Forget the usual suspects in the Sierra de Guadarrama; the real headline this Sunday in Villanueva de la Cañada is the birth of an artificial colossus engineered by the organizers: the Croix Vert. It’s not a new peak on the map, but it certainly is for the peloton's legs, which will face an uninterrupted 33-kilometer ascent from Aldea del Fresno to the summit of Cruz Verde—a continuous grind packing nearly 1,000 meters of elevation gain that promises to shatter the pack much earlier than expected.
RPM Sports has decided to break away from the legacy of traditional local sportives to plunge cyclists into a leg-breaker terrain through Madrid’s best-kept secrets. The Long Course, with its 150 kilometers and 2,400 meters of total elevation, offers no respite after cresting Cruz Verde, linking short but punchy climbs near Santa María de la Alameda that will force riders to manage their watts carefully to avoid hitting the wall during the final third of the day.
Beyond the technical specs, this year’s event carries a sense of environmental urgency. Following the fierce wildfires that ravaged the green lungs of western Madrid this summer, the organization has confirmed it will donate a portion of every entry fee toward reforesting the affected areas. Cyclists opting for the 113-kilometer Short Course will also ride through this landscape of open scars, where rough tarmac and ramps exceeding 10% in the Zarzalejo area will test both drivetrain reliability and the nerves of less experienced riders.
With the final spots selling out fast and the pink jersey ready to flood the backroads, the key lies in the approach. Those early, fast kilometers heading southwest are a trap for the overeager; anyone who abuses drafting and burns their matches before Aldea del Fresno will pay the price on a climb that, due to its sheer length, feels more like the Pyrenees than the Spanish plateau. There are no gold medals, but conquering the Croix Vert in its official debut will be the badge of honor everyone wants to wear at the finish line in Villanueva.