Peter Stetina and Karolina Migoń set to defend 360km titles while Carolin Schiff squares off against Annika Langvad and Peter Vakoč faces Matt Beers and Greg Van Avermaet in the 200 distance
The Traka is continuing its build, drawing the gravel aficionados and curious alike to from Europe and the world with more than 4,500 registered participants set to take on one of the varying distances on offer as the continents flagship gravel event continues to evolve through its seventh edition.
The focal race is now touted as the 360km event, which was introduced in 2021, begins on Friday morning in Girona. The 200km also draws a field packed with some of the biggest names in gravel cycling and beyond, the elite fields starting Saturday morning. On top of that there is a 560km Traka Adventure, and a 100km race to add to the accessibility of the event, which will close the competition on Sunday.
The hotly-contested 360 is actually 358.5km with 3,700 metres of elevation gain. The 200 in reality comes in at 202km with 2500 metres of climbing. These two distances are the events where the pro riders cluster, from Lachlan Morton and Geerike Schreurs to Alejandro Valverde and Annika Langvad. They are also both point-scoring races for the Gravel Earth Series.
Cyclingnews scanned through the start lists, picking out some of the key names who are showing the form and history to indicate they might have what it takes to find their way to the podium at Friday and Saturday's key events.
Last year Peter Stetina defied a run of early mechanicals to win a shortened version of the Traka 360 as he 'embraced the suck', on a muddy course that was cut by 40km due to heavy rains before the race. He had, in league with second placed Rob Britton, chased back to the front of the race and then managed to keep on rolling through, ultimately crossing the line just a little ahead of his chase companion to claim the victory.
This year he is clearly entering the race with some powerful form settling into place just at the right time, coming second to Matt Beers at Belgian Waffle Ride California as he enjoyed "some of the best legs I've had in a long time". However, one part of his preparation hasn't been ideal, arriving in Spain to find his bike had been completely destroyed in the transit, though Canyon Road quickly came to the rescue with a new build which he'll be hoping to ride right to the top step of the podium once again.
Lachlan Morton (EF Education-EasyPost)
As the winner of Unbound Gravel 200 in 2024, Morton is hard to go past at any long-range gravel event, particularly as the extra 40-odd kilometres the Traka 360 has over Unbound 200 plays to his strengths. In fact, so fond of going long is the rider that his team confirmed earlier this year he will take on the 350-mile (566km) XL category at Unbound in 2025, making the Traka 360 perhaps a better warm-up distance ahead of the May 30 long-distance US event.
His published ‘Far Beyond’ calendar published earlier this year had Hills Gravel on March 29 in Italy and then a gap to the Traka 360 but it hasn’t exactly been a chill lead in to the even in Girona, with Sea Otter Gravel and the five-day 4 Islands Epic in Croatia thrown into the mix in between. Morton may be eschewing the distance riding extremes seen in 2024 when he set the fastest known time for the 14,200km journey around Australia but a packed schedule is delivering a different sort of marathon effort. That could take its toll but Morton knows the event and what he is capable of at it, having come second in 2022, and if anyone can thrive through an extreme schedule its the Australian.
After claiming victory in the 360 for three years in a row, Mattia de Marchi saw his winning streak come to an end in 2024 as mechanicals put him out of contention. "Unfair things happen," said the Italian afterwards on Instagram. "But what can make us stronger is to accept them and move on!" What the rider who came fifth in the Unbound Gravel 200 last year is now likely to be hoping to move on to is a return to the top step at a race he has mastered like no other."
Given his record, it is clear that De Marchi knows how to prepare and peak to perfection for The Traka 360. There is no doubt the event that started it all for the gravel professional is a huge target again this year, with De Marchi locking into training mode after returning from racing the Sea Otter Classic Gravel and setting his sights on once again crossing the line first in Girona.
Other riders to watch
High among the other contenders is Simen Nordahl Svendsen (PAS Racing). He was fourth at the event in 2024 and the 26-year-old laid down an impressive string of results last season including the overall Gravel Earth series win, victory at Lauf Gravel Worlds in Nebraska and The Rift victory for a second year running. Then he also finished the year with podium spots at Ranxo Gravel and Big Sugar Gravel. It’s clear, too, that he is focussed on coming to the race in the best shape possible with the rider from Norway having spent four weeks training in Sierra Nevada.
Another rider that would also likely have been among the very top favourites had the run in been smooth is Chad Haga. He proved his gravel credentials by setting the fastest known time (FKT) of the course of The Traka 360 in 2023 and then went on to come third in the 2024 race as well as second at Unbound 200. However, a broken arm in December was a setback and some further illness in the last month also hasn’t helped, but there is still hope by the US rider in his inaugural privateer campaign.
