Eat Sleep Cycle in Four Seasons: 2018 in Review

It’s the time of year to crack out the bubbly and to reflect on the year just passed – and we certainly have a lot to reflect on from 2018 at Eat Sleep Cycle. We take a look at the last four seasons at Eat Sleep Cycle, from opening our new Girona Hub back in February, to conquering new climbs in new destinations on our tours in Spring & Summer, as well as partnering with new brands. It makes us wonder what 2019 will bring.

Winter 2018

We started 2018 with the launch of our new brand, designed by Aussie cyclist & designer Matthew Slade. Our Sismic kit is modelled here by Zeta & Peter – a stylish way to kick off the year.

In February we opened our new Eat Sleep Cycle Hub in Girona, our home & heart of the Eat Sleep Cycle community.

As 2018 got underway our brand new fleet of Ridley bikes started to arrive at our Girona Hub – it felt like Christmas every day!

We travelled south to Calpe and climbed some vuelta classics under the winter sun – here’s the gang up Cumbre del Sol.

Spring

Under a moody sky we conquered the 3 peaks of Girona: Els Àngels, Mare de Deu de Mont & Rocacorba. Kudos to all who continued riding after the freak hail storm.

In May we went for a luxurious jaunt to the sun soaked Lake Como. We ate pizza, pasta, took ferries to restaurants to watch the sunset and even managed to take a day trip to see the Giro D’Italia pass through town. Magic.

Summer

We gathered the Eat Sleep Cycle crew at the top of Montjuic, ready for the season of cycling ahead. It was great to see our amazing team of staff and guides all together.

In June our road turned north to the lush green landscapes of Cantabria & Asturias, home to the fabled climbs of Los Machucos, Lagos de Covadonga, Sotres, Les Praeres and, the giant of them all, the Angliru. Here’s one of our favourite roadside picnic stops from the year.

Meanwhile back in Girona a sea of blue, in the shape of the London Dynamo Club, descended on the Eat Sleep Cycle Hub for a week of cycling and the Girona Gran Fondo.

The Full Monty Cycling Club landed in Italy and climbed straight up Monte Zoncolan to kick off their Trans Dolomites Challenge with a bang. Here’s Coby at the top after his brutal effort to conquer the beast.

July came and with it a trip to the Pyrenees to see the Tour de France.

Back in Girona we teamed up with local cycling brand Tactic to head out for a ride.

Our August Trans Pyrenees Challenge saw blue skies and determined riders. Here’s our champion crew ahead of the toughest day from Saint Savin to Saint Jean Pied du Port.

We travelled to Andorra and Europe’s tougest sportive, the one and only La Purito. Here’s guide Knut giving our guests some moral support…

Autumn

In September North Spain was calling again, this time the rolling climbs of Pais Vasco. With incredible food a staple of the tour the cycling did more than match its culinary challenge – here’s Alejandro decending Monte Oiz with misty views of the Costa Verde.

A strong contender for our photo of the year on the first edition of our Women’s Pyrenees Tour. Here are the ladies climbing high on the Col D’Aubisque.

In September we went to Viella in the picturesque Vall D’Aran to support the first edition of the Bonaigua Gran Fondo. We’ll be back for sure next year. What a ride!

Welcoming the boys and girls of Maap to Eat Sleep Cycle & Girona for the Maap in the Field ride.

We welcomed David Millar’s Chapter 3 into the Eat Sleep Cycle fold along with the brand’s latest collection inspired by the architecture & landscapes of Girona.

In November we followed the sun south to explore Andalucia & soak up the winter sun in the Costa del Sol & the Sierra Nevada mountains. Here’s Steve loving one of our last Eat Sleep Cycle tours of the year!

In December we welcomed Brompton Bicycles to the Hub – here’s a couple of special edition beauties designed by Chapter 3.

Entering the terrible two’s! Lee, Lou & Brian celebrating two whole years of Eating, Sleeping & Cycling (there was a huge bike ride before the cake was demolished!)

To get ourselves in the festive spirit we teamed up with Chapter 3 and our friends at the Rocacorba Food Truck to mount a botifarra fuelled christmas ride.

We hosted guests from England, Ireland & Scotland for a week of cycling over Christmas. Here we are with our Girona community on Christmas Day at Can Pol. A fitting end to the year!

We couldn’t have had such a successful year without the help of all of our staff, guests and partners. We’d like to extend a huge thank you to all of our wonderful staff who work tirelessly behind the scenes and in the Hub, everyone who visited us in Girona or came on tour, and all of the wonderful brands that we have worked with this year. Here’s to achieving all of this and more in 2019! Happy New Year!

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Written by Louise Laker

The bike has always been an escape for me - a way to get rid of the stresses of the day, to set myself a physical & mental challenge, to meet great people and have ton of fun.

After years of studying, working in the sustainability sector and road racing on the UK circuit, I moved from London to Girona to pursue the dream of professional cycling.

Instead, something more incredible happened - I co-founded Eat Sleep Cycle in the cycling capital of Europe, Girona.

We create & deliver beautiful cycling tours all over Europe. We love what we do and that shows in our work.