Most cyclists pick a destination based on one thing. The climb, or the weather, or someone they follow on Instagram went there. Anthony has ridden Qatar, Colombia, Girona, Tenerife, the Alps, and a few places in between, and this episode is him working through what actually separates a great cycling destination from a good one.
Key Takeaways
Terrain variety comes first. Not just climbing, flat roads too, coastal, gravel, the mix. Qatar is a beautiful place with great culture and Roadman has clients out there, but it's pancake flat and that rules it out as a cycling destination. Colombia scratched its way into Anthony's top three after only six or seven days of riding, which tells you something. The iconic climb was there with Lettras, the terrain was varied, and the cultural experience was unlike anywhere else he's been.
Traffic density on its own isn't the problem. Lettras is heavily trafficked but the motorists are respectful, so it works. The United States has heavy traffic and the motorists aren't respectful, so it doesn't. Tenerife has the climb and the altitude but when you finish riding there's nothing there. No old town, no restaurants worth talking about, nowhere to take a non-cycling partner. Girona has all of it. The riding, the coffee shops, Rocacorba, the old town square, restaurants, and Barcelona forty minutes away. That's why a serious chunk of the professional peloton lives there.
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If the gravel side of cycling destinations interests you, the gravel episode covers how that scene has developed. And for a broader conversation about where the sport is going, the best riders of 2021 episode is worth your time.