Then there is Canadian Rob Britton, who came second at the event in 2024, but hasn’t had quite the same powerful run in form this year – perhaps The Traka could be the turning point. Plus 2023 Traka 200 winner Paul Voß, Paris to Ancaster winner Benjamin Perry as well as Gravel Brazil and Transcordilleras winner Simon Pellaud are also expected to be on the start line.
Last year Karolina Migoń managed to get one up on Geerike Schreurs by taking off on an ascent, the Polish rider based in Switzerland fighting through stomach problems to claim the victory at The Traka 360. It was also far from her only win in a stellar year, with Migoń having taken victory at La Indomable then afterward taking out another UCI Gravel World Series round at Gravel Suisse, scooping up a second win at The Rift and winning Ranxo Gravel. The software engineer, who was supposed to be a part-time cyclist, just kept racking up the strong results in 2024.
What's more it looks like she is on the build again in 2025, finding her legs with second at the UCI Gravel World Series round at Wörthersee Gravel in early April, just in time for one of her key goals of the season, a 360 defence at The Traka.
Geerike Schreurs (SD Worx-Protime)
Since the former soigneur Geerike Schreurs turned to gravel racing she has been one of the key riders to watch wherever she turns up, be it at the European UCI Gravel World Series races or in the United States at Unbound, where she came second last year. The Dutch rider has already swept up two rounds of the UCI Gravel World Series so far this year and was also third at The Hills and now she is turning to The Traka with the experience of 2024 under her belt.
Last year Schreurs launched into the 360, with Anna van der Breggen this time taking up the soigneur duties, and quickly showed her strength. She was fighting for the win through much of the race but ultimately had to settle for second. It was still, clearly, an excellent result and with the extra knowledge of the terrain and race dynamics there is every reason to think that the top step could be within reach in 2025.
In 2023 Sarah Sturm came second at the Traka 360, even without having time to pre-ride the course and also after hitting some feeding problems at the start. Then she was back on the podium again in 2024, just minutes behind second-placed Schreurs.
Heading into the race this year, we haven't seen a lot of gravel racing from Sturm to indicate just where her form is at, as race plans haven't run smoothly so far, starting out with the cancellation of The Mid South due to fires. Still the rider, who also hit the Unbound podium in 2023, has the proven know how and consistency at the race given she has made it into the top three both times she has lined up. In fact there is just one step left on the podium that she hasn't visited and while it may be tough to change that with the ever increasing competition, it certainly doesn't look to be an impossible task given that she has already twice demonstrated her staying power at the front of the field.
Other riders to watch
While it’s hard to go past last year’s top three as the clear favourites, given no other riders finished within thirty minutes of the winning time, there are a few other potential challengers on the start list. Last year's fourth-placed Danni Shrosbree may not be having the greatest run as she has had health problems styming her season so far. Fifth-placed placed Luise Valentin is definitely showing potential to step it up this year, having scorched through Sahara Gravel in February to take the overall win and three of the four stages.
Then there is Britain’s Maddy Nutt who came second to Valentin at Sahara Gravel and secured the one stage win the Danish rider didn’t claim plus then went on to win the UCI Gravel World Series round in Brazil. Her last hit out was the 200k Dirty Reiver, which she also won. French rider Axelle Dubau-Prévôt has also increasingly being making a mark in the gravel world and won La Bescanonina Gravel and came fourth at Belgian Waffle Ride Arizona.
Last year Petr Vakoč came third at the Belgian Waffle Ride California and then headed to The Traka 200 and claimed the top spot. He may have been hoping for a similar lead in trajectory as he got set to defend his title this year. Still his chances of repeating the podium performance in the United States last weekend disappeared when he had to stop to fix the damage from hitting a sharp rock, but the chase back that still ultimately left him with a fifth place is a pretty good indicator that the form is there.
Since leaving the WorldTour, Vakoč has amassed an impressive tally of top gravel results, from a long list of UCI Gravel World Series round wins and podium placings to second at Unbound 200 in his 2023 debut. Unbound is clearly a race he would like to add to his win tally but it seems that The Traka has a special place in his heart. "The Traka, it's absolutely amazing how it's growing. Unbound has the history, and it will, at least for a while, stay the most important race. The Traka – it has a huge advantage that the area is beautiful, the riding there is just incredible, the city, Girona, is incredible," Vakoč said in California as another edition of The Traka loomed.
Matthew Beers (Specialized Off-road)
Matthew Beers may not have had the Cape Epic he was hoping for but the South African multi-discipline rider certainly put his foot down when he jumped back on the gravel bike. He went from second place at Sea Otter Classic Gravel onto a masterful defence of his Belgian Waffle Ride California title with a long solo that helped deliver him victory with a gap of nearly 10 minutes to Peter Stetina. It was a performance that left his closest rival exclaiming "all I can say is I’m in awe".
It was also the ideal lead in to his debut at the Spanish race.
