Legendary Sea Otter cycling festival coming to Europe

The organisers of the Sea Otter Classic have announced that they are to launch an equivalent event in Europe in 2017. Held in Girona, Spain, the catchily-titled “Sea Otter Europe / Costa Brava – Girona Bike Show” will take place from June 3-4.

In the US, the Sea Otter Classic combines racing with a consumer festival and trade show. Bicycle Retailer reports that the Girona event will be similar and will feature mountain bike racing, dual slalom, pump track, children's activities and a product expo.

The US organisers will be partnering with GiOutdoor, a sports promotion company, for the new event.

President and CEO of the Sea Otter Classic, Frank Yohannan, said that Girona – a major European cycling hub and home to a number of pros – represented an ideal location.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with GiOutdoor to introduce our celebration of cycling to the European market. Reaching more cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts has been the long-standing goal of Sea Otter. Girona and the Costa Brava region is the perfect location for us to be able to expand our reach to the European cycling community.”

The Sea Otter Classic began as the Laguna Seca Challenge mountain bike race in 1991. It has grown over the years to take in other cycling disciplines, including a number of road events. Today the event is said to host over 10,000 athletes and 65,000 fans.