12 Dec ARTIEM Epic Camí de Cavalls 360º Chronicle
Last year the first attempt was made to participate in the Epic Camí de Cavalls 360º, but the weather conditions forced to cancel the last two. This year the Tradebike-ISB team, formed by Ernesto Abad and Toni Amat was able to enjoy the three stages accompanied by perfect weather.
The Event
Camí de Cavalls 360º is a route that goes around the island of Menorca in stages through the GR 223, an ancestral path of 185 km that runs along the Menorcan coast. It is carried out throughout the year in a self-guided format and in three possible modalities: Hiking, Trail Running and BTT. In total more than 2,000 people make the route per year which represents up to 15,000 overnight stays on the island, the vast majority do it in 6-7 stages and mainly the months of April, June, September and October. The month of November is disputed in competition version, the Epic Camí de Cavalls 360º, in three stages either in BTT, Trail Running or the Experience 360º modality. A very demanding test for its technicality, despite not having great slopes, the terrain on which it is disputed is very varied and complicated, ranging from beautiful white sand beaches to stony and arid rocky paths, and some areas where you have to carry the bike on your back. All this with two common characteristics: they are very beautiful and very little rollers.
This year, the 8th edition of the circuit presented several novelties, the first was done all the tour of the island complete and the second changed the order of the stages. A total of 351 participants between MTB (187) and Trail Running (50) and Experience (114) of 14 different nationalities (UK, Holland, Germany, Belgium, Poland, Switzerland, Canada, France, Malta, Norway, South Africa, USA, Andorra and Spain) faced the challenge. A total of 2,800 overnight stays at Artiem hotels, sponsor of the event.
Stages
The day started at 6am with breakfast, and travel by coach to the beginning of the stage where the participants found the bikes.
1st Stage: It was the hardest section of the route, the demanding north of Menorca, the famous Mordor, with a route of 68 km and 1,578 meters of unevenness between the Camí del Pilar and the naval base of Maó. The day began with a light drizzle that did not sink in, giving way to a cloudy sky to end with a sunny but windy day. A total of 6 hours and 12 minutes of pedaling at a very low average speed, kicking many sections, but with exceptional landscapes.
2nd Stage: The second stage passed through the south of Menorca, between Es Castell and Cala Galdana, through a route through the typical limestone rocks and the long white sand beaches, without forgetting the characteristic ravines whose relief gives character to this area of the island. In total, 54 km and 826 m. A stage that took the Tradebike-ISB team a total of 4.43h where there was exceptional weather and extraordinary landscapes.
3rd Stage: Last stage between Camí del Pilar and Cala Galdana. The route of 62km and 780m of altitude difference led to discover the limestone platform that makes up the west of Menorca and the south of Ciutadella; An inhospitable sea of rocks with low vegetation that forced the participants to pull technique and concentration to avoid last-minute mishaps. Probably the most beautiful and solitatious stage, with beautiful lighthouses and cliffs, beaches with horses and a spectacular blue sea, to finish with a last area of trialeras very fun. A total of 5.17 hours.
The Experience
It is a test as we have been commenting hard and demanding, but very beautiful, where the small number of participants gives it a very familiar air, but at the same time the presence of runners from different countries gives it an international nuance. The technical route with constant doors to open and non-cyclable areas creates a connection between the participants and reigns the good atmosphere and solidarity. But that same technicality forces to be very attentive to avoid having mechanical mishaps or falls, which with the floor of sharp rocks would be a good problem. The beauty of the island and the technicality of the race slows down when running, being preferable to enjoy the landscapes and the experience than to push harder to gain some position, which makes you enjoy the experience even more. A hard and different race, one of the most beautiful that the Tradebike-ISB team has played, to point to the agenda of 2023.