Intercontinental Race

The Intercontinental Race is a mountain-bike event that links Europe and Africa across the Strait of Gibraltar. The most recent edition confirmed on the organiser’s website, the fourth, was held from Friday 2 to Sunday 4 May 2025, with stages in Morocco, Ceuta and Tarifa. Each stage started at 10:00.

Routes and distances

The 2025 edition was a three-stage event combining two continents:

• Prologue, Rincón de M’diq (Morocco), 2 May: 41 km with 610 m of climbing.
• Ceuta stage, 3 May: 39 km with 1,000 m of climbing.
• Tarifa stage, 4 May: 49 km with 770 m of climbing.

Routes and stage order have changed between editions, so treat these figures as those of the 2025 edition rather than a guide to the next one.

Registration

For the 2025 edition, entries were handled through RockTheSport, with a competition package and a lighter experience package. Riders could enter individually, as a pair or as a team. Entry details for the next edition have not been published, so check the official website for news.

Why race it

The event is built around crossing the Strait: in 2025 the riders raced in Africa and Europe within the same weekend, with a stage in Morocco, one in the Spanish city of Ceuta on the African coast and a finale in Tarifa. It suits mountain bikers who want a short, intense stage format rather than a single long marathon. The date of the next edition has not been announced yet.

Where to stay

With stages on both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar, the Intercontinental Race rewards riders who arrive the day before, collect their race bag without rushing and sleep on the Spanish side of the Strait. The Campo de Gibraltar and the Cádiz coast are well served by Malaga and Gibraltar airports, and a good night’s sleep before three demanding stages makes all the difference.

SO/ Sotogrande Spa & Golf Resort Hotel – Sotogrande, a base on the Spanish side of the Strait. This five-star Andalusian cortijo-style resort is the most upscale option we list in the area, with 152 rooms and gardens looking out to the Mediterranean. For cyclists it offers bike rental, guided tours, route information and indoor trainers for a pre-race spin, plus breakfast, laundry for your kit and free parking. After the stage, the 2,800 m² spa, with massage, hammam, hydrothermal circuit and pools, is made for tired legs, and four on-site restaurants mean dinner is sorted. Gibraltar airport is about 20 minutes away.

Event weekend fills up quickly, so book early, and browse more cycling-friendly accommodation for other options.