‘Let us have our race’ – Geerike Schreurs and Lauren De Crescenzo share stories from The Traka 360 as pro women ‘navigate around all the chaos of the amateurs’

Growing pains is perhaps the polite way to say that not everyone was happy at The Traka gravel races. Complaints ranged but summarised in one word what the elite women making a living at gravel racing wanted was ‘respect’.

In just seven years, The Traka has grown to three days and four distances with 5,000 riders, plus another 15,000 people converging on Girona as supporters and spectators. In 2021, the Klassmark-owned races added The Traka 360 and saw 66 men and seven women compete. This year 1,121 riders were in the same event, 77% amateurs. It is the distance that most closely replicates Unbound Gravel 200 with distance, endurance and prestige.