May 2, 2025

Graval Road Valencia 600km

On May 2nd, I’ll be lining up in Valencia for the start of GRAVAL Road 2025, a 600-kilometer bikepacking challenge with over 11,000 meters of climbing. Designed around the principles of self-sufficiency and endurance, GRAVAL Road requires participants to complete a fixed route within 65 hours, without any external support.

Navigation, nutrition, repairs, and sleep strategy are entirely up to us. No outside assistance except for publicly available services. The course promises a demanding mix of coastal plains, remote mountain passes, and steep climbs — offering little respite until the finish line back in Valencia.

Change of Plans…

I had originally planned to race the Race Across Italy (700 km, 11,000 m of elevation), but between the sign-up process, the logistics, and the cost, I lost interest. While looking for something similar in distance and timing, I came across Graval on Instagram — a small, passionate crew based in Valencia, known for their gravel ultras. 2025 happens to be their first-ever road event. The route immediately caught my eye, southern Spain felt like a safe bet for early May, and the whole thing had a refreshing, new energy. I was in.

The format is ideal: tough enough to mean something, but “short” enough not to mess with the rest of the season. I’m aiming for 25–26 hours of riding, which means one full day and a night on the bike — and hopefully a fast enough recovery window to jump into what’s coming next. And yes, there’s a lot coming...

A Packed Summer

2025 is shaping up to be a defining year, with two major challenges unfolding in parallel. On one side: a demanding racing schedule with the Race Across France and the Transcontinental Race. On the other: a fresh professional chapter.

On May 12th, I’ll be joining Scoreplay, a fast-growing startup that builds AI-powered media infrastructure for sports organizations. First challenge right out of the gate: three intense weeks working at Roland-Garros, from May 14 to June 5. With barely time to catch my breath, I’ll then head straight to Dinan for the start of the Race Across France on June 11. It’s going to be full-on — logistically and physically — but I’m genuinely excited for what’s ahead.

Summer at a Glance

• April 30: Last day at Freeride World Tour 💔
• May 2: Graval Road – 600 km / 11,000 m
• May 12: New job at Scoreplay
• May 14 – June 5: Roland-Garros 🎾
• June 11: Race Across France – 2,600 km / 31,000 m
• July 27: Transcontinental Race – 4,400 km / 55,000 m
• September 3 (TBC): Swiss Ultracycling Challenge – 1,000 km / 10,000 m

Lessons from 2024

2024 was a year of learning. I dropped out of the Race Across France after a mechanical failure and going way too deep, too early. Then came a second-place finish at SUCH after a poorly managed race. Both were frustrating, but they showed I was getting closer to where I want to be — and that my approach still needed refining.

For 2025, the mission is clear: win the Race Across France.

The Transcontinental? That’s a different world entirely. I’ve started thinking about the route, but I’m not quite ready to project myself that far. First comes the RAF — then we’ll see how to take on the beast that is the TCR. One step at a time.

The Preparation: Building the Base

The roadmap was ambitious: GRAVAL Road in May as a test event, RAF in June as the season’s focal point, then the TCR in July.

Preparation kicked off in October with a clear focus: arrive at the FWT season with decent fitness to minimize winter setbacks. The winter turned out to be a mixed bag. A few bugs and flat periods in November, followed by a more promising December with good intensity sessions, even if volume was limited. Just before leaving for the FWT tour, I clocked a 3-minute power test at 518 watts — 40 watts more than in 2024. A strong sign I was headed in the right direction.

But naturally, the FWT season disrupted the training flow. Between Baqueira, Val Thorens, and a rough recovery after getting sick, I lost a few solid weeks. Luckily, Georgia offered a bit of a reset: ten consecutive days of ski touring gave me a solid aerobic base. That’s also where the Scoreplay opportunity came up.

Despite two more FWT events in March, I still managed over 60 hours of training, including some long, quality rides. I also kept my weight in check this time — no winter rebound. Result: 93 kg this spring, down from over 100 kg a year ago. That 7 kg difference, combined with better power, has translated to noticeably stronger sensations on the bike.

April has probably been my best training month to date, with nearly 70 hours on the bike and consistent progress. But in ultra-endurance, raw fitness isn’t enough. GRAVAL Road will be the first real-world test — a chance to validate the physical work and reconnect with the fundamentals: pacing, fatigue management, emotional control, logistics, nutrition, hydration, and dealing with the unexpected.

Equipment Reset: A New Approach

One of the biggest changes for 2025: the bike.

2024 was rough on the gear front — two broken carbon frames, multiple component failures, and a series of races compromised. It didn’t just cost me results; it cost me time, money, and confidence.

It became clear I needed to rethink my approach.

Picking equipment is always a balancing act between weight, performance, aerodynamics, durability, and practicality. I realized I’d been pushing too far in the “light and fast” direction — which, given my 90+ kg frame, was basically asking for trouble.

Lightweight setups don’t automatically break. But they definitely raise the odds.

The 2024 damage report says it all: two frames, two cranksets, a bottom bracket... Something had to give.

So I made the decision to shift my priorities. Accept a little extra weight. Trade some marginal gains for peace of mind, mechanical reliability, and gear I can actually trust over 4,000 km.

After months of research, I settled on a steel frame.

I looked into titanium too, but couldn’t find the right balance of geometry, tire clearance, and price. What I needed was a road-like fit, with room for at least 35mm tires — especially with the TCR’s gravel sections in mind.

My final pick: the Standert Pfadfinder. A versatile steel frame with clearance up to 38 mm and a geometry close to my old road setup.