Frederik Raßmann (Rose Racing Circle)
In 2024 it was Frederik Raßmann who crossed the line first at The Traka 200, but his jubilation at taking the prestigious victory soon evaporated as he was handed a five-minute penalty for receiving assistance outside the established points. At the time Raßmann said in an Instagram post: "Unfortunately I made a mistake in the feeding zone and got a time penalty, we get em next time."
Now next time is here. Last year the German entered the race off the back of a win at UCI Gravel World series event Giro Sardegna, this year however his run in hasn't been as ideal, with 29th at his last series event however that was after a solid seventh at Wörthersee Gravel. Still one thing he does have on his side this year is the knowledge that he has what it takes to cross the line first.
Other riders to watch
Jasper Ockeloen is another on the list of those to watch. Htook the runner-up spot last year, just two seconds behind Vakoč and has had a solid run of results through March and April, including a third at The Hills and fourth at Wörthersee. There is also The Hills winner Toby Perry, who last year came second at the European Gravel Championships. Mads Würtz Schmidt has quickly carved out a strong path as he has dived into gravel racing this year. The 31-year-old Danish rider performed until last year on the road with Israel-Premier Tech and has already managed to win twice at UCI Gravel World Series events, Turnhout and Monaco.
There is also a cluster of names that will be familiar to many WorldTour cycling followers, from Alejandro Valverde to Daniel Oss, Thomas De Gendt and Greg Van Avermaet, who came seventh at the race last year.
Not only has Carolin Schiff won The Traka 200 the past two years, and with a margin of more than nine minutes in 2024, but she is also heading into the event with a powerful run of results. As early in the season as it is Schiff has already collected two UCI Gravel World Series round victories and another two podium placings. She rarely lines up without finishing at or near the front of the race and of course there can be no doubt that the top performances in the shorter lead in events of the World Series can translate to success in Girona – not given the proof of the last two years and also the fact that she has a victory in Unbound 200 under her belt as well.
Schiff is a clear favourite to make it three in a row, but of course there is plenty of competition lining up to try and halt her run.
Annika Langvad (Specialized Off-road)
Annika Langvad may have stepped away from full-time racing for some years but now that she is back the six-time mountain bike world champion is as formidable as ever. She has already taken a clean sweep at Santa Vall in February and stormed to a sixth Cape Epic title in March, pairing with experienced gravel professional Sofia Gomez Villafañe. Now the question is can she keep the winning streak rolling at The Traka 200.
It may be a different beast to Cape Epic, but she's already taken on a number of gravel races with considerable success, and it is hard to imagine such a relatively minor transition bothering Langvad in the slightest given in 2019 she went from racing mountain bikes to taking on a key block of road races from Strade Bianche – where she came second – to La Course. A fierce competitor in whatever she takes on, no one will be taking their eyes off Langvad even though it is her debut.
Morgan Aguirre (PAS Racing)
The American gravel racer based in Europe had a strong first full season of gravel in 2024, but 2025 so far has been something else altogether for Morgan Aguirre. She swept up a win in muddiest of terrain at The Hills, overcoming the mechanicals and crashes that were almost an inevitability given the brutal conditions and then went on to claim a UCI Gravel World Series round at Monaco Gravel Race.
On top of that confidence building run, The Traka is not only a key target for Aguirre this year but it is one that is in home territory so she is bound to know the course and conditions well.
Other riders to watch
It’s really hard to leave Sofia Gomez Villafañe out of the above list, given her powerful run of results in the US that continued with another win at Belgian Waffle Ride California last weekend, but she did say that this first year at The Traka was one of checking it out rather than having results expectations. Though even with a no expectations attitude for Villafañe it's hard not to consider her a serious contender.
The start list also includes Cecily Decker who took third at Sea Otter Classic, Unbound 200 winner Rosa Klöser and 2022 Australian road champion Nicole Frain. Klara Sofie Skovgaard Hansen also certainly earned herself a place on the list of favourites after coming second last year but a spinal fracture meant she had to be off the bike for four weeks at the start of the season, so it's a matter of whether or not she has had time to build back up to that race winning form.
Simone is a degree-qualified journalist that has accumulated decades of wide-ranging experience while working across a variety of leading media organisations. She joined Cyclingnews as a Production Editor at the start of the 2021 season and has now moved into the role of Australia Editor. Previously she worked as a freelance writer, Australian Editor at Ella CyclingTips and as a correspondent for Reuters and Bloomberg. Cycling was initially purely a leisure pursuit for Simone, who started out as a business journalist, but in 2015 her career focus also shifted to the sport.
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Peter Stetina and Karolina Migoń set to defend 360km titles while Carolin Schiff squares off against Annika Langvad and Peter Vakoč faces Matt Beers and Greg Van Avermaet in the 200 distance
