If you ask for a capital city of cycling in Europe, many will answer Girona. The city has earned its place in the imagination of modern cycling through endless trails, a unique culture, and that magnetism that draws in those who understand the bicycle as something more than a sport. But when May arrives, that setting transforms into the epicenter of endurance: The Traka, the event where European gravel reaches its highest expression.
In this context of technical and aesthetic demands, Liv Pijpers of the RPM Souplesse team, a collective that champions cycling as an inseparable blend of performance and lifestyle, is preparing to leave her mark.
Talking with her, you can sense that duality required to endure the hours of solitude demanded by extreme gravel. For Liv, this 2026 edition is no minor challenge. She is taking on the 360, a route that in practice translates into 325 kilometers of pure, unforgiving gravel. Despite an up-and-down season, she arrives at race week with strategic composure: "The results haven’t been the best this year, but I feel strong and ready to go. I’m really looking forward to spending a long day on the bike and enjoying the scenery".
MTB instinct as a competitive advantage
Liv is not a converted road cyclist; her DNA was forged in Mountain Bike, and that makes the difference when the terrain at The Traka turns hostile. While others struggle on loose gravel or steep gradients, she finds her "flow".
"Thanks to the training I did as a child, I know how to play with my bike and I truly feel it as an extension of my body rather than something I have to steer".
That symbiotic connection allows her to tackle descents with enviable calm, although experience gives her the caution needed for an endurance event: "In such a long race, overestimating yourself on a descent is a mistake that can cost you dearly. When fatigue sets in, you don’t want to take risks".
The evolution of gravel: speed and honesty
The Traka has changed. The level of professionalization has exploded over the past year, turning the starts into genuine long-distance sprints. Liv has adapted her approach, settling in Girona a week earlier to avoid the stress of travel and let her body absorb the city’s energy before the big day.
Her personal success is not measured by a podium, but by the quality of her effort. "As someone with a full-time job, I’ll be happy knowing I gave it everything and raced in a way I’m proud of. Although I hope to be faster and have a higher average speed than last year".
When day breaks over the terrain of Empordà, Liv Pijpers and the impeccable aesthetic of RPM Souplesse will set out to write their own story. It will not only be a matter of performance; it will, once again, be the demonstration that the most authentic cycling is the kind lived from within.
