By Imogen Cotter, Plantur-Pura
I've spent the last 2½ years living in Belgium and, as much as it is the Mecca for bike racing, I've always felt like Girona is the place to be for off-season training. A move there to get a solid winter of training in was a dream of mine. But, at the same time, my life in Belgium seemed very settled and it felt like my Girona dream might never happen.
I'd see so many of both friends and professional cyclists who lived out there while I was scrolling through Instagram. I'd watch them climbing mountains in the sun, grabbing a quick coffee on the terrace at one of the many famous cycling cafes dotted around the town, and training with a group of other female cyclists chasing the same dream.
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It all seemed like a far cry from the mainly solo training I was doing in Belgium on pancake-flat roads. Being in an area to train where I was surrounded by other like-minded people felt like a real bonus too; and something that I knew would bring me on in leaps and bounds.
At the end of September in 2021, my settled life in Belgium fell apart a bit. I found myself packing up my life there, and moving back home to Ireland – which was very stressful. However, on my way home, I took a bit of a pitstop in Girona for a race which I was taking part in with Canyon – a 350km gravel race called the Canyon Pirinexus Challenge.
This was my first time visiting Girona and came at a time in my life where I had a bit more freedom – and I began to really see myself moving there. I had 2 days in the city to prep for the race and I spent this time exploring – and really falling in love with the place.
I thought the Old Town was like something from a movie – the cobbled roads, all the beautiful apartments with their balconies, just strolling along and casually catching professional cyclists heading out on their morning rides – it felt a bit surreal.
When I arrived home to Ireland, I put Girona on my vision board – I wanted to live there, and I wanted an apartment with a balcony! I moved back in with my parents and spent September to December training in Ireland.
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At first, I felt under a bit of pressure to get moving again, as I didn’t think I would be able to get decent training done in Ireland. I have big dreams and goals for 2022 and felt like everyone was out in sunny Spain on smooth roads escaping the cold weather while I was slogging it on Irish country roads.
However, it was a chance meeting with Eddie Dunbar at a cycling event in London that actually changed my mindset. He said he had done some great training on Irish roads in previous years, and that there wasn’t a huge need to be heading out to Spain.
Hearing it from a rider of his calibre actually stuck with me – being at home in Ireland might have meant slogging it out in the rain sometimes. But it also meant I had a great support system around me: my parents, who are so supportive of my cycling; my extended family, who I have missed spending time with a lot over the past few years while I have been travelling and living abroad.
I also had my friends, who help me remember that I am a person outside of cycling too; and just the ease of knowing where things are - gym, restaurants, health food shops - and being able to communicate in my own language.
These little things add up to make a huge difference.
I booked my flights to Girona to leave on the 1st of Jan. I felt like I wanted a new year and a new start. I found an apartment - with a terrace – just like on my vision board! - and owned by the Martin family, well known in Irish cycling of course.
I took the place with a friend of mine from Germany who I met through a cycling event a couple of years ago, and earlier this week, I moved into our beautiful two-bed apartment in the Old Town, just around the corner from the famous cathedral.
Even though I have only been here a few days, it already feels right. I’m still adjusting to the fact that this is my reality now. I can be at a 20-minute climb within a few kilometres of leaving my front door. I don’t have to wear a million layers on the bike. I’m not worrying when I check the weather app every morning before training, and most importantly – I can spin 500m down the road and be at an amazing coffee shop before rolling out for training!
My training is getting a bit more intense now as I get closer to racing season, and I’ll be here in Girona until my first training camp with the team at the start of February. Looking forward to bringing you along with me!
- Imogen Cotter is Irish elite road race champion and is a pro rider with the Plantur-Pura team.
