The competition begins on Saturday with the 6th edition of the Gran Premi KH7 Dark Cross, which for the first time is part of the Spanish Cyclocross Cup.
On the weekend of October 26 and 27, cyclocross takes center stage again in Les Franqueses del Vallès with a new edition of the Gran Premi KH7, which will take place at the Municipal Sports Zone for Cycling. The competition kicks off on Saturday with the Dark Cross Gran Premi KH7 Les Franqueses, which for the first time will count as a round of the Spanish Cup and will also distribute UCI points from the International Cycling Union, being a C2 level race. It continues on Sunday with the Gran Premi KH7 Les Franqueses for the Catalan Cup and the Kids Cup for children.
As stated by the Les Franqueses Cycling Union during the presentation event of the Dark Cross Gran Premi KH7, which took place at the Municipal Cycling Circuit, it is expected that the Spanish Cup will attract significant participation. According to its president, Toni Serra Sala: “The fact that it’s a Spanish Cup will encourage those who participate throughout the season to come to Les Franqueses. For example, a Catalan Cup race might have around 200 participants, which is already a good turnout, but a Spanish Cup can have about 350, which is our goal. Additionally, being a C2 race will attract people from outside, especially from southern France.” Another novelty of this official competition is the introduction of a new feature in the circuit at the Municipal Sports Zone for Cycling: stairs that ascend one of the slopes, which will provide a new technical challenge for the participants.
The sports councilor of Les Franqueses del Vallès, Carlos Munzón Cruz, opened the presentation of the Gran Premi KH7 Les Franqueses by sharing his joy at the municipality being named the Best European Sports Town 2024, emphasizing that “this has been one of the sporting activities that received the highest praise from the judges of the European Sports Town when granting us this recognition. I want to take this opportunity to thank you for organizing these events and to share this award with you, as it also belongs to all the entities in the municipality.”
In this regard, the mayor of Les Franqueses del Vallès, Juan Antonio Corchado Ponce, highlighted the importance of this award, which “for the first time has been awarded to a Catalan town, and this is the result of the work of our entities. I believe that your commitment, dedication, and passion are very important. Ultimately, it’s a perfect ingredient for success, and this event is a success in every sense: from an organizational standpoint, in terms of participation, and also from a sporting perspective. Without you, it would have been impossible to be designated as the Best European Sports Town 2024.”
The event also featured the presence of the territorial delegate of Barcelona for the Catalan Cycling Federation, Ricardo Villar Ribera, who noted that this “is the only event on the Catalan calendar that is international and the only one on the Catalan calendar that is a Spanish Cup race. This demonstrates the efforts put in by both the Les Franqueses Cycling Union, the sponsors, and the administration.”
Regarding the circuit and its difficulty, the two cyclists who attended the presentation, Nicole Castillo Parramon and Pau Miquel Delgado, made it clear that it is one of their favorite cyclocross circuits. Nicole Castillo Parramon, who was able to complete a few laps during the morning, expressed that it is “a very complete circuit with areas of all types, such as sand, bridges, and now also stairs. It has technical sections and others that are more fun, but I believe it’s one of the best circuits in the Catalan Cup.” Pau Miquel Delgado echoed this sentiment, stating, “The circuit is spectacular, as we’ve come to expect. It’s a very twisty circuit but has areas of all types, which adds a lot of excitement for both the audience and the riders. What we want as riders is to feel inspired by a circuit, and that plays a significant role in granting a Spanish Cup to one event or another.”
