The PRO Gravel Thread

['Dale]

Gravel racing is now officially recognised by the UCI, the governing body of all things in global cycling. This thread is dedicated to this new era in the sport.

And Nathan Haas announces his new career pathway after many seasons in the WorldTour peloton. 

Edited February 5, 2022 by 'Dale

[splat]

It will be interesting to see how this changes the bike industry.
The gravel bike genre will be split into racing and touring, much like the MTB crowd is XC, Enduro & Downhill with very different equipment for each.

[Sid the Sloth]

I wonder if there will be a gravel worlds this year

[OVERDRIVE]

Evenepoel after being distanced on the gravel: 

 

Having criticised the sterrato before the race, Evenepoel once again took a swipe at the conditions - which organisers insisted to Cyclingnews they had improved since Remco did his reconnaissance in January - after riding it in anger.

"It's always special to have these gravel sections, but it was a bit on the limit. There were quite some [a few - Ed.] rocks. I think it was getting close to mountain biking. 

"For such a hard climb, we don't need it. There is one race in the year that is known for its gravel, which is Strade Bianche but on a finish like this, it makes it even harder.

"It would have been the same if we'd gone up a normal road. I understand if they want to try something new but I think the race didn't need this gravel section to be harder."

Evenepoel later doubled down on his criticisms, saying "a big chapeau to the organisation for making such a beautiful race.

"But then when they send you on small roads and they say all the loose stones are gone and you see only loose stones, it's a pity. The race was so hard it didn't need this gravel sector."

While off-road sections are getting increasingly popular in bike racing, Evenepoel said it was not necessarily meeting with a widespread thumbs up in the peloton.

"Sometimes in the teams and in the bunch, there is frustration that we go on such small roads that are, I'm not going to say dangerous, but you cannot win something with it, but you can lose it. You can have a flat tyre so it's always a risk.

"But that's not why I lost time. Aleksandr was the strongest. And I have to say thank you to my team because they did an amazing job."

Def not a fan, is this lad...

[Wayne pudding Mol]

6 hours ago, 'Dale said:

Gravel racing is now officially recognised by the UCI, the governing body of all things in global cycling. This thread is dedicated to this new era in the sport.

And Nathan Haas announces his new career pathway after many seasons in the WorldTour peloton. 

I want this bike 

[Fred van Vlaanderen]

I like the fact that this has been made official. I hope that it means more big gravel races and perhaps more TV coverage for them in the long run. 

Edited February 5, 2022 by Fred van Vlaanderen
Spelling

[Jewbacca]

Waiting for all the backlash when Floyd's team start winning some races....... 

I see Wahoo have a few decent riders on their gravel roster. Rodeo labs also have kick-ass bikes and it's awesome to see them with a pro team.

Quite a few ex world tour pro's on the inaugural UCI gravel scene. Should be quite fun.

It will be interesting to see how or if they separate the women from the men as in the past, the gravel races have just been a free for all.

Having women in the bunch with male/female teams might make for interesting tactics.

[OVERDRIVE]

Matteo Trentin: Gravel sectors have no place in stage racing or even Paris-Tours | Cyclingnews

Well, not everyone is happy. 

There is a place and time for gravel, like the article says Strade Bianche. Cycling i think is large enough for everything-MTB, Road, Battery motivated racing. Same as no battery bikes allowed in the XC MTB races, no gravel needed everywhere. 

Edited February 6, 2022 by OVERDRIVE
forgot to add something

['Dale]

On 2/5/2022 at 3:55 PM, Wayne pudding Mol said:

I want this bike 

He gets 5 bikes by his Colnago sponsor with different designs in the artwork for each one. Just imagine you had one for each day of the week 🤩@Wayne pudding Mol

Edited February 6, 2022 by 'Dale

['Dale]

When the Clásica Jaén Paraíso Interior peloton pounds its way across kilometres and kilometres of Andalusian gravel roads this Monday, the riders may well find that it’s not only dirt tracks and 3,000-plus metres of vertical climbing that’s making Spain’s first-ever pro-level sterrato race such an arduous and interesting challenge.

Following a prolonged drought, forecasts of Andalusia’s first heavy rainfall in weeks this Monday will be doubtless welcomed by local farmers, whose extensive olive tree plantations are expected to form a stunning visual backdrop to the country’s first new one-day race in decades.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/clasica-jaen-paraiso-interior-2022/preview/

 

 

['Dale]

2022 UCI Gravel World Series (Preliminary – Unofficial)

04/03/2022 Gravel Filippine Bongabon PHI
06/05/2022 Wish One Gravel Race FRA
06/18/2022 Gravel Adventure POL
06/18/2022 Blue Mountains Gravel Fondo CAN
06/25/2022 Highlands Gravel Classic USA
07/08/2022 Gravel Ensenada MEX
08/20/2022 Gravel Grit n Grind SWE
08/28/2022 Houffa Gravel BEL
09/03/2022 La Monsterrato ITA
09/04/2022 Gravelista AUS
09/17/2022 Kettle Mettle CAN
09/17/2022 Gravel One Fifty NDL
09/18/2022 Ranxo ESP
09/24/2022 Jingle GX Gravel Race USA
10/??/2022 World Championships ITA?

['Dale]

These events, sponsored by TREK, will be “mass participation races”, allowing gravel cyclists world-wide the opportunity to qualify for the first ever UCI Gravel World Championships, now rumored to be in Italy at L’Eroica Tuscany in October according to cyclingnews.com.  It is interesting to note that no existing large scale gravel events are on the preliminary calendar, just newer small/medium sized ones nobody has heard of.

 

Sauce: https://granfondodailynews.com/2022/02/18/uci-gravel-world-series-calendar-leaked-philippines-to-host-first-race/

['Dale]

Here we go, official stuff:

No strict rules as yet, any choice of bike as long it is not 'electrified'

Trek title sponsor - yoh, they've been investing in the sport, hey

https://cyclingtips.com/2022/03/uci-gravel-world-series-events-announced/

[MongooseMan]

So Matt quietly headed over to the US, and then dominated the BWR to place 2nd ahead of some stout competition (apparently with no personal support on course).

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc_vBQ1J3vF/

Very cool to see a South African dominating in a major US gravel race, beating out some world tour riders.

Edited May 2, 2022 by MongooseMan

[nathrix]

Good ride Matt 🍻

[J Wakefield]

Good ride, he said it was really gnarly and had a jol. Small issue of his chain coming off the front ring 4 times and having to chase back burn some matches.

He is keen for the next ones ahead.