Last Saturday, December 16, Bikefriendly Consulting developed a work day at the Serpis Hostel (L'Orxa, Alicante), within the framework of the project Mancomunitat of L’Alcoià i el Comtat, Bikefriendly Territory, which concluded with a bike route through the magnificent natural environment of the area.Manolo Gomicia, president of the commonwealth, and Mariona Carbonell, manager of the same, presided over a work day where we also had the presence of representatives of the municipalities of Alcoi, Cocentaina, L’Orxa and Banyeres de Mariola.
Likewise, representing the private sector, we were accompanied by representatives of the accommodations Font del Tarrago (Alfafara), Aire (Alcoi Wall) and Riera D´Agres (Agres), as well as the cycle tourism services company Spainrider (Alcoi).
The sessions began around 10:30 in the morning in the fireplace room of the Serpis Hostel, in the heart of El Comtat MTB Center, with the presentation of the project of the Mancomunitat of L'Alcoia and the Comtat as a Bikefriendly Territory, as well as the presentation of some highlights of the latest report of the national bicycle barometer, contextualizing the attendees with the latest socio-demographic and habits of bicycle use at the national level. Next, we address the different aspects of our territorial diagnosis of the community, from a cycle tourism point of view. A diagnosis that has important positive aspects. And it is that, The province of Alicante is in the Top 5 destinations for road cyclists, without forgetting that it is one of the most mountainous provinces in its interior area of Spain.
The Sierra de la Mariola crosses the MAC and at the two ends of the mountain range we already find two BTT centers, one of private management, and the El Comtat mountain bike center managed by the public administration, and which is also a step of the Serpis Greenway, in the process of reconditioning and which connects Alcoi with the coastal town of Gandía through the Comtat Without forgetting that two stages of the well-known Camino del Cid, while the most important cycling itinerary on the old continent, Eurovelo, passes very close to the MAC territory. Which, together with a very good connection with nearby airports, good road communications, its geographical diversity and resources for practicing many other sports, make the Commonwealth of L'Alcoia and the Comtat a potential Bikefriendly Territory.
After the coffee break, we went from theory to practice, and thanks to the great work of Xavi Pérez and Jordi Climent, of the company Spainrider SL (Alcoi), all attendees enjoyed a pleasant ride in ebike for a section of the aforementioned Via Verde del Serpis, one of the great treasures of the territory.
