How hard? It turns out the answer is – very freakin’ hard!

First some background. The Trek UCI Gravel World Series is a 16-round series of races around the world, followed by the World Championships. To qualify for the WC, you need to finish in the top 25% of your age category in at least one of the races. There are two in Australia, with Gravelista Beechworth being the first in the 2024 qualifying round. This particular race was billed as 120km with 1800m of climbing (which turned out to be over 2200m).

Lining up at the start I was as ready as I could be. Nervous? Yes. Excited? Yes! About to try and punch well above my weight? Absolutely. I’d nestled myself into a great position in the starting pen, four rows from the front in of a field of 240+ starters. Looking around it was absolute Skinsuit City! I was surrounded by National level pros, A-grade elites, and even a World Tour pro. On the first row of the grid was Australian National Gravel Champion Connor Sens and runner-up Torben Partridge-Madsen. Spoiler alert: Connor ended up winning this race solo, with Torben second.

My view from the start line of Gravelista 2023!

From the gun it was FULL GAS and HECTIC! Even though it was “neutralised” behind a lead car, the riding was anything but neutral. Sprinting across the grass to the road, riders were quickly spread across both lanes fighting for position (on a fully open road with oncoming traffic). The pace would go from on-the-hammer to on-the-brakes to on-the-hammer. I saw multiple crashes with riders hitting the deck. It took all of my concentration and bike handling skills just to stay upright and near the front. It was by far the scariest 4.5km of my life, in the NEUTRAL ZONE! There was a welcome lull as we rode through the main street of town, then on like Donkey Kong again.

A smile and a wave, roughly 20 seconds before all hell broke loose!

After the neutralised section the lead car pulled off and we hit the gravel, and we hit the gas even harder! I was was way out of my depth. Riders were absolutely gunning it down the rough gravel road. I was dodging rocks and ejected bottles, seeing more fallen and mechanical-stricken riders, all while going hell for leather. Over the first 45 minutes, my average normalised power was bang on threshold, with many bursts well into VO2 max.

It wasn’t without drama either. I was fighting for my line with far more experienced and more powerful riders, and I’m not afraid to admit that. I overcooked a couple of tight corners, sliding very wide but managing to stay upright, then having to sprint hard to get back on.

Then at the 25km mark I did something very stupid. Watching the bunch pull away from me on a fast gravel stretch, I had my right hand in the drops, and my left arm draped over the bars in a “puppy paws” position for some additional aero gains. Yep. Puppy paws. On gravel. In a momentary lapse of concentration I hit what can only be described as a crater in the road. Thud! Thud! Front wheel, back wheel, straight into it. I saw my handlebars flick sharp left, then right, I think my wheels even left the ground. A vision of my face hitting the gravel flashed before my eyes. Somehow I managed to get both hands into the drops and steady my course, staying upright. No doubt that should have been a race-ending, teeth-ending, and year-ending crash. I eased off the gas and let the bunch go. It was time to race my own race.

From there onwards I metered my effort a little better. I caught the odd rider or two, and tacked on with some smaller bunches, but the main race had disappeared well up the road. This course was tough! The many sharp pinches and draggy climbs were already taking their toll and I had expended WAY too many matches in the opening hour. By the half-way mark my mindset switched from “I wonder how fast I can ride this course?” to “I wonder if I can even finish?”

Almost all gravel, 112km with 2264m of brutal climbing (70 miles / 7430 feet).

At the 80km mark I suffered my first cramp. My left quad was really feeling it. I pulled over (my first stop) and swigged on a bottle of Pickle Juice. This stuff is supposed to stop cramping and it seemed to work! I knew a very steep climb was coming up and I wanted to be prepared. I managed to spin my way up that climb in my lowest gear, whereas many were walking. I knew there was still one killer climb to come though.

At the 90km mark is the “decider” climb; 10km long culminating in a soul destroying section averaging 18% with some above 20%. I could see that daunting wall of gravel as we approached. Looking up the road, almost everyone ahead was walking. I’m a cyclist! I said to myself. I don’t walk! I tapped down to my very easiest gear and began spinning. It soon became clear that my 32/34 wasn’t going to be enough here. I could feel BOTH quads AND my calves verging on major cramp. I unclipped, and gingerly climbed off my bike.

Standing next to my bike I was feeling pretty defeated. I had to wait a minute for the cramps to dissipate, then I started walking. Thankfully I wasn’t alone. I had other walkers around me and we chatted as we pushed our bikes towards the top. Even walking I could feel the onset of cramps. After what felt like an eternity the gradient eased and I climbed back in the saddle to finish the climb.

Cresting the top, I stopped at the final aid station to re-fill one bottle and grab a caffeine gel, then it was almost all downhill and flat for the final 15km. With 10km to go a strong looking guy on an XC bike came past at speed! I gave it one last surge to get on his wheel, and stuck with him to the end. I even had a tiny amount left in the tank to out-sprint him across the line.

Done and dusted! My first gravel race in the bag and trying to force a smile.

And just like that, I was done. Figuratively, mentally and physically done. But I had done it! After battling it out for a shade over 112km with 2264m of savage gravel climbing (70 miles / 7430 feet) I had completed my first ever gravel race, and a UCI qualifier one at that. To say I was stoked was an understatement.

I didn’t crash. ✅
I didn’t quit. ✅
I finished the race. ✅
I also didn’t come last…

By now you may have concluded that I did not end up qualifying, and you’d be right. I did not. Not even close! But I’m 100% okay with that. I completely underestimated just how tough and challenging this course was going to be, and how much stronger some of the riders would be. I am however, very proud of putting myself out there and giving this absolutely everything I had.