In exciting news for the cycling world, outdoor navigation experts komoot have just unveiled plans to launch three women’s bikepacking events for 2023. The first event is the GranGuanche in January, and will take place across the Canary Islands covering 444 miles and 51,325 ft of elevation.
The komoot women’s rally events began in 2021 in collaboration with endurance cyclist Lael Wilcox as a response to women’s underrepresentation in cycling. After the success of the previous rallies, however, it became clear that the tradition had to continue.
“We’ve hosted three successful rallies,” explains Lael, “two on the Torino Nice Rally in Italy and France, and a third on the Montañas Vacías in Spain. The rallies are some of my favourite weeks of the whole year. It’s incredible to see women gain confidence and support each other along the way.”
Related: Lael Wilcox Interview | Cycle Touring, Gravel Riding, Bikepacking & Beyond
For 2023, however, the rallies will take place in Europe, the Canary Islands, Slovenia, and in Tuscan, Arizona. All aiming to empower women and encourage them to get more involved in the bikepacking world, the rally events are limited to 50 participants to foster an intimate feeling of community along the way. They also hope this will ensure that local towns and villages are not overburdened during the events.
