GranGuanche
TRAIL
5th Editon
GGAT5
23-Nov-25
accreditation
Lanzarote
About 50 riders went through accreditation at the Marina de Lanzarote to take part in the 5th edition of the GranGuanche Audax Trail. Bikepackers came from all over the world to play the ferry game and discover the Canary Islands’ unique landscapes.
In the female field, the Audax drew professional cyclists and experienced bikepackers. For Amity Rockwell (USA), this is the farewell party after a legendary career in professional gravel racing. Maddy Nutt (UK) and Sarah Diekmeyer (CAN) are here for some off-season fun and base training ahead of their next races. Quinda Verheul (NL) and Dilara Tuna (GER) are seasoned bikepackers who don’t mind challenging themselves by riding through the night. Iwona (POL) has some unfinished business with the Audax and is returning after having to scratch from the previous edition.
The male field is one of the strongest ever in the Audax series. Justinas Leveika (LIT) needs no introduction — “El Rey del Chaos” has won some of the toughest races in the world, and only his spirit is bigger than his achievements. Davide Bomboi (BEL) comes fresh from the pro peloton; we’ll soon find out whether his first ultra-cycling event will turn into totally hooked or never again. Marc Büchel is not new to ultracycling races, and he has proven that he can be among the fastest riders. We will soon discover other riders fast enough to ride among them.
– DotWatcher.cc –
off they are
Lanzarote
It’s a hot afternoon in Lanzarote, with temperatures reaching 30°C and a dry easterly wind filling the sky with sand from the nearby Sahara desert — locals call it Calima.
As always, the excitement is released through the pedals, pushing riders into a pace that’s completely unreasonable for a 900 km route — a beginner’s mistake that even the most seasoned riders still get caught by.
Participants aim to make the last ferry in the evening to the next island, Fuerteventura — which means covering 120 km in 8 hours. Most of them make it through, but a few riders are slowed down by mechanical issues or navigation mistakes and will have to wait until the next morning to cross on the first ferry.
The Night Crawlers
Fuerteventura
A few riders decided to ride across Fuerteventura at night, aiming to make the 06:30 ferry to Gran Canaria. Justinas, Davide, and Mark were the first to reach the harbour at 2 am —Fast enough to grab a few hours of sleep, and tired enough to feel comfortable on a piece of cardboard laid out on the floor. Loic, Amity, Cristian, and Mikel arrived an hour later, still in time to get some rest. Rhys made it just in time. Dilara and Quinta arrived at the very last minute — and a last-minute ferry is the best of the Audax!
Mid-Pack Glory
Fuerteventura
After catching the ferry to Fuerteventura, participants had plenty of time to grab dinner in town before heading into the desert. Most of them rode a few hours in the dark before finding a suitable bivouac spot — for some, it was a sandy riverbed, for others the rubbery floor of a kid’s playground (a true classic).
Everyone was up and riding well before sunrise, aiming to cover 160 km and reach the harbour before 4 pm, when the ferry to Gran Canaria departs. By midday, temperatures were already above 30°C, and the old volcanoes and rocky desert were scorched under the blazing sun. Pájara is the only town to resupply along the route, and its minimarket quickly became a gathering spot for thirsty and hangry bikepackers. At this point, the worst hike-a-bike sections were behind them, and the ferry was only 60 km away.
Most of the participants finally made the ferry to Gran Canaria, craving drink, food, and sleep. The two-hour crossing provided plenty of time to grab tortillas, coffee, and cold drinks. This time, the ocean was calm enough to rest.
The Sharp End
Getting Sharper
The sharp end is getting sharper at each ferry. At this point, exhaustion is real, and the climbs are just beginning, with Gran Canaria delivering plenty of ups. Being fast enough to rest before ferry departures makes a big difference.
Seven riders are still in the Audax game, riding across Gran Canaria and making the ferry to Tenerife. Davide and Loic reached the harbour in the evening, just in time to grab a pizza. The restaurant also offered a room, which meant a holy shower and a solid six hours of sleep. Justina and Marck had dinner in the mountains, reached the harbour by midnight, and found a room in a posh spa hotel, scoring some expensive four hours of sleep — spa and breakfast were left untouched.
