La Mota loop from Girona

Nine hundred metres of climbing in forty-six kilometres is a lot per hour, and that is exactly the point. La Mota sits right on Girona’s doorstep, so there is no long approach to warm up on — the road goes up almost as soon as you leave town.

It is the ride for a day when time is short and you still want your legs to know about it. Steep enough in places to need a gear you were not planning to use, and close enough to home that you can be showered and at your desk by midday.