A ride through the Sierra Nevada for the most serious of mountain bikers, the Pico de Veleta is a 40 kilometre ascent that begins with a stint on Europe’s highest road.

Starting at an altitude of just 700 metres the road quickly inclines and continues to do so throughout the rest of the ride, with the gradient never dropping below 6% after a teasingly short descent very early on.

The second half of the trail is extremely gravelly, making riding conditions tougher still. It’s a challenge, but being so close to home it’s also a great one to get ticked off the bucket list.

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