Gravel section in a Road Race?

[mecheng89]

"Old" RW R4V used to contain a gravel section, can't remember the length, must've been about 2k. It's now moved to the Circus, much prefer that start. 

[gummibear]

The sound of a stone being kicked up by a tyre and striking my carbon frame or wheels sends shivers down my spine at the best of times, and that's during a road ride/race. I wouldn't want to subject my baby to prolonged risk of that happening, possibly repeatedly

It's made to be ridden and not an ornament 

[DJR]

Nowadays my number one "must do" race, if you can call it a race, is Eroica SA. And there the vast majority of it is on dirt, sommer rough dirt to boot, and it is ridden on old 1980s and earlier steel framed road bikes. My "one day when I've hardened the f up" race is the Tour of Ara. Where it is done on similarly ancient SA built road bikes and where there is not an inch of tar for a thousand kilometres. So, no, a short dirt section won't be an issue for me. Road bikes can handle much rougher stuff than most people think.

[Frosty]

A few years back the Race for Victory used a gravel road. It was only like 1 km or so. IICR the one year it had rained the night before and was a mud bath. They eventually found a new venue. Not sure if it was because of the gravel road or not. Anyway, while I never had issues with flats or crashes, I hated it. I was so worried about crashing or stones hitting my bike. It was like 1km from the start(and then 1km from the finish) and of course it was used to launch attacks to get rid of riders like myself who were not keen on going all out. 

No thanks. The dirt section on the old R4V route was bad enough, and that was only a few hundred metres long.

 

Each to his own, but for me it's a no-go. I wouldn't enter.

"Old" RW R4V used to contain a gravel section, can't remember the length, must've been about 2k. It's now moved to the Circus, much prefer that start. 

That segment is actually 900m long - https://www.strava.com/segments/5506785

 

I loved it, and was even better in the wet. Sorted the men from the boys.