A compromise — hopefully the right one for the season ahead. I won’t bore you with all the details, but if that’s something that is interesting to you, here is the final specs sheet:

The Graval Road Race

GRAVAL Road is a self-supported bikepacking event starting on May 2, 2025, in Valencia, Spain. Participants must complete a route of over 600 kilometers with 11,000 meters of elevation gain within a maximum time of 65 hours. The route follows a fixed itinerary and must be completed without external support.

Parcours Breakdown

Sector 1: Valencia → Cortes de Pallás

The event begins at dawn from the old Turia riverbed in Valencia. The first 60 kilometers are flat and fast, crossing the rice fields around l'Albufera. However, the terrain quickly shifts with the climbs of Balcón de Montroy and Fuente Real, offering early elevation gains. After passing through the canyons near Otonel, the route descends towards the first checkpoint at Cortes de Pallás.

Sector 2: Cortes de Pallás → Embalse de Benagéber

This sector is the most isolated of the route, featuring long stretches without reliable access to food or water. Major climbs include the ascent to Muela de Cortes and the Alto de Alcola, followed by a gradual climb towards Casas Medina and entry into the Reserva de la Biosfera del Alto Turia. The second checkpoint is located near the Embalse de Benagéber.

Sector 3: Embalse de Benagéber → Picón del Buitre

The third sector includes two notable climbs: La Mataparda and El Remedio. The highlight is the ascent to Picón del Buitre (1,956 meters), known for its steep gradients and exposure. This climb has been a summit finish in multiple editions of the Vuelta a España, and marks the highest difficulty point of GRAVAL Road. The third checkpoint is located at the summit.

Sector 4: Picón del Buitre → Mora de Rubielos

After a steep and technical descent, the route continues through small towns such as Arcos de las Salinas, Torrijas, and Manzanera. This sector is relatively short and less demanding, concluding at the fourth checkpoint in Mora de Rubielos, a medieval town with good services for resupply.

Sector 5: Mora de Rubielos → Onda

Leaving Mora, riders tackle Puerto de San Rafael and then Puerto de Peñarroya (1,962 meters), the highest point of the route. After crossing Valdelinares, Spain’s highest village, the profile trends downhill into Castellón province. The fifth checkpoint is located in Onda.

Sector 6: Onda → Valencia

The final sector traverses the Sierra de Espadán, featuring the climbs of Aín and Eslida, followed by the iconic Puerto de l'Oronet. After the final ascent, a long descent leads back to Valencia. The finish is located near the City of Arts and Sciences, marking the completion of the route.

Come to Spain, they said, it will be sunny, they said…

While Switzerland will be enjoying perfect blue skies and a cozy 25°C, things look a bit gloomier in Valencia. Forecasts are calling for overcast skies, temperatures between

10 and 20°C, and a decent chance of light rain throughout the race. On the bright side, the wind looks pretty favorable across the route — which is something, at least.

Oh well... nothing I’m not already used to.

Race Strategy

Let’s be honest: this isn’t really a course that plays to my strengths. There’s just too much climbing. I might be a bit faster than I was last summer, but I’m still far from light — and long climbs don’t exactly suit me. Aside from the first 40 km, there’s barely a flat section. At least there’s that…

The goal here isn’t to race smart or conservatively. It’s a test — a chance to gauge the progress we think I’ve made over the past year and see how long I can hold an ambitious effort. With Loïc, we set a target of around 270 watts normalized power — knowing full well I won’t be able to hold that all the way to the finish. The idea is to see where things start to fall apart, and how. I’m expecting to end the race crawling up the last few climbs. Not pretty — but that’s the point. I’ll try to hold 300–310 watts on the climbs as long as I can. Hopefully I’ll make it to Picón del Buitre before I’m completely cooked.

But beyond watts and pacing, this is about gathering real-world data. How long can I sustain this rhythm? What kind of pacing strategy might work for the RAF? How does my body respond to long efforts in the mountains? And how do I handle the tough hours — especially at night — when fatigue sets in and the mind starts to drift? These are exactly the situations I’ll face in June, and this race is a good opportunity to work on the mental side too: pushing through when the legs are gone and the focus fades.

I don’t know exactly what speed this effort will translate to, but I’m aiming to average around 24 km/h, which would mean about 24 hours and 40 minutes of ride time. I’ll try to keep total stop time under 30 minutes. If I can finish in under 25 hours, I’ll be very happy — maybe a bit optimistic, but we’ll see. I’m faster and fitter than last year, but this is the first time I’ll be putting that to the test over a full race.

On the fueling side, I’m targeting 60–70 grams of carbs per hour. I’ll start with mostly liquid: 2.5 L of water in a hydration bladder, mixed with 600 g of maltodextrin and dextrose. Delicious... I’ll supplement that with snacks I actually like — Gifflars, Haribos, the usual. I’m planning for a single proper resupply stop a little past halfway. I’ve scoped out a good spot in Manzanera (km 350), which I should hit after about 15 hours if everything goes to plan. I’ll just buy whatever looks good and make sure I’ve got enough to cover the final 10 hours or so. Water shouldn’t be an issue — I can ride about four hours between refills, and I’ve mapped out fountains along the route to keep things smooth and low-stress.

It’s a small event — first edition — and the field is tiny: 27 riders, 17 solo. Fun fact: Dominik Bokstaller, another Swiss rider you might remember from SUCH23, will be there too. We were battling for the win last time until stomach issues forced him to take a long break.

All in all, it should be a good one. If I can bring it home in under 25 hours, that should put me in a pretty competitive place. Let’s see how it plays out.

Follow the Race Live

The race starts on Friday, May 2nd at 5:00 AM, and you can follow it live at the link below:

🔗 Live Tracking – GRAVAL Road 25

As always, I’ll also be posting some updates on my WhatsApp Channel:

🔗 Join here

Thanks again for all your support and messages!

Bisous,

Jonas