As a double-defending champion of The Traka 360, Karolina Migoń (PAS Racing) said there were high expectations in Girona, as a three-peat would set a new record for elite women. However, she didn’t feel a huge weight as a past winner but comes in with a fresh training programme and a deep respect for a higher level of competition.
“I would say it’s more pressure not because I won, but because of the field that’s getting deeper and stronger,” the two-time Traka 360 winner told Cyclingnews ahead of her title defense.
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Migoń had been a part-time racer and a full-time software engineer based in Switzerland. For 2026 she gave up the desk job and can now focus on racing.
Migoń is part of an influx of debutants in the invitation-only Life Time Grand Prix off-road series. This means more trips to the US for the six races spread across April to August, and a chance to share in a $350,000 top-10 prize purse. She’s also the defending Unbound Gravel 200 champion, and this time those stakes are higher too.
“Traka is in my calendar as [one of] a couple of big races. I’m not aiming for the overall in the Gravel Earth Series this year. I aim mostly for the Life Time Grand Prix,” Migoń told Cyclingnews about a shift for her 2026 schedule.
That series started a week ago in Monterey, California at Sea Otter Classic Gravel, where Migoń finished fourth overall, but was third in series contenders. She wanted a better result at the Grand Prix opener, saying on her social media, “I think I wanted it a bit too much and went all in a little too early……
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