The cycling festival, which has already announced the dates for 2027, reaches the highest figures in its history with a record number of visitors approaching 80,000. Particularly notable are the 6,500 cyclists taking part in sporting events, from more than 100 nationalities, and an international dimension that positions Girona and the Costa Brava as one of the great meeting points of world cycling.
In the competitive arena, the standout name is Granada’s David Valero, who won La Tramun with authority, the last scoring round of the HERO UCI Cross-country Marathon World Cup (XCM), which also made him the winner of the prestigious world circuit.
The Shimano Sea Otter Europe Costa Brava-Girona by Garmin closed today a historic tenth edition, with close to 80,000 visitors over the three days of the festival. This success puts the finishing touch to the celebration of ten years of an event that has once again made Girona and the Costa Brava the great meeting point for the industry, professionals, athletes and cycling fans.
The biggest edition held to date has confirmed the festival’s strong popular appeal. From Friday through this Sunday, the aisles of the expo area and the different activity spaces have seen a steady flow of visitors, with an extraordinary atmosphere and very high participation across the various offerings. The more than 500 brands present and 10% more exhibition space have made it possible to give even greater scale to a festival that combines exhibition, discovery and product testing, international competition, mass participation, leisure, and activities for the whole family.
Audience growth has been matched by record sporting participation. More than 6,500 cyclists took part over the weekend in the different races and sporting activities, from competitions at the highest international level to rides and popular formats and grassroots cycling. A combination that remains one of Sea Otter Europe’s great hallmarks and that makes it possible to bring professional and amateur cycling together in the same festival. This Sunday, the Ciclobrava by Lapierre was one of the big highlights of the final day. More than 2,200 cyclists set off early in the morning to ride the roads and landscapes of Girona and the Costa Brava, in one of the festival’s most emblematic events and the one with the highest participation.
David Valero and Natalia Fischer, Spain’s best
The Granada rider from the Klimatiza Orbea Team achieved a double victory today. On the one hand, he won the highly demanding La Tramun, which in this edition was, for the second time, the final round of the HERO UCI Cross-country Marathon World Cup. With this first place, the Andalusian rider was crowned champion of the 2026 XCM circuit.
The 27-year-old cyclist, born in Baza, arrived elated despite the titanic effort after completing 88 km and 2,416 m of accumulated elevation gain. As soon as he crossed the finish line, he said he was “very happy, because it’s the result of a very consistent year. Winning in my first year focused on marathon has been incredible. Also, I really enjoyed the race on an extremely demanding course, both physically and technically, but one that suited me quite well. Winning La Tramun, in what I already consider my home, is a dream.”
Valero posted a time of 4 h 32 min 00 s, followed by Germany’s Andreas Seewald, of Singer KTM Racing, with 4:34:13. Third was Norway’s Eskill Evensen-Lie, of Metallurgica Veneta MTB Pro Team, who stopped the clock at 4:37:25.
The Andalusian explained his success by saying that “the course was very technical both on the climbs and on the descents and I don’t think there was a key point; the secret was not making big mistakes and aiming for consistency.”
In the women’s category, first place went to Switzerland’s Anna Weinbeer, of KTM Spada Brenta Brakes, with 5:32:52; second was Italy’s Claudia Peretti, with 5:37:47, and third was Spain’s Natalia Fischer, of Extremadura Ecopilas, with 5:43:29.
The 32-year-old rider, born in Málaga, explained, already with the bronze medal, that she had “some trouble at the start, but I quickly found my rhythm and felt really good all the way to the finish. The race, a 10 out of 10; congratulations to the organizers because it’s a very technical course and mostly on trails.”
The international dimension, one of the big leaps of the tenth edition
One of the most outstanding elements of the overall assessment is the growing internationalization of Sea Otter Europe. More than 100 nationalities were represented over these days in Girona, a diversity that was visible both among participants and visitors and among exhibiting companies, industry professionals and accredited media. The festival’s pulling power goes far beyond the European market, with professionals, companies and press from countries across all five continents.
A world-class sports program
The tenth edition has also taken a new step forward in its sporting dimension. Beyond the popular events, Sea Otter Europe brought together top-level international competitions over the weekend, with some of the world’s best specialists across different disciplines.
On Saturday, the 226ERS UCI Gravel World Series put gravel at the center of attention with a thrilling qualifying race for the UCI World Championships, broadcast worldwide. And this Sunday, the major media spotlight was on the HERO UCI Cross-country Marathon World Cup, La Tramun, which brought the global XCM season to a close and delivered a top-level sporting finale.
The sports program on this final day was completed with the SCOTT Marathon BTT, the Continental Girona Gravel Ride, the Copa Girona Trial by Sea Otter Europe, the Mini DH and the family bike ride, shaping a program capable of bringing together very diverse disciplines, ages and cycling profiles.
The perfect formula to connect fans and the cycling industry
The expo area has once again been the festival’s main engine over the three days. Direct contact between brands and users, the chance to discover the market’s leading new releases, and coexistence with sporting competition make up a formula that sets Sea Otter Europe apart within the international events calendar.
Demobike has once again been one of the most popular activities, with more than 40 brands continuously organizing rides with bikes from different disciplines—an experience that exemplifies this direct connection between industry and consumer that is part of the festival’s essence.
The professional side has also carried significant weight through Sea Otter Connect, which started as early as Thursday and brought together the cycling industry, retail, mobility, tourism, media, innovation and health. A true meeting point for the sector—reflection, business and opportunity generation.
Ten years of sustained growth and the announcement of the 2027 dates
The record number of visitors gives this edition a special dimension. The festival reaches this milestone after a trajectory of steady growth over 10 years and has already announced the dates for next year’s edition. From September 17 to 19, 2027, Girona will host the 11th edition of Sea Otter Europe.
