Rocacorba with David Millar and Chpt.///
Within a stone’s throw of the beautiful Costa Brava and Pyrénées, the medieval town of Girona has been home to many of the world’s professional cyclists for close to two decades, offering the perfect environment for a cyclist looking to hone their form on quiet roads and with favourable year round temperatures.
While Nice is famous for the Col de la Madone and Lucca the Monte Serra, Girona has its very own secret amongst friends, just 20 kilometres north of the old town. Named after the 12th century Santuari de Rocacorba that sits just shy of the summit this is a climb that, although not as well known as some of the more popular peaks, has a significance all of its own – especially for one rider in particular. A pro for 18 years David Millar’s turbulent career has been well documented, most notably in his books Racing Through the Dark and The Racer. Having moved to Girona a decade ago Millar is part of the history of Rocacorba, in fact the climb had such significance to the Scotsman that it’s woven deep into the tapestry of life well after racing and now as a social bike rider with the creation of Velo Club Rocacorba.
Mike Cotty got to ride the challenging climb together with David Millar.
Rocacorba facts:
Start: Banyoles
Length: 13.8km
Summit: 970m
Elevation gain: 881m
Average gradient: 6.5%
Max gradient: 15%
Video produced by The Col Collective
Visit the Castelli website for more details on the Chpt./// collection.