The Millars UCI Gran Fondo 2026

The route

The Millars reaches its third edition as a UCI Gran Fondo World Series event, which means the points scored here count towards the Gran Fondo World Championship rankings. The route starts in Castellón de la Plana and covers 158 km from the Mediterranean coast to the cols of the Maestrazgo highlands and the interior ranges of the Valencian Community. This is not a local sportive: the UCI label puts it on the radar of riders who compete seriously in the series, drawing participants from several countries.

The route climbs steadily from the coast into the Castellón interior, gaining altitude progressively until reaching the area around Penyagolosa, the highest peak in the Valencian Community at 1,814 m. The Maestrazgo cols are among the quietest and least-known climbs in the region, with good road surfaces and minimal traffic. The ascent towards the Penyagolosa area is the high point of the ride: at that altitude in March, the landscape and temperature have nothing in common with the coast you left behind at the start.

In March around Castellón the wind can come from several directions. A Cierzo from the NW is possible, particularly in the early part of the route on the more open pre-coastal sections. On the interior cols the prevailing wind is from the NE, and on valleys orientated towards the coast this can create a direct headwind on the climbs at 15-25 km/h. The final kilometres back towards Castellón, with the Mediterranean already visible, tend to carry a sea breeze that can be a tailwind or headwind depending on the time of day. Temperatures between 12 and 18°C are comfortable for riding, but on the higher cols it can drop to 8-10°C, which feels noticeably colder with wind.

Castellón de la Plana is well connected by train from Valencia (around 35 minutes on Cercanías) and by road from both Barcelona and Madrid. The 22 March date puts it at the peak of the Valencian cyclosportive season. If you are chasing UCI points, registration must be completed early as the allocated point slots are limited.

Variants and GPX

Past editions

Real Open-Meteo weather on each edition day.

How to register

Registration, price and rules are on the official website of the organization. Official march website →

More information

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Keep reading about planning routes with wind