:00 CEST, 48 hours before general registration. Individuals who are eligible for the early registration must have participated in the 'large' distances at Gravel Desert or Ranxo Gravel. Also providing 'priority access' will be individuals with advance registration confirmed for upcoming races the River on September 6 (220km or 160km distances) or Santa Vall 2027.
Registration for The Traka 300 will open on July 16, with no priority signups. Organisers will implement a selection process for any athletes who want to be part of the pro category.
Organisers have outlined all conditions for priority access and general registration on their website, noting that "priority access does not imply a reserved place or an automatic registration".
In addition, Klassmark was looking to expand branding opportunities in Girona, at the venue used for start/finish, the expo, and the general programme over three days. The sports agency planned to name a new manager for the event as well.
"The Traka 2027 will also feature a renewal of the race direction. The name of the person who will take on this responsibility will be announced soon as part of the process of strengthening the sporting and organisational structure," the press release said.
"All these developments are part of a global effort to improve planning, safety, participant care, services and the overall operations of the event."
The Traka 200 and Traka 360 have been anchor events in the Gravel Earth Series, also managed by Klassmark.
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