A Marathon Weekend Between Euros and Spain

oct 06, 2025, 20:30 pM

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Photo credit : Xavier Pereyron

This past weekend offered over a hundred riders the chance to compete for the European Championship title. For Winspace Orange Seal, two riders were on the start line — Fiona Mangan (Ireland) and Karolina Perekitko (Poland). The latter even went on to race the Gran Premio Ciudad Eibar the following day, earning an impressive 10th place finish after an eight-hour drive and a short night of rest.

Guilherand-Granges, in the Ardèche region, set the scene for Saturday’s European Championship road race. Fiona Mangan and Karolina Perekitko took on a very demanding course. “I was very happy to be selected. It’s always an honour to represent your country in such big races. It’s a dream to wear the green jersey of the Irish national team,” said Mangan. The opening section between Privas and the finish city was relatively manageable compared to the final circuit, where the real battles began. “I’m a bit disappointed with my race, but the level was extremely high. During the first 60 kilometres, I positioned myself well, but the climbs later on were really steep and too tough for me. I gave everything I had, but I couldn’t finish within the time limit.”

Photo credit : Xavier Pereyron

“if i look all the tings around, I can be satisfied”

Fiona nonetheless tried to make a move. “I worked hard in the first part of the race, following a lot of attacks. I think that cost me a lot of energy,” she explained. As for Karolina Perekitko, she once again fulfilled her role as a team helper — just as she did at the World Championships in Kigali. “After a long trip from Africa and a change in climate, I started feeling very tired. I did my best to recover and be ready for the European races, but it was really difficult,” said the 27-year-old Polish rider. “It’s always special to race in the national jersey, so I gave my all to help the team. My job was to be active on the flat sections before the climbs started.”

But Karolina’s weekend was far from over. The next day, she lined up at the Gran Premio Ciudad Eibar, a UCI ProSeries race in northern Spain, alongside her Winspace Orange Seal teammates. “After the race, I went directly by car to Eibar — an eight-hour journey — so the night was a bit short”. Despite the fatigue and rainy conditions, she fought hard to secure a strong 10th place at the finish. “I really enjoyed this race; we rode well together as a team. I did my best on the final climb — I couldn’t do anything more. Of course, I would have liked a better result, but if I look at all the things around, I can be satisfied,” concluded Karolina Perekitko.