Island Hopping on the 2023 GranGuanche Audax Gravel

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More than 100 cyclists gathered in the Canary Islands to take on this year’s GranGuanche Audax Gravel event, a 700-kilometer self-supported race across five islands. Cynthia Frazier had big goals for this year’s event, and although things didn’t go as planned, she still had the ride of a lifetime. Find her story alongside a video from the event and a beautiful selection of photos here…

Words by Cynthia Frazier, photos and video by Matteo Minelli

In a sea of headlights, you could see a sliver of the waning moon behind the town steeple. Racers were crammed together on the small church pavilion, anxiously waiting for the 10 p.m. start. There were quiet murmurings among riders until the race organizer said, “Are we ready? Let’s go!” And just like that, we began our 700-kilometer island hopping journey across the Canary Islands.

Hailing from all over the world, 110 cyclists gathered together for the GranGuanche gravel ultra starting on the island of Lanzarote. We were racing to the finish but our schedule and pace were dictated by the times of the ferries from island to island. The route took us across five different Canary Islands that are off the coast of Africa but technically a part of Spain. The Canaries are a popular holiday destination for much of Europe.

The route climbed on pavement as we rode to the first gravel track in a large group. It was a steep pitch, and somehow I slipped into a big rut and had to dismount. The group started to thin out as the pace stayed high, the climb even higher. I was caught in no person’s land with a few other riders here and there. I was riding with a friend of mine named Aleix Mayor, as encouraged by the GranGaunche crew. The event is meant to be an adventure!

We rode through the land of volcanoes on gravel paths for many kilometers. There was fast gravel, deep sand, and black rock that could shred the tires of anyone having too much fun on the descents. It was quiet aside from our tires crunching. The sky was peppered with bright stars. We pushed forward and arrived at the ferry hours in advance, leaving time to grab a few winks of shut-eye before boarding.

Granguanche gravel 2023 recap
  • Granguanche gravel 2023 recap
  • Granguanche gravel 2023 recap
  • Granguanche gravel 2023 recap
  • Granguanche gravel 2023 recap
  • Granguanche gravel 2023 recap

The race organizers set the pace based on a schedule of ferries that would align with average rider speeds. The fastest schedule is called the Audax. The allotted time to arrive at the last ferry for the audax schedule was the hardest challenge. Just nine hours and 25 minutes to ride 170 kilometers with 4,500 meters of climbing. You’d have to average a speed of 18 kilometers an hour to make it in time. I set out to be the first woman to make the audax pace in the gravel route.

It was Sunday morning, just 12 hours into the race, and the sun was shining. We had the second island of Fuerteventura to tackle, and I was looking forward to seeing more than just what I could make out with my headlight. The views were phenomenal as we rode on a trail that hugged the cliffside above the Atlantic. The scent of the ocean and salt came in waves as the wind whipped us around.

Granguanche gravel 2023 recap
  • Granguanche gravel 2023 recap
  • Granguanche gravel 2023 recap

There were endless washboards on the gravel, but the views made up for it. The sun was hot as we traversed the barren landscapes of yellow and white sand. We climbed and descended for what felt like an eternity. When we arrived back in civilization, we twisted and turned around whitewashed buildings and tourists on the beach. When we finally arrived at the second ferry, we had plenty of time to stop at a market and get food for now and later. The choices you can make and the time you could spend while racing an ultra at a market are endless, but luckily we had more than an hour to decide, unlike most ultras that don’t include ferry transport.

About 20 minutes into the two-hour ferry, we regretted our food choice. A seasickness like I’ve never experienced before washed over me, and it only passed once we arrived at the third island of Gran Canaria. Another night, another 140 kilometers of extremely challenging climbs and terrain with no resupply. Luckily, we found a hotel with a hose and filled our bottles after about 100 kilometers, hoping we didn’t pick up some bug from the water.

  • Granguanche gravel 2023 recap
  • Granguanche gravel 2023 recap
  • Granguanche gravel 2023 recap
  • Granguanche gravel 2023 recap
  • Granguanche gravel 2023 recap

We pressed onward and arrived within about an hour of the 5 a.m. boat departure. Another ferry later, we rolled out with a group of the fastest riders on the island of Tenerife for our first major climb of the day. The views were breathtaking, but my need to stop for the loo was overwhelming and distracted me. I took a quick nature break and the race was on to make the Audax schedule and the only ferry of the day at 5:30 p.m.

I was looking forward to seeing what this island had to offer in the daylight after missing all the views in Gran Canaria. The landscapes on Tenerife changed at the drop of a hat. Lush green forests quickly fell into sandy desert with the highest point of Spain hiding behind the trees. We made our way to the last big climb and finally saw Mount Tiede looming over us at 3,715 meters. It was at this point Aleix and I realized there is a 99.9 percent chance we would miss the last and only ferry to the final island for 24 hours.

  • Granguanche gravel 2023 recap
  • Granguanche gravel 2023 recap
Granguanche gravel 2023 recap

Defeated, I tossed my bike into the sand and lay down on a little pull-off. After a few minutes, I pulled myself together. Aleix and I decided to enjoy a nice holiday at the beach for the next 24 hours. We arrived too late for the ferry but with plenty of time to eat everything in sight.

After a full night’s sleep, we sat by the beach in our kit, waiting for the 5:30 p.m. ferry. Instead of boarding the ferry with the fastest four men, I was boarding the ferry with 40+ refreshed riders. Some looking to race to the finish, others looking to catch some shut-eye and see the last island of El Hierro in the daytime.

Granguanche gravel 2023 recap
  • Granguanche gravel 2023 recap
  • Granguanche gravel 2023 recap

The last island “stage” was the fastest I’ve ridden in a long time. There was competition in the women’s field, and after failing to achieve my goal of the audax, the women’s win was next up. It was a battle between Orbea factory rider Virginia Cancellieri and me. We went head-to-head on the second of the three climbs. It was fun to be racing so hard in the middle of an ultra. I out-climbed her to the finish, taking 9th overall and 1st for the women’s category.

The route was unbelievable. I’d go back for the views any day. I’m excited to return for more island hopping to attempt the Granguanche trail route one day. Thanks to the Canaries for a wonderful tan, papas arrugadas y mojo picón, and the memories of a lifetime.

About Cynthia Frasier

Cynthia Frazier is an Ultra Endurance Cyclist living in the mountains of Virginia. She has raced at the top level on the road in the US and Canada. After years of criterium and road racing, she picked up a gravel bike and dove in head first to Gravel racing. In 2021, Cynthia started her journey into the world of Ultra Cycling and never looked back. She is the co-manager for Velocio // Exploro, the first Women’s Gravel Cycling team based in the US and organizes a gravel race called Gravista. You can follow Cynthia on Instagram @watt_wagon.

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