Amity and Cristian arrived after 1 am — too late to find a room, so they bivied somewhere at the harbour. Rhys arrived a bit later; he had already booked a room, giving him enough time for a shower and a short nap.
Time to Shine
Tenerife
As always, Tenerife is the big challenge of the Audax Pace. After two days on the bike, it’s now time to ride 170 km and climb 4,600 meters in less than 10 hours to make the last ferry in the evening to La Palma.
To add even more challenge, the only town to resupply is La Laguna at km 45 — after that, there’s no chance to find food or water.
The route had to adapt to a few trail closures, leaving more tarmac than we would have liked, but it still includes a dreamy double track on the north face of Mt. Teide. We’re confident that for the next edition, we’ll be able to return to the original route.
THE AUDACIOUS SIX
among them, Amity
The Audax Pace is the challenge of completing the route following the fastest possible ferry schedule in a mostly non-stop ride. This time, six riders managed to achieve the almost impossible — Amity, Justinas, Marc, Davide, Loïc, and Cristian.
Amity Rockwell became the first-ever female rider to complete the Audax Pace. We’ve been waiting for this moment for five years and 13 Audax events — and we never doubted that one day it would happen. Thank you, Amity!
As agreed, we’ll stop for the night in Santa Cruz and meet tomorrow morning at 6 a.m. to ride the last island, La Palma.
Audax
pace
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pace
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Sunday
the Audax starts at 11:30
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Lanzarote
120km +2.450m » Next ferry in 8 hours
≈ Ferry to Fuerteventura:
Sunday 18:30 – 19:00 – 20:00 (25min)
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Fuerteventura
160km +2.600m » Next ferry in 12 hours
≈ Ferry to Gran Canaria:
Monday 06:30 (120min)
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Gran Canaria
210km +5.600m » Next ferry in 20 hours
≈ Ferry to Tenerife:
Tuesday 06:00 (80min)
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Tenerife
170km +4.600m » Next ferry in 10 hours
≈ Ferry to La Palma:
Tuesday 19:00 – 19:15 (150min)
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La Palma
190km +6.300m
We stop for the night and start riding on Wednesday at 06:00
We expect the first riders to finish on Wednesday night.
LA palma
190km 6.300m+
It’s one hell of a loop on the last island, La Palma. Riders meet at 6 a.m and are straight onto the first climb — a sea-to-summit romance that starts in the banana plantations and reaches the lava fields of Roque de los Muchachos, above 2,200 meters. A continuous ascent, mostly unpaved, through a landscape that never stops amazing.
With each ferry, camaraderie grows, until they’re simply friends out riding — fast, and far. Halfway up the climb, the group begins to break apart, with riders starting to chase each other. Loïc builds a small gap — apparently a coffee stop misunderstanding helped him get ahead. Justinas and Marc are chasing. Davide is slowed by stomach issues, while Cristian rides at his own pace and enjoys the views. Amity carries all her bikepacking bags, the extra weight clearly noticeable on the relentless climb.
The whole day unfolds over endless flowing sections through pine forests and long sea-to-summit climbs, with Justinas, Loïc, and Marc chasing each other and swapping places at resupplies.
Justinas is the first to reach Santa Cruz and complete the long route, once again proving himself a true legend of the sport. As he admits, all participants are getting faster, and these events are never getting any easier. A few minutes later, Loïc and Marc arrive, congratulate him, and wait for the others.
one-week cut-off time
La Palma
Santa Cruz is buzzing with bikepackers arriving day and night, sharing their stories from the trails, laughing at their own miseries, and cheering on the next rider rolling into town.
The pace has slowed. Participants are treating themselves to good meals and some well-earned rest, finding shelter along the trails or staying in town. But chasing the one-week cut-off means starting before sunrise, riding all day, and pushing on for a few hours in the dark. While the weather is still sunny and warm at sea level, the mountains are now shrouded in clouds, with occasional rain and freezing temperatures at night, adding even more challenge.
Our lantern rouge rolls into town on Saturday evening, 12 hours ahead of the cut-off. About 20 riders out of 50 had scratched from the event due to exhaustion, injuries, cold weather, or mechanical issues. To complete routes like this, fitness and experience may not be enough—you also need some luck and the right mindset.
Outer Detours
Tour Operator
I-AV-0004875